When a town hides a secret, what lengths will you go to uncover it? That’s the dilemma your character faces when they return home for their father’s funeral. The circumstances of your father’s death are odd and you start investigating. Uncovering the truth isn’t easy and you must decide whether to take the righteous path or do whatever it takes. No matter what you choose, you won’t stop until you get to the bottom of the mystery.
The Necromancer’s Tale focuses on investigation with a sprinkling of combat as you investigate your father’s death. This gives you a better story focus and lets you enjoy the game without testing your reflexes. It’s not for everyone since it requires thinking about your character in a different way. For players who want a detective mystery RPG without much fighting, this is for you. Otherwise, it may be best to look elsewhere.
The Necromancer’s Tale is available on PC for USD 24.99.
Get on a person’s good side however you can, but with a bit of talking.
Story – A Suspicious Funeral
After deciding your upbringing and relationship with your family, you return home after being away for several years. Your father has passed away and you missed his funeral. Upon arriving home, you are told that your father died due to an alcohol overdose through whisky. However, your father never drank whisky and this tips you off to something suspicious. As you start investigating, the whole incident gets weirder but you won’t stop until you learn the truth.
The premise of the story is different because you have most of the exposition from building your character. However, you are still investigating your father’s death and this can be a chance for you to repair some family bonds. Alternatively, it may be the spark that lets you pursue the vengeance you’ve always wanted. It’s a good opportunity for roleplaying and there’s no wrong answer if you stick to your personality.
Something happened to your father and you must learn everything.
However, the story is still a standard murder mystery with a few twists. You can certainly enjoy the journey and have fun figuring out who the culprit is. But this isn’t a long game and you can often progress without exploring much of the world. It’s a shame because while your hometown has lots of potential, it isn’t utilised much. The focus is on the mystery and it comes at the cost of a vibrant world where most people are just accessories to your work.
Gameplay – Investigating instead of Fighting
Unlike games such as Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew, you are not meant to be a fighter. Even if you build your stats for offense, it won’t do you much good. The main point of the game is to investigate your father’s death and the mysteries that go past it. As a result, you mainly focus on investigating and speaking to individuals, convincing them to give you information. There is combat, but not much and you can avoid it in some cases.
Pass skill checks or use skill points to convince people.
This allows the gameplay to focus more on the story and help you shape your character. You don’t need to worry about preparing for combat, instead focusing on what helps you get the information you need. You can choose whether you want to get the information legally or illegally but it’s rare that violence is the answer to a problem. However, you have some freedom to resolve a situation as you like.
However, this unconventional gameplay is a double-edged sword. The lack of combat might surprise players who were hoping to lean on the supernatural elements themselves. This means anyone expecting team formations and skill builds will be disappointed. While there are some RPG elements, they all go towards investigating and you won’t get a chance to truly fight. If you aren’t a big mystery fan, the gameplay will turn you away.
Read carefully as vital information lies inside the text.
Audio & Visual – Like a Painting
The art in The Necromancer’s Tale resembles games like Xenonauts 2 but with brush strokes that look like a painting. You can even adjust the effect of the brushstrokes on the visuals though it applies to everything. Without the brush effects, the game uses your standard 3D models and everyone looks alike. The UI isn’t perfect as you can’t revisit past conversations or properly summarise information. Your journal doesn’t capture every new goal either, forcing you to keep playing or reload a save just to remember. This makes the mystery harder than it needs to be and extends the game length.
Listening to the voices is a struggle since it sounds generic with a few tones. People don’t express much other than mild dissatisfaction or joy. The background music is simple and is easy to miss out because your mind is focused on the mystery. While you can hear accents and it’s nice to have voices, nothing stands out as memorable or something that is well done.
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- Do something illegal and people may catch you for an arrest.
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- Depending on your crime, your punishment may be harsh or light.
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- Encounters with the supernatural are a normal part of the story.
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- Working with items and combining them together gives new clues.
The Necromancer’s Tale was reviewed on Steam with a code provided by Psychic Software.
