I played the "Indie Skyrim that Bethesda Should Learn From"

[@howard_phillips_lovecraft]

Fallout: London is also the best Fallout since New Vegas... and it was made by fans. It truly shows how far Bethesda has fallen

[@chadeklund9835]

Bethesda did not make New Vegas. Obsidian made New Vegas which at the time was full of devs who worked on fallout 2

[@DatAsianGuy]

@@chadeklund9835 sure, but it is an official bethesda game, so they get "some credit"

[@Rthesecond]

And all they had was Fun making it. Imagen what they could may have made with a own engine and budget to make a game? Look at Nehrim or the other one i forgot the name of. I dont think its the devs who would not be capable making a good game but in these big AAA studios there is everything accordings guidlines, check boxes they hace to take in account and even the best carpenter cant make a good table with shitty tools.

[@goncalves4269]

​@@DatAsianGuy officially *published* by Bethesda, not made. So that doesn't really mean much quality-wise

[@baitposter]

​@@DatAsianGuy Bethesda gets credit for rushing Obsidian with a brutal deadline and shorting their bonus due to review scores

[@samseward1374]

Being drunk on success makes you complacent. Bethesda must learn that the hard way.

[@jahjoeka]

I don't think it's that. I think it's achieving peak corporate. At some point corporations make so much money and their only thought is to make the same product but make more money from it. It's all about making money when ur at the top and fun or innovation comes second.

[@MrRafagigapr]

from software is the same , Elden ring has all the red flags Skyrim had back in the day people are just gonna take a couple games to notice its going downhill

[@Albinopolarb3ar]

@@MrRafagigapr Out of curiosity what would those red flags be?

[@Huckle777]

@@MrRafagigapr I feel like this is you being a doomer. Elden Ring was meant to be From Software peak scale at the cost of sacrificing certain things like difficulty or different mechanics. It was basically dark souls applied to a massive world, idk what you expected

[@panzer00]

​@MrRafagigapr I dont see the correlation between Bethesda and From Soft. Would you elaborate?

[@ironhelix306]

The foundation of this game is from their (Awakened Realms) boardgame "Tainted Grail The Fall of Avalon". Due to this, their lore is greatly fleshed out. I'd say Tainted Grail is a dark take on Arthurian lore and its great. They also have another Tainted Grail PC game which is a rogue like game within the same world that uses cards for combat that is really challenging and enjoyable imo (Tainted Grail Conquest). They gave backers of their TG boardgame both games to for free as a thank you. It was a literal surprise and unexpected gift. Legit company. I didnt want to get spoiled, so I've been waiting a while to play this one fully, played a little before the last major update and wipe. Glad more people are seeing this dev and game.

[@Evinthal84]

Dang, that is a nice surprise for them to give out. I was thinking about backing Tainted Grail when it was on kickstarter but ended up not doing so. Now I wish I had. Their other tabletop games are pretty cool, I especially love nemesis.

[@plotless7436]

One of the best $5 I ever spent was on the beta version of Tainted Grail (Roguelike).

[@ironhelix306]

@Evinthal84 I'll have to check out their Nemisis PC game. Didnt know the had one.

[@fergman3690]

I backed the boardgame, and yeah giving us not one, but two full PC games on the back of that was a nice surprise. I enjoyed Tainted Grail Conquest as a nice light Slay the Spire-like (some really OP builds). I wish them every success!

[@Nick-pt2px]

Is it the same story as the board game? I only played some of that and was curious how it ended.

[@kanaria-cu3uv]

bethesda’s idea of what people want from their game is having 500 sandwiches bouncing around a room, instead of an interesting world to explore.

[@bulkvanderhuge9006]

@kanaria-cu3uv LOL, so true. I remember back in the day somebody stacking pillows in Morrowind, in the city of Caldera so you could see the stack over the city walls, Then then Next challenge was in Fallout 3, and filling up and entire room with Tin Cans and Bent Cans. And don't forget the Watermelon avalanches in Oblivion, and the Wheel of Cheese avalanches in Skyrim.

[@kanaria-cu3uv]

@@bulkvanderhuge9006 I mean... if you actually like that... good on you I guess...

[@akatsukicloak]

I wouldn't be surprised if it's bethesda keeping the meme afloat, since they seem hellbent on hanging on to the engine partly because it can do stuff like this, but it also holds it back because of it.

[@spawnofapathy]

People do want that, but it is far from the only thing they want. People like the sandbox that is a Bethesda game, but they want the core game to be good with memorable quests and exploration that feels worth while. Bethesda trying to make some big forever game intentionally is like when 343 tried to make a Halo specifically for MLG and esports. They miss the point. They can’t see the forest for the trees.

[@honeybadger6275]

@@spawnofapathy The only reason they want a "forever game" is so they can tap into the games as a service model where they keep people signing in and pushing them into an in-game shop where they sell people with low impulse control extremely overpriced content like a 30-200 dollar armor skin. Plus they can then tout daily active user counts to appease shareholders. It has nothing to do with wanting to make a game that people want to play.

[@kivie13]

As the old saying goes "If you don't want to do your job someone else will do it for you". I have a feeling Bethesda will learn this the hard way. No matter, this game looks fantastic so far.

[@schemage2210]

To be fair, Palworld has majorly embarrassed Game Freak and Nintendo, but I don't foresee this happening with Tainted Grail and Bethesda. Tainted Grail doesn't seem to have the same mass market appeal that skyrocketed Palworld.

[@williamwolfstein6170]

​@@schemage2210It will be Elder Scrolls 6 without being Elder Scrolls 6,people will try, talk about it and if Elder Scrolls 6 become terrible and Bethesda launches more terrible games then they will fuck themselves and also make this game famous

[@FrejthKing]

Bethesda and alot of game companies have become like "fat ministers" eating and growing fat from their spoils, waving off any problems unknowing or uncaring of the world around them

[@BorenX1]

Why are yall dunking on a game made 13 years ago? its not even a comparison to the original skyrim, if we consider the endless moddability options of skyrim, this game is trash.. What in the actually fuck? yes I share the sentiment that bethesda is done and its no longer making good games.. it doesnt elevate this game to being good..

