Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is now fully released as of May 23, 2025, after over two years in Early Access. With its dark Arthurian setting, deep RPG systems, and an expansive open world, many players are asking the same question — is it worth buying now?
What Is Tainted Grail and How Did We Get Here?
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is a dark fantasy open-world RPG developed by Questline and published by Awaken Realms. It began in Early Access in 2023, pitching itself as a grimmer, more immersive alternative to games like Skyrim. Its early builds focused on strong atmosphere, stamina-based combat, and non-linear exploration wrapped in a bleak reimagining of Arthurian legend.
From the start, this was a game meant for RPG veterans — players who crave build customization, lore-driven storytelling, and real mechanical depth. It always promised a slower, more deliberate pace than its mainstream peers, with a world that punishes careless play and rewards curiosity.
What’s New in the Full Release?
The 1.0 launch brings the entire game world online, including the full main storyline and all three major regions: Horns of the South, Cuanacht, and the frigid Forlorn Swords. Each area offers distinct enemies, biome design, and faction conflicts, along with 75+ dungeons and 200+ side quests.
Among the most requested additions was a working third-person perspective, now included. While the developers still recommend first-person mode for polish, the third-person perspective is fully playable and helpful for accessibility. Other major changes include fully voiced NPCs (over 250), new crafting options, soul cube abilities that function like ultimates, and support for all major platforms: PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Performance improvements from previous patches include fixes for crash bugs, white screen issues, broken inventory UI, and save corruption on PS5. Most core systems — such as perk trees, skill-based leveling, and weapon requirements — are now finalized.
Horse Riding
How Does the Game Actually Play Now?
Character creation is lightweight, with your origin determined by choices made in the intro prison. The real depth begins with the attribute and skill system. Each attribute governs multiple skill trees — for example, Spirituality unlocks magic and summoning, while Dexterity handles bows, stealth, and speed. You level up by gaining XP from quests, kills, and skill usage.
Combat is a deliberate mix of stamina management, dodging (dashing), parrying, and spellcasting. You can dual-wield weapons, pair a wand with a spell, or swap between loadouts mid-fight. Every spell has a light and heavy variant, and summons reduce your max mana while active. Soul cubes act as powerful charged abilities that unleash area effects once their elemental conditions are met.
Exploration is central. The game’s world is packed with secrets, altars, shrines, and bosses — many of which are entirely optional. At night, the map becomes more dangerous as the Weirdness creeps in, spawning unique enemy variants and changing loot drops. Campfires (bonfires) allow you to rest, level up, fast travel (with fuel), craft, or respec your stats.
Crafting is robust without being overly complex. You can upgrade weapons and armor, reduce weight for better mobility, and embed relics with passive effects like igniting attackers. While the depth is welcome, the UI still feels clunky and bloated, especially on PC where it shows signs of console-first optimization. Animations — particularly in third-person — also vary wildly in quality.
How Does the Story and Atmosphere Hold Up?
The narrative strength of Tainted Grail lies in its dark setting and mature tone. This is not a heroic power fantasy — you begin cursed, weak, and unsure who to trust. The central plot revolves around reassembling the soul of King Arthur while navigating collapsing power structures, conflicting factions, and morally ambiguous characters.
Storytelling is woven into the world through environmental detail, faction politics, and player-driven decisions. Dialogue options often require attribute checks, leading to alternate paths, unique rewards, or locked content. Quests are non-linear and reactive, with major characters dying or allying with you based on your actions. There are multiple endings, determined by who you support and how you handle key moments.
Voice acting quality is mixed but improves for main story characters. Some side NPCs sound amateurish, but standout performances — especially for Arthur and key faction leaders — carry the emotional weight. The game’s atmosphere, music, and environmental storytelling are consistently praised, particularly in unique locations like Castle Sangmore or the hidden dungeon zones found off-path.
Relaxing
Is It Technically Ready for Launch?
Mostly, but not universally. On PC, performance is stable across most mid-range and high-end setups, though Unity-based stuttering can occur after long sessions due to memory bloat. The early and mid-game zones are solid. However, Act 3 content still suffers from broken side quests, missing voice lines, and occasional crashes. These do not block main progression but can hinder completionist runs.
Console users have seen more volatility. A PS5 save corruption issue was fixed in the launch patch, but players report ongoing animation bugs, UI sluggishness, and slow texture loading in dense areas. Xbox Series performance appears smoother by comparison. Steam Deck support is listed, but users will need to lower settings and tweak resolution for consistent results.
Third-person mode, while appreciated, still feels unpolished. Switching between views mid-combat causes jarring animations and camera resets. Still, for many players, the game runs well enough — especially considering its scope and price.
Who Will Actually Enjoy Tainted Grail?
This is not a game for everyone. If you expect fast-paced action, streamlined interfaces, or clear quest markers at every turn, you’ll be frustrated. But for those who enjoyed Morrowind, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, or the survival aspects of Dark Souls, this game offers a rich, layered experience.
Build tinkerers will love the synergy between relics, skills, attributes, and soul cubes. Magic-focused players can experiment with powerful casting builds, while melee characters must carefully balance dodging and stamina to stay alive. Explorers and lore fans will thrive on the dense worldbuilding, faction tension, and moral ambiguity in quests.
It’s also a good fit for players who appreciate atmosphere, risk-reward systems, and build experimentation over pure narrative or spectacle. If you enjoyed Oblivion but wanted more weight and less handholding, Tainted Grail might be the RPG you’ve been waiting for.
Should You Buy It Today?
Yes — if you know what you’re getting. At a $45 price point, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon delivers dozens of hours of content, a compelling progression system, and one of the best dark fantasy atmospheres in recent memory. For players who want a slower, deeper RPG, it’s a clear recommendation.
Buy it now if you enjoy build-driven combat, factional storytelling, and discovering secrets on your own terms. Wait if you need bug-free late-game content, smoother UI, or console-first polish. But make no mistake: the foundation is already strong, and it’s a rare RPG that dares to take risks — and mostly succeeds.
