Bellwright - Sub 2hr Review

[@NormalBlueKangaroo]

The Genre is settlement sim. This is my second favourite genre, but overall the genre is incredibly lacking. From your comments, I don't think you're the target audience, so you'll likely always not like the game as you don't like the core mechanics (and point) of the game. I think you should play a game more before reviewing it, BUT you hit all the issues most people have with the game, especially people who don't like the genre (who could be converted to enjoy the game). I don't think you will ever enjoy this game though, sadly. Most of all, if you don't play it enough to see the core mechanics working. As in actually building and growing the settlement. Again though, your attention to detail and honesty was great imo. :) - I entirely agree that the inventory is poorly implemented, especially for the genre. Things should absolutely stack in the player inventory (as it does in stockpiles and settlement chests), I can't agree more. I always prefer better gameplay over "realism". - The game currently has many more towns, you can zoom out on the map even at the start of the game and see where they are. - Every game in this genre has this mini building game that was first seen from The Forest and continued in games such as Green Hell. I think it's intended for realism, immersion, and as an effort/reward system. I also don't love it. It's far worse in Medieval/Sengoko dynasty (two other settlement sims) because it costs stamina. In this game, you can make your settlers build for you if you don't enjoy the feature, which is great. - Eating food does increase health and stamina giving you a buff as first seen in Valheim. It also heals you, low quality food hardly heals and buffs but later food (cooked) makes a big difference (just as in Valheim). Food for settlers needs work, indeed. They often walk off with low food and get mad at you that they walked half way across the map where you didn't even have a building or dropped loot. AI is always an issue in these games, it seems incredibly hard to code well. - It's not like Enshrouded at all. That's a survival game, not a settlement sim. - I wish you tried the combat, it's stand out in this game for the genre. It's directional combat such as in their previous (review bombed title - due to hacking issues) Last Oasis. This game has more features than most in the genre. My favourite feature is that you can make signs for fast travelling around the map. It takes a lot of the pain out of returning to town for quests etc. It's more hostile than other in the genre, too, which I think is a massive plus. It makes you feel like you're actually helping people to put them in your settlement. Most other games in the genre are so safe that it feels inauthentic and dull. I personally like the game a lot, despite it's limitations but I AM very much the target audience as I said, I love this genre. :)

[@earlyaccesscontrol5966]

Thank you so much for your well-thought-out comment. I appreciate it very much. It certainly is difficult to review a game in such short periods and often is quite unfair to the developers. This is not lost on me. Also you are right I don't think I am the target audience, so perhaps this video will help similar games make a decision on whether to give it a go or not. Unfortunately, I am 99% I am refunding, and to be honest your comment helped me decide that! Thanks

[@silverzinc3816]

I agree, it was boring and the building felt like Fortnite lego's. What made me refund the game was the non stackable items. I might buy it again when they update it better

[@earlyaccesscontrol5966]

Yes, I very well might revisit this too. Thanks for the comment!