[@schemage2210]

@@BorenX1 I have sunk hundreds of hours into Skyrim, I have sunk a fraction of that into Oblivion too, but the notion that somehow Bethesda is the only company that is capable of making an open world adventure game is incredibly naive. Or deliberately stupid. While Skyrim is a momumental game, and it will deserve to be on top 100 games of all times lists till the day we all die (right next to Pacman), it is fundamentally flawed in many parts. There are still unpatched, save breaking bugs in the base Skyrim game that have never been fixed by Bethesda and never will be. And yes, modding has kept the Skyrim community engaged but that isn't some success by Bethesda. That was a happy accident by Bethesda that they allowed mods at all. Game world size does not make for the ultimate experience. Avalon might only be the fraction the size of Skyrim but if it can replicate the feel of combat and exploration that we loved in Skyrim, then it ought to be rewarded commercially. That's what counts.

[@banderas1879]

No way! I’ve had this game since it went early access but never played it until last week.I kept telling my friends it made me feel like discovering Skyrim for the first time again. I’m having so much fun with it

[@dhreed82]

I played 50 hours before stopping (I got through everything). It is well polished for an EA and I am excited to see what is next. There is a card game they made as well based on their board game, which is also excellent.

[@rickyhart4715]

Lol, that's exactly what I told my friends, hahaha.😂

[@juliusfishman7222]

Bethesda didn't even put any effort into a combat system, so literally any attempt at a first person combat system is better than TES games

[@AlphaGarg]

It's still incredible how Bethesda took the clunky but fun combat of Arena, Daggerfall, and Morrowind, and turned it into mindless button mashing with the only resource management being how many potions you have in your inventory (while also making potions easier to find or buy than ever before). It boggles the mind, truly.

[@lorddouchbag3494]

So true,even dark messiah is better combat wise in lots of ways

[@juliusfishman7222]

@lorddouchbag3494 yeah dark messiah is still my favourite first person combat and I'm sure it could be improved with all the tech of today

[@lorddouchbag3494]

@juliusfishman7222 so true but it doesn't have as big a mod community and I don't think the devs will release another but if it happened it'll be the game of the decade for sure

[@jaysonking4055]

I feel like the actual combat system has never been the appeal to elderscroll id argue morrowind is by far the best Bethesda game and it has some of the worst combat I've ever experienced

[@Titere05]

What you said about the game letting you visit places you should not be in at a low level, maybe even defeat an enemy somehow and getting overpowered loot for your level, I love that, it reminds me of the original Gothic series

[@christianvondruska8244]

It reminds me of Morrowind, back when the Elder Scrolls series focused more of player choice

[@Wolf-ln1ml]

There have been plenty of games that allowed that, my fist was "Bard's Tale II" during the late 80s. Strict linear games don't give you that, nor does level-scaling like Bethesda has been doing more and more. Both take away a *_lot_* of any actual sense of character improvement. Which isn't _necessarily_ a bad thing, story progression and *_character_* development can be more than enough, but when you have writers like Bethesda... yeah, then you done f*cked up.

[@rickhapstley3866]

@@Wolf-ln1ml Yeah, it's basic stuff in the vast majority of RPGs, Bethesda lost the ball completely with character progression. Combat feels and plays the same whether you're level 1 or 30 in Skyrim.

[@mathewthecrow]

Like getting the rat slayer in broc flower cave or the hunting shotgun at that barn at the end of the road leading to Jacob’s town

[@matheussantos9367]

For those familiar with Skyrim modding, the first person combat looks a lot like Precision + CFPAO, specially the hitstop and animations, and that's a great thing. Game's looking good, and I hope more studios will take this queue and start filling the void left by Bethesda, we're in dire need of good first person fantasy RPGs, specially now that hopes for ES6 are low.

[@vsgfilmgroup]

I have LONG wondered why there wasn't more of this sort of thing going on. Tainted Grail certainly has my attention, and I think it's set to hit Xbox by the end of the year?

[@Chappyowo]

Right? It looks like modded skyrim, wich honestly I find super cool. Im tired of modding and never getting it right (Im addicted to trying new mods hehe)

[@rickhapstley3866]

In my opinion, this is what post-Morrowind Elder Scrolls combat should be. It's the same formula with a much better execution. It feels and looks better, the enemies have a real moveset to learn with the parry and dodge system. Menus are cleaner, I love the loadout system that doesn't force you to pause the game every 10 seconds.

[@ledpinkdefsabbathwhokinksd9733]

skyblivion.

[@HelloKolla]

Goddammit, thought this would be a video about Enderal. Absolute masterpiece of an RPG, even better than Skyrim which it's based on, ESPECIALLY in the writing department.

[@HelloKolla]

@@QATest4fun wdym by control-freaky?

[@draugr121]

@@HelloKolla nice question, i love when people bring up Enderal. Probably the best gaming experience that i ever had. I can still hear the piano from the manor...

[@NickZadrot]

@@HelloKolla main story is mostly linear, and it, to avoid spoilers, keeps you engaged/involved by the balls

[@randomthings1293]

@@QATest4fun Guess Fortnite is more your speed

[@LuBronyr]

@@QATest4fun I kinda get you. I personally don't feel that Enderal is that control-freaky because there are side quests and characters where your choices definitely do matter but the main quest is very linear. Let's be honest though, it's a damm good linear main quest.

[@caerdwyn7467]

What makes an old-school "Bethesda-like" for me (which Bethesda has forgotten how to do): * Good small side quests. I seldom am interested in the "main questline". New Vegas, Skyrim, FO4 Far Harbor * Factions and NPCs/companions with deep questlines. Oblivion, New Vegas, Skyrim. * Big, big world with tons of nooks and crannies with interesting micro-stories... "what happened here?" told through what you find. Skyrim. * Crafting/settlements are a big plus. FO4 and Skyrim with mods. * Super-extensive modding capabilities with an enthusiastic mod community. FO4, New Vegas, Skyrim. * Decent character progression. FO3, FO4, Skyrim, New Vegas (sorry Oblivion) Starfield and FO76? Nowhere to be found on this list. And that makes me sad. Bethesda's done. Someone else will have to be the ones to take up single-player open world RPGs, and it sure AF isn't Ubisoft...

[@salamicheesejoe5068]

Another thing about armor, it’s effected by your endurance stat. The more endurance you have the heavier armor you can equip without it counting as heavy. If you have no endurance you can’t wear full medium armor without it being counted as heavy for example. An issue I ran into on my last play through as pure archer

[@dabluflcn]

Man this is exactly the kind of game I've been looking for. Something to scratch the Skyrim itch without replaying Skyrim again.

[@athrielleviera678]

Taking on overpowered enemies and getting their loot, becoming overpowered yourself sounds awesome! Seems like the depth of the combat allows you to break stuff, which sounds like a blast.

[@spartaninvirginia]

I do not buy early access games. I'll follow this game closely, but I cannot purchase it right now.

[@FakeAdirTV]

Dude what 💀 it's not a preorder. The game is already out it's just not 100% finished

[@TourFaint]

@@FakeAdirTV Why would anyone pay for an unfinished game?

[@metalcyborg8601]

@@FakeAdirTV You do realize that a good chunk of early access games do not make to 100%, right?

[@0potion]

​@@FakeAdirTVEarly access is just pretty ordered by a different name you're still paying money before the game is fully ready to release. You're paying money for a demo of a pre-ordered game is what you're doing.... It's honestly Why I'm surprised subnautica got as popular as it did. Because the vast majority of the game was played before as ever even released by all the streamers.

[@spartaninvirginia]

@@FakeAdirTV I don't buy early access games. They aren't finished, they aren't guaranteed to be finished. Buying an early access game doesn't actually incentivize the developers to finish the game. For example, Project Zomboid has been on Steam since 2013, it still says "early access". BeamNG drive has been on Steam since 2015 and it still says "early access". I don't buy early access games. Especially ones that say " is an incredibly ambitious project." I hope it's successful and gets finished, but I won't consider paying until it is.

[@Splashbang_OW]

Let's just call it: Scrolls-like. I think that's a most fitting term for the genre. I personally love Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon. Currently waiting for the full release, having played through the first chapter. Don't forget about Avowed, coming out in Feb 2025 which is another Scrolls-like game.

[@gharm9129]

Let's not. IT has a name, FPPRPG or just RPG. You guys and your lack of linguistic skills are are starting to talk like the dards from idiocracy. Any wonder why the new developers hired by Bethesda make crap? When you only have a diminutive lexicon of 500 words your ability to transfer ideas becomes limited and repetitive.

[@RockyBalKoa]

​@@gharm9129Arebyou okay dude? If you're so smart, then you must be aware that over time linguistics evolves.

[@gharm9129]

@@RockyBalKoa Stop trying to justify being ignorant and unlearned. Your very comment is an example of what I'm talking about; "Arebyou okay dude? If you're so smart, then you must be aware that over time linguistics evolves."

[@Splashbang_OW]

@@gharm9129 Your mental gymnastics aren't all that fantastic, but perhaps one day you'll grow up to be more than just a failed basement comedian trying his hand at poorly written slap stick. When you manage to finally leave your parents basement, reality might give you a rude wake up call, and i don't think that's an understatement. Fingers crossed you'll one day become a real man, and not just a boy who thinks he can. I could stay here and debate you all day but i've got places to go and stuff to do anyway. Well placed retorts and rhymes aside, i couldn't care less about you or the dicks you ride in your day to day life.

[@Splashbang_OW]

@@gharm9129 Your mental gymnastics aren't all that fantastic, but perhaps one day you'll grow up to be more than just a failed basement comedian trying his hand at poorly written slap stick. When you manage to finally leave your parents basement, reality might give you a rude wake up call, and i don't think that's an understatement. Fingers crossed you'll one day become a real man, and not just a boy who thinks he can.

[@CornFerret_]

Mug, I'd really like to see more content like this from you in the future, as well as your usual stuff. I'm always on the lookout for smaller, more lesser known, quality games and I really appreciate these type of videos. This game is now on my radar as well Enderal that another commenter mentioned.

[@TheChrisLouis]

The combat in this game is far better than a skyrim or any Bethesda game. Its like a first person slower paced souls like game.

[@stephenlong9806]

You would probably like the Kingsfield games.

[@Bill_Garthright]

Is there an "Easy" difficulty setting? I liked the Elder Scrolls games (and the Fallout games) because I could play them. I'm not interested in combat that's too difficult. This game looks interesting, but I need to know if I can play on "Easy," if necessary. Thanks.

[@odg1190]

@@Bill_Garthright Just tough it out. This guy literally explains that he found a strong magic spell that made combat easy because he explored. You could probably find combinations that are super strong without much hassle

[@Bill_Garthright]

@@odg1190 _"Just tough it out."_ No thanks. I play games for fun. I have no interest in proving anything by _playing a game._ (That would be silly, huh?) And we all have different tastes (and different abilities). I tend to buy more games than I get played anyway! :)

[@odg1190]

@@Bill_Garthright There isn't anything to prove playing the game. It's just a simple difficulty curve that makes the power you get feel rewarding. Such a baby

[@madestro]

All I see recommended to me is Veilguard or Monster Hunter Wilds so this was a refreshing video to be recommended by youtube

[@harrysarso]

Realy veilguard recomendations😂

[@deathound]

I have no hope for Wilds lol, a shame because World is one of the best in the series.

[@twinkiestorrstoenailclippi2122]

@@deathound????? How?

[@deathound]

@@twinkiestorrstoenailclippi2122 Denuvo and the fact the game requires a supercomputer to run at 60fps 1080p WITH frame gen. Basically the game will run like ass and won’t be optimized. It’s pathetic. Edit: Plus recently the games being pumped out by them show a downward trend, it’s looking worse over time and I genuinely expect the game to be awfully made. Shouldn’t have to give a game 3 years post-release for it to be polished and playable. Let's also not forget the permanently on TAA so the game will be blurry and have ghosting. Can't forget that fun bit lol

[@twinkiestorrstoenailclippi2122]

@@deathound to my knowledge both MH worldborne and MH risebreak we’re both really solid games on release, sure the endgame in both were originally a little stale but overall they were great games. I don’t see wilds being bad at all and am quite optimistic about it

[@Nazgul265]

This game has actually been on my wishlist for agesss, but i’ve been waiting for it to come out of early access. Just like i don’t like watching unfinished tv shows, i only like playing finished games where i can experience it all in one go.

[@bulkvanderhuge9006]

Same here. When it's out of Early Access, I'll come back to it.

[@SpentAmbitionDrain]

Yeah. EA is no place to play a game like this. 1.1 + mods is the right time.

[@baitposter]

Same, but I buy them in Early Access to help the dev keep the lights on, if it shows promise

[@frequencyoftruth2303]

Well the good thing about buying Early Access games is if you know they're going to finish it specially is that the price will raise once it's done

[@radnorio3180]

As someone who has played ea for a few different iterations, the improvement is extremely noticeable with each update. This is going to be a hidden gem when it releases.

[@Rufiowascool]

You are easilty my favourite "new" channel that I've found. Delivery is just fucking excellent. You value our time and don't hype shit up. Keep it the hell up, my man.

[@Mugthief]

Why is "new" in quotations!? Am I already old? SadFace In all seriousness, thanks for the support Rufio, it's much appreciated.

[@Rufiowascool]

@@Mugthief Sorry mate! I meant new to me! Keep up the awesomeness!

[@osareafallire]

11:55 I believe you just convinced me to give this a try. A game that rewards exploration; this is what I like most about gaming in general. Great review! I like your very thoughtful way of covering the material. Also, great shirt!

[@LolItsADaniel]

I would never ever ever ever play an early access RPG like this...but I did...back when it first came out. I was bored, needed something to play, and it just happened to come out at the right time. It's so good and i can't wait to jump back in when it releases.

[@5226-p1e]

dude, this dev should reach out to modders of skyrim and let them see his game and see if they would be interested in helping him continue to make this title, that would be a dream come true when you get the best of the best from skyrim modding to make this game. of course this isn't a mod, it's something like what many folks loved about skyrim but wanted to tweak it to make it better, i wonder if he's talked with the dudes who mod skyrim, hell he might be a skyrim modder himself at a time for all i know. so in my other comment that it looks very skyrim inspired, but planned with better elements in the game than skyrim, hopefully, i like skyrim for the content of the story but i also like to take stock in what i have done, which also involves i like living in the lived in game, meaning i like to build my house or play within the sandbox with endless possibilities at my finger tips, it's not only a good flawed game, but it's fun from other perspectives outside just the story and the action and the combat gameplay elements. what i'm talking about involves other possible kinds of playthroughs, so the game would need to have a difficulty slider for the more casual players as well as a survival mode for the more punishing players, it leaves a game open for all kinds of optional and potential diffrent play styles so you aren't always the same in every playthrough, because if the game doesn't offer enough traits, it's going to be a one time play game that i will love, but i will get board and want to play something else like skyrim, so the game needs to offer much more playability and replay ability, it needs to appeal to all players who love getting into a world like this.

[@FaizalKuntz]

Love this new genre called Bethesda-type games

[@A.D.I.D.A.S-916]

Lol that’s a new one

[@FakeAdirTV]

Fr one of the best genres if done right. Bethesda fans hated starfield yet will 100% preorder TES 6 even if they didn't see any gameplay of it

[@NecroBanana]

I ain't preordering TESVI. Tf you on bout?​@@FakeAdirTV

[@Mugthief]

I'm partial to "Scrolls-likes".

[@SimuLord]

"Scrolls-like" is a great play on words with gamer culture, so I'm with Mug on this one.

[@franziskahuber9664]

I absolutely love this new age of indie art! The internet has given so much power back to the artists. Be it indie videogames, selfpublished novels, directors and videographers on youtube... It's a wonderful time to love art or be an artist!

[@Bill_Garthright]

Yup. Decades ago, there were so very few games of the kinds I liked that I'd play the same one for years. These days, I end up buying more games than I have time to play. And I'm retired, so I can play pretty much all day, every day. And when it comes to books, well, there's a whole lot of crap out there - even more than there used to be. But there's the occasional diamond in that crap - books that were self-published and wouldn't have existed decades ago.

[@Xalantor]

Love Tainted Grail. Sad we had to wait 13 years for a studio to even attempt a scrolls-like, but it's a very good attempt so far. I've always thought that a more condensed version of Skyrim would be popular, just look at the Yakuza series. Tiny map that has been reused for 6+ games, but it is so filled to the brim with life and activities and changes from game to game that you don't mind. The developer has said that his goal is to bring a single city block to life filled with so many unique people and details that you don't need 50 square miles of empty space to waste your time and I couldn't agree more. So many games send you from A to B just to pad their game time. It is mind blowing just how much better than Skyrim the combat feels with just a few tweeks. Weapons feel weighty and have enemy collision so you feel like actually hitting something, the dodge is phenomenal and playing an agility type character lets you heavily invest in it so combat flows much different to a strength build. Zero sponge enemies here. Dark Souls levels of damage from both the player and the enemies keep you on your toes. Increased difficulty also mainly increases damage dealt which I think is the best possible way to do this cheaply.

[@Edo_has_a_marvelous_persona]

As a very condensed scrolls-like, even if more similar to Morrowind than Skyrim (which in my book is good) I really suggest you Dread Delusion. Just know that the focus is 100% on exploration, mood and quests, with great story, lore and choices. The combat is really not the focus, it's very simple, I say it just to guide your expectations.

[@Bill_Garthright]

It's funny, because I _like_ big, open worlds with lots of empty space to explore. (I _loved_ Daggerfall.) Different tastes, huh? But I'm wondering about the difficulty settings in Tainted Grail. Is there an "Easy" setting? I'm not likely going to be able to dodge, if you have to press the Alt key, and I need a game I can play. The Elder Scrolls games were all great in that way (and so were the Fallout games), but some are pretty much impossible for me (not fun, at least). Thanks.

[@Roznin]

I’ve been playing through Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and I’m having a lot of fun. The condensed city maps definitely lend themselves well to the setting and story. If Whiterun was as filled with activities as Kamurocho, players would probably have a hard time leaving😅

[@DebiDalio]

I played a demo of this game a year ago and really enjoyed the Morrowind vibes I got from it. I'm waiting for it to be finished before I buy it. I recommend it to anyone who likes Elder Scrolls games.

[@RedRabbit-ZA]

Other scrolls-likes are The Bloodline, Raidborn, and Dread Delusion. The ones I know of at least.

[@banderas1879]

Dread delusion is great but I got over the vagueness of their quest-lines after about 20 hours

[@HeadsFullOfEyeballs]

Dread Delusion really doesn't have much in common with the Elder Scrolls experience, it just looks a little bit like Morrowind because it's first-person and has a weird setting with big mushrooms.

[@GhostofJamesMadison]

Dread delusion is incredibly woke though, everyone's trans or gay in the clockwork realm

[@Nuniixo]

​@@GhostofJamesMadison The worm rot is deep in your brain, get off the internet and chill for a bit.

[@rickhapstley3866]

@@HeadsFullOfEyeballs I haven't played it yet, but I've heard it's more similar to king's field

[@JorguinTorpedo-ff5vk]

This Game is based on a Tabletop Universe called the Tainted Grail Is basically Skyrim mix with Warhammer Fantasy where your everyday joe is a dragonborn And the Universe is collapsing in itself.

[@MrSpartan993]

I played the demo. It was crazy good!

[@kivie13]

Same, right after I completed it I bought the game. I haven't played it farther than the demo because I don't want to spoil the full game before release.

[@odg1190]

That's such a cool idea of having spells have different outcomes whether you just instant cast or hold to charge. I can immediately picture a mage holding out 5 ice shards in their hand that mash into one big ice shard from concentrating on the spell before throwing it out, and at the same time I can picture a Dale Gribble where a mage pocket sands out 5 shards on someone right up in their face

[@trissy8820]

This looks awesome! Personally ive got so many games to play i have time to wait for it to full release or get more content. But its definitely on my list mow

[@Sherifeldfrawy]

this studio has really a lot off potential wish all the best for them

[@TruFirefly]

Bethesdas ego to big learn from them

[@piccoloatburgerking]

At least half of Bethesda's problems will instantly disappear if they just fired or at least demoted Emil. A studio can't put out good quality stories if their lead writer is so willfully tone deaf and downright hostile to constructive feedback.

[@TruFirefly]

@@piccoloatburgerking agree 💯

[@KvltKommando]

They have no competition. There's just nobody trying to make open world 1st/3rd person rpg's. It's like everybody is afraid to make generic dnd type fantasy settings from scratch nowadays

[@huricanethreeonesix]

Cdpr...​@@KvltKommando

[@gordonreinz9849]

Indie games show charisma & soul still exists in the human stratosphere of entertainment arts (video games specifically here). Occassionally the triple A outlier comes out, such as Elden Ring, which shows its still there, but largely the torch is held by indie devs.

[@chaosmorris5865]

I'd like to recommend Ardenfall which currently has demo on Steam. It's another "Scrolls-Like" as another KZbinr put it and is very much worthy of attention.

[@ryuno2097]

Can't wait for version 1.0. Keep on the good work boys.

[@BannerMirror501]

KZbin thinks the game is Skyrim. Funny.

[@baitposter]

Tbf, it does look a bit like heavily modded Skyrim at moments

[@G34RH34D]

No. The content creator sets the game.

[@Mugthief]

@@G34RH34D Content creators set it optionally, KZbin auto tagged it as Skyrim, I had to manually change it.

[@Cozyvagabond]

They already made a good Indie Skyrim, It's called Kingdom Come Deliverance, In fact, the amount of skill required to master the game is like trying to master a musical instrument. You cannot play any other first-person RPG after playing Kingdom Come Deliverance. I think the only way Bethesda can improve itself is by adding combat and physics effects of Dark Messiah of Might and Magic into a first-person open-world RPG. At least that's my opinion.

[@HVH-swift]

I say it every time I see this game recommended, it's a cool game with decent gameplay and it really is a good analog for TES but, and this is a huge BUT for me... If this game actually wants to compete and really carve a piece out of Bethesda's market they need mod support and not just some janky busted mod support but they need modding tools that are as simple and comprehensive as The Creation Kit. Skyrim would not have been as big of a success as it was without its modding community and it likely would have never made it as far as it has without the previous games and their respective communities. I am busy playing through a modded Oblivion now and it looks great and is able to play well with the use of some mods and that is an increasingly rare feat these days for older games. Not to mention Oblivion and even Morrowind (in comparison to other games of their age) are miraculously easy to mod.

[@HVH-swift]

Let me also be clear, I really like this game and I really hope they add some comprehensive modding tools! This game has the potential to be something unbelievable but without mods it will be just a cool game you'll finish and then move on from in 30 hours or so.

[@atticusgalt10]

​@@HVH-swift Just know that adding some tools after launch is practically impossible. If the game engine isn't built, from the ground up, with the capacity to run mods, you can't add it after the fact. This is reason all these "Skyrim killers" never fully scratch that itch.

[@Owlr4ider]

I mean, you're not wrong. However studios shouldn't rely on modders to do their job for them, nor to fix their game. I'm all for mods, don't get me wrong, but this Bethesda attitude of just make a solid foundation and let modders actually make a proper game is horrible. Studios should make their games good, not just the foundations. Than if they choose to allow modders to further enhance that experience than that's great, but it's far from mandatory. We're so used to games being broken and fixed by mods that we forgot that the only reason these mods exist is because the studios failed at their job of actually making a good game. I mean this in the Bethesda sense, I'm fully aware not all mods are like this. For example Paradox and CA(Total War) games have a ton of mods that overhaul the game rather than fix it, completely changing the setting of said games and introducing new mechanics that complement said setting. Like the various LotR and Warhammer(before the official Warhammer Total War that is) mods in the Total War series or the Game of Thrones mods for CK2/3. These mods are wonderful and I enjoy some of them very much, but they're also not really a part of the same discussion.

[@BrasilBorba1]

Tainted Grail mods will be crazy, i have this game on EA and im just waiting for release, but if half the modders from skyrim come to this game it will be amazing, they have passion and talent. Devs will even implement a sort of night is dangerous mechanic, where the weirdness makes enemies more powerful at night.

[@Itsprincesweets]

extremely early squad, the algorythm loves you mug.

[@LaserStorm117]

Alright, yeah. I'm sold. I followed your link and purchased the game. Sponsorship successful! I hope to be able to have time to put in adequate effort into the game and help sculpt it in a meaningful way throughout its EA.

[@sparhawk1228]

This game is due for another big update with new story content soon. Maybe early November? I highly recommend supporting the early access of this game. There's no modern day moral preaching or modern themes that ruin a fantasy setting. It is just plain fun.

[@panampace]

10:50 this looks like riveting gameplay

[@joshuaadkins9820]

did that guy just kill a dear and get 3 gold coins? 3:43

[@broderickhunking]

Theres an item in game armor wise that when worn allows you to gain gold upon a kill :]

[@vli9375]

I've played Tainted Grail Conquest for a dumb amount of time and I own all the Tainted Grail board games. Be it world building, atmosphere and gameplay these guys do an amazing job, glad to see they're getting some love

[@quote720]

you might also like Dread Delusion, they call it ps1 Morrowind and it's amazing

[@honeybadger6275]

Nah, it has awful reddit dialogue.

[@Bill_Garthright]

@@honeybadger6275 Um,... what is "reddit dialogue"? I've never heard of that before. (Admittedly, I don't use Reddit.) I'm more interested in the combat. Is there an "Easy" difficulty setting in Dread Delusion? I could play Morrowind, but there are some games I can't play.

[@honeybadger6275]

@@Bill_Garthright Reddit dialogue is very modern "quirky" borderlandsesq with a lot of bad jokes and the writers don't take their own world that they built seriously. They also use a lot of modern grammar that you'd find in a reddit post that doesn't fit in a fantasy setting. As for the combat all you do in every fight is click left mouse and drink potions, if anything its less intuitive than morrowind.

[@Bill_Garthright]

@@honeybadger6275 OK, thanks. But are there difficulty settings?

[@mafianation4386]

Nothing like an ad to tell you its better than anything else😅😂

[@ninefingerjack]

I didnt fall for skyrim like other folks. From the tiny towns to the 12 person armies in the civil war climactic battle. People finally woke up when starfield was released.

[@johnblackrose]

I love how people magically forget Skyrim was made in 2011. And that some how making a better game than a game made in 2011 for the damn ps3/360 era is somehow this grand achievement. Every RPG SHOULD be better than a decade plus old game. Thats just a given.

[@suzukiegi5699]

Further proof to how stagnant things have become.

[@oldred890]

Having played it I don't think it *is* a better game. It's got elder scrolls like elements, but it is fundamentally an early access fantasy indie game, with a lot of the problems that come with all that.

[@paulie-g]

That's not how gamedev works. The standard for asset detail/quality/resolution has increased massively since 2011, therefore the cost of producing a game of the same scope has probably quadrupled (if not more). It has gotten to the point that to make a Skyrim-scoped game you would have to be certain that it would get 5m+ in sales to justify the investment. Gains in GPU capability/performance do not decrease cost of production (as they would in other industries), they increase it. So no, making a game today within a budget constraint makes it *less* likely to be 'good'.

[@johnlemon874]

Not to mention that this indie game looks wonky af, people pretend it's good when it looks amateur at best.

[@keeganwilson9062]

​@@johnlemon874If this game looks wonky to you then Skyrim must look like a crippled drunk with vertigo.

[@needingmorepatience]

Wow this looks great! Tysm for featuring this I'll be looking into it and will very likely purchasing!

[@nbrown5907]

I am not surprised, the modern hardware should make it so we see more quality games made with smaller teams. When we truly achieve A.I. there will be another source of games or we become the pawns in its game lol. The A.I. we have now which is actually V.I. is still quite helpful.

[@mrmadmanmark222]

I love the throwing daggers in this so much. And there is a lot of cooking which is kinda fun.

[@darkosiris09]

But does it have sex mods?

[@CrizzyEyes]

I love that there's parkour mechanics that incentivize you to use them by training different skills. I am a huge fan of movement mechanics in games.

[@diffuusio4852]

There is a Skyrim mod called Enderal. It is basically a separate game that you download from Steam. It is a great game if you want more Elder Scrolls type content.

[@SimuLord]

Nehrim for Oblivion lives in that same universe of total conversion mods that are basically whole new games layered on top of an existing game.

[@Bullminator]

One downside of Endernal is kinda lack of freedom. You can only follow a specific path (or get 1 shot).

[@N0rseman]

I found Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon as i was scrolling open world Games and Steam and TG stood out because it really does resemble Elder Scrolls. I actually thought it was another Skyrim mod like Enderal. But no, TG is fully fleshed out open world adventure game, which is EXACTLY what i was looking for. The first time i played it i was floored at how much detail was put into it. I have over 300 games in my Steam library. Most of these games are AAA games and popular indie titles, and out of those 300 games, i would say Tainted Grail is at #3 on my list of my most favorite games. I haven't played in a while but this video pops up and reminds me that i need to download it again and play it, ad i really thank you for the review and for reminding me Mugthief! If the devs of TG are reading this; you guys have done something that Bethesda couldn't even do and i am EXTREMELY impressed with Tainted Grail. Thank you for reigniting my love for this kind of game. You guys deserve to feel proud of what you accomplished with TG and i can't wait to see what the future holds. I would love to get merch if you guys have any. Anyway, awesome vid and awesome game!

[@alexey635able]

Combat looks uninspiring and enemies look like damage sponges

[@Dermetsu]

So it nailed the Bethesda combat.

[@alexey635able]

@@Dermetsu It sure did.

[@piccoloatburgerking]

Yeah idk how this guy thinks this is somehow that much better than the usual Bethesda experience. Oh wait, he took sponsorship for the game for this video, makes sense now.

[@thesun9210]

​@@piccoloatburgerking yeah, cause Bethesda games were always loved for combat mechanics and nothing else...

[@piccoloatburgerking]

@@thesun9210 Okay so lets take story, does this game does top tier story to justify the claim that "Bethesda should learn" from it? I'm talking about this reviewer's claims btw, not what people like.

[@jasondeutschbein8102]

I love how the fireball impact has a really clear radius but it's not visually noisy.

[@blinkingred]

Lost me with "Early Access" I'll try it when it's done.

[@Ajme-kb4os]

Yeah I don’t like early access. Developers crutch on it for years.

[@jetjames420]

I almost subscribed for the outro accent! Don't sell yourself short Scotty!

[@wills5482]

Too bad it's early access. I don't buy half baked crap that will stop getting updated when the money runs out

[@Se0kga]

That's a little pessimistic now, ain't it?

[@ryanvandoren1519]

​@Se0kga just a realist's perspective

[@nachro2190]

Early Access is weird. 90% of the time you get something sloppy that's never gonna be finished, and that rare 10% of the time you're saying "damn I can't wait to see what this looks like a few years from now" either way, it's a sneak peak at possibility

[@Mirthful_Midori]

With gaming there are two ways of thinking about things. The intelligent way or the kind that gets screwed over due to not being cynical enough. I hope it's finished and turns out good, but "wait and see" is the only way for me.

[@larrote6467]

Translation: "i'm not very smart" the fact that you give tons of money to huge corporations and constantly fall for their bs is irrelevant to the fact that early access has a purpose and has helped several games become a reality. Since i'm not naïve like you i know where to put my money and who to support and have never been duped.

[@teejytries]

This looks awesome, shoutout sponsored ads. 😅 Your Monster Hunter Rise content brought me here.

[@ThrobbGoblin]

Nah. It's one of those "We use lore to excuse the lack of life in our world" games. "ThE wOrLd iS oN tHe bRiNk oF CoLLapSe" = "We have 10 NPCs in our game". Not the kind of RPG I'm looking for in a "Bethesda replacement".

[@sparhawk1228]

Granted that is an annoying trope. Bur still a fun game nontheless.

[@Xalantor]

You're the type of player who would rather want 50 useless NPCs running around than more effort put into the combat and exploration, the thing you do 90% of the time. I'm glad the developers decided your ilk doesn't matter to them.

[@ann3923]

​@@Xalantor you OK, bud?

[@PrestonWillis]

Just started the game and From what I’ve played so far there’s quite a lot of NPC. Almost every single one has a mission tied to them. My main issue is a lot of them are in the same base so it’s like meeting 40 people at once.

[@colmduggan8230]

Exploring the wilderness and having this giant black cloud rushing towards you is freaky as hell I assume it's the weirdness

[@kbroomall]

Wow this looks great, thanks for sharing. Excited to play this!

[@GripChief]

0:58 "Everything else is 100% my opinion" We have no reason to believe that, since this is a sponsored vid.

[@YesImThatJake]

are you new here? would you rather get a number from IGN?

[@MikaMikaMika89]

Most of the time, sponsored videos should be approached with suspicion, but I can tell you even before this video came out, Mug was excited to be asked to sponsor this as he already liked it. I've yet to find him saying something he doesn't believe in and I've been here a while.

[@GhastlyBones]

Right? Lmao at the end of the day this is a 24 min paid review and also a 24 min advertisement

[@selwrynn6702]

Its interesting how far we've come. Back in the day magic characters were simply not allowed to use heavy armor, but recently we've gone totally the other direction where there are no penalties to magic when using heavy armor. It's certainly nice to see little bits of depth with systems like that.

[@vogue43]

Bruh, don't you think you should mention the game in the video title instead of advertising for Bethesda.

[@4newestaccoun]

No. More clicks pulled in using Bethesda's name or Skyrim, then he immediately gives a huge compliment to the game to promote it Less ppl would click on a vid of a lesser known indie game bc why would they

[@r3claim33]

Ah yes, famous KZbinr vogue43 here to lecture us all

[@MattStevens9824]

Ohhhh I love the gushing fountains of crimson! That makes the swordplay fun!

[@dowahkin1852]

Clicked away instantly when he said sponsored. Its money whats making this so sweet not the game.

[@CharlesBurleigh]

"Scrolls-like" sign me up! I didn't realize there was a sub-genre, but I want more! I haven't played any Elder Scrolls in a long time due to new hardware issues, but want that type of gameplay! I loved the demo so much, I bought this game. They have something amazing starting here. I'm excited to play the full game, later.

[@EatMoreWorms]

Who cares about a sponsored review, no matter your honest opinion. It’s tainted as soon as money changes hands.

[@piccoloatburgerking]

Yep, all integrity goes out the window as soon as there's sponsorship involved. Even if he's honest the implication is damning. Like, in an alternate scenario where he didn't take the money, didn't talk to the devs and reviewed the game on his own, would he still feel the exact same about it as he did after taking the money? We can never know, and that's a problem.

[@israeldavila27]

That's the good old Double-Dipping right there! Take a sponsor, and have a Patreon, double the resources. Classic route for most KZbinrs.

[@SylviusTheMad]

Answering questions to determine your stats first appeared in Ultima IV (1985). It's a wonderful feature, and I'm glad it persists.

[@Martial-Mat]

Reviews sponsored by the publisher are ALWAYS tainted and suspect.

[@Bullminator]

YEP. Game is not finished in my option to worth buying.

[@MikaMikaMika89]

Not a bad stance, however I can tell you Mug personally was very excited to get this sponsorship, the enthusiasm here isn't just a byproduct of the sponsorship, he wouldn't have taken this one if he didn't get excited by the game first.

[@piccoloatburgerking]

I usually never take any sponsored reviews seriously. If a reviewer can be bought out they've permanently lost integrity.

[@MikaMikaMika89]

@@piccoloatburgerking no, they lose integrity if they can be bought, if they have a choice to take a sponsorship or not based on whether or not they like the product it's different. Sponsorships are part of how people get to do youtube as a job.

[@Mugthief]

The publisher did not sponsor a review. They sponsored a video. I said I needed to play it first, and I pitched them a review (which includes no censorship on what I say) because that's what I wanted to make after playing it. I think you're completely right to be suspect of anything sponsored, at the end of the day trust is something earned, but I think this clarification is important. The difference between a non-commital "my first impressions" or a simple showcase video, and me CHOOSING to review it, is that I'm putting my reputation on the line and standing by what I say independently of the sponsorship.

[@brutusmagnuson315]

This looks awesome. I hope all skills have the potential to synergize with each other to give build variety, such as having certain spells to buff a weapon with fire/ice etc. to go with a character that majors in melee and minors in magic. Also, maybe melee oriented characters can still get some abilities to counter enemies that hide on perches like throwing axes. Maybe even the ability to put a gem/enchantment on them that causes them to boomerang, if it’s a throwable the player is really attached to

[@uncleclaps44]

I am somewhat reminded of the old Warriors of Might and Magic when i play this and often think "Man! I sure hope Avowed will be just like this"

[@Queen.Bee_BotB]

The way you dodge and swing melee reninds me so much of dying light, that alone makes it easy to want to buy this game.

[@DigitalApex]

I played this game about 4 months ago. It's definitely not finished, but I found it to be refreshing. I genuinely wanted to learn about the lore and the world, enjoyed encountering monsters, exploring the world, and experimenting with playstyles with enthusiasm, the likes of which I haven't experienced since playing Skyrim or Oblivion for the very first time. I went into the experience fully aware that it's a small team, an unfinished game, and has a long way to go. The devs made another game, a deck building rougelike set in the same universe. I gave that one a shot too, and genuinely enjoyed it. The devs seem pretty genuine and originally started with a board game of the same name. I wasn't blown away or anything, but I was pleasantly surprised. Hope they keep working on it.

[@colmduggan8230]

Great game with some funny encounters like the guy who will not leave his spot under a bridge because he believes a curse will kill him if he does

[@darekkonik9186]

Awaken Realms are famous in Poland (and I hope globally too) for awesome board games. I'm really glad their efforts on the video games field are acclaimed as well.

[@casediedwell5094]

TG has been in the top 10 of my Steam Wishlist for a hot minute. Waiting on 1.0 release (so many games, got to wait), but man I'm SUPER excited for it!

[@gabrielesaviano3184]

i watched the "I played the "Indie Skyrim that Bethesda Should Learn From"" video KZbin kept feeding me

[@UnknownTomorrow]

You made me want the game. Great review.

[@Joseph_Coaltrain]

I wished list this like a week ago. Thank you for doing your due diligence!

[@ncrranger6327]

If the modding community thrives here it's gonna be so insane. This has insane potential for modding, a perfect canvas. If we manage to get Skyrim level mods in this game, it's gonna be peak fantasy

[@TheLiquidpower]

Tainted Grail: Conquest, their roguelite deckbuilder is also one of my favorite deckbuilders of all time. Incredibly talented people!

[@kevinr7216]

Yeah this game has actually looked DOPE I’ve been *loosely* following it for a while now and now with you showing this much gameplay I’m psyched about it. Hopefully these devs can give us what Bethesda with all their billions of dollars will apparently NOT give us.

[@sofaking1627]

Looks cool. I'm going to have to wait for the full release but definitely interested.

[@AyBee9725]

Watching clips of gameplay makes it look like heavily modded Skyrim at first glance.

[@genevievemeuniere4047]

Oooh that is actually exciting. I got me the Card Battler a while ago and really enjoyed the lore, voice acting and ideas behind the game. To see it in an Open-World Setting is very attractive and I will definitely think about buying this.

[@Crowley666Beast]

Absolutely love this game, played it a few months ago (at least what was available) and cant get enough it was challenging at the start and so much fun, the story has me highly intrigued also, been recommending it to all my friends

[@Ajme-kb4os]

It’s now on my wish list. Thank you for letting me know about the game!

[@snowi9585]

The background soundtrack from valhalla though! Man I loved that game.

[@drpepperknight731]

I love this game, i once had a two handed melee build where i had a sword that did Crit automatically against full health opponents and then had a skill that did 50% damage against full health opponents so I was basically 1 shooting everything i touched

[@petetrask8121]

The Arthurian setting has lots of appeal; real places with fantasy monsters and characters, magic, interesting BBE characters. Sooooo much potentail for an awesome game world, and the cannon and "missing years" leave plenty of room for additional campaigns (sequels)/expansions. Hope it's a hit, it looks fun and engaging.

[@TheDuckHasArrived]

Thank You, it is the first time I hear about Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon. I've already added it to games I'm observing on Steam. Most likely I'll by it in EA before this years' end. Cheers.

[@manolizerg]

Subscribed because of the accent at the end of the video 🫡