My HEMLOCK VALE Campaign Review with SPOILERS!

[@gabriel0santiago]

the lego flower makes the video soo classy and elegant

[@marieking5969]

I’m on my second playthrough right now. First game I was Kouhaku, other person was Hank. Making curses work was super fun and the extra actions were cool. Simeon died, so we didn’t even get the option to burn everything and we’re specifically playing to see his route this time around. I tried to befriend Rachel as much as I could, but alas, I think she’s evil no matter what. This game I’m William Yorick and other person is Alessandra. Will say I think a different cluver would work better as at least in the mine cart, I just killed everything before she could parley and wasn’t really accelerating clue-getting.

[@PegSmith-iy6vg]

The Longest Night is really tough but beatable. We survived the 10 rounds but would have probably died the next round. I used both copies of Ward of Protection on that really nasty encounter card that makes all the enemies attack. Also having investigators with 5 on their key stats was crucial since the scenario doesnt give you any time to setup. You pretty much have to put up traps and barriers right away or you quickly get overwhelmed.

[@TheWeapon33]

Downpour sucks and they should not test the most pushed stat in the game on important cards like that. Or it should have "or combat" etc. Doesn't even make much sense thematically. Longest Night is cool but a little overtuned IMO as you said, which takes away from the fun. I would have liked a setup turn 2-doom agenda and they could have made it last another turn. Aloof takes-only-1-damage enemy is not fun and screams for scenario tech (which is not where the game should be). We've played it twice and never bothered picking up Ajax 'cuz there's no time and barely won both times (once with a restart halfway through, because we missed some enemy text and felt bad)! Our first victory was heavily attributed to Gene B. abuse. Also, in classic Arkham fashion, you can just get a clue and then outperform the fighters by placing a decoy, which is silly and disappointing. At least we're needed for the bear, I guess? But you'd think a defend-the-barn scenario would let fighters shine and it really doesn't. In fact you get punished for fighting from a min-max perspective, because if you have all enemies out on the field you don't draw more. Needed some sort of Brown-Jenkin like thing where if you defeat an enemy by fighting you get 1 clue. I'm also afraid that this scenario may be metagamed by just resigning early? I don't flip through things I haven't played, but I do not believe there are many consequences to doing so that matter, and the XP gain is not terribly high. Another complaint is Hemlock House's fighting route. It's downright mathematically impossible if you are using charge/ammo based weapons unless your team is very combat focused all around. Bad design! The clue route is good and fun though. I really enjoyed FoHV a lot though. Good storytelling, great characters, cool flow. I like how the characters exist without you. I really enjoyed the finale though there's a lot going on so both times we missed a minor rule but wouldn't have changed outcome. We won both times on stanhard but it was within 2 turns both times (and one we played gold pocketwatch...). It's super random though. Some minor playtesting things I think should have been worked on. I think the resident relationships should have done a little more in final scenario / final mini-scenario-prelude-not-a-prelude. But I did dislike Written in Rock. I think it's just a bad scenario... Dr. Rosa Marquez is probably my favorite Arkham Horror LCG NPC of all time.

[@Quick_Learner]

Great comments here, thanks so much for your detailed experiences! Some food for thought as I ponder my next run.

[@BillySpenc]

man I got so confused by the cavern moss just because when I had it on an item I always thought it would attack me because it was engaged with me so I killed it as soon as I could and would evade it so it didn't attack me....it really confused my pea brain XD. Another one that I didn't feel I understood was the enemies that had both evasive and hunter on them so i'm guessing they would hunt until on the target then damage them and then run away next turn? Was a really cool campaign though and I know people didn't care for the reading even if it's less than EOTE and TSK. I just feel thats how Arkham LCG is just gonna be from now on.

[@Quick_Learner]

Yeah, that matches up with my understanding of Elusive/Hunter -- they hit you and then run away. Yikes!

[@BlackStarsRiseGaming]

Thanks for sharing. I’m almost done with my second playthrough. On the first playthrough I played The Twisted Hollow and The Longest Night. It seems that is the “main” storyline, if there is such a thing, focusing on Dr. Marquez, Bertie, and Mother Rachel. Dr. Marquez did great work for Alessandra and Lily. I won the finale staying in The Abyss with one doom remaining and both investigators close to death. On the second playthrough I played The Twisted Hollow but then Hemlock House on Night 2. Rex and Hank followed the Peters family storyline as well as Leah Atwood’s. Also made sure to play the two scenarios I hadn’t played. About to play the Final Evening Prelude. I think you’ll like Written in Rock and The Thing in the Depths. They are most definitely unique and challenging. Cheers!

[@vincoll1565]

I play solo one handed, does this one is OK with one investigator or is it frustrating?

[@Quick_Learner]

I really don't know! There might be a few rough spots but that's pretty normal for solo.

[@tjschwrt]

The Finale is terrible true solo, the rest is fine I'd say :)

[@samuellam6483]

Are you planning to do some solo/multiplayer playthrough?

[@Quick_Learner]

Yes, I should start that after the current RTFA on the channel is done!

[@telmavpires]

This is really interesting, thanks!

[@rowenn1729]

do you make a free spoiler review ?

[@Quick_Learner]

Yes, check last week's: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJ3bkKSig9B8g5I

[@rowenn1729]

@@Quick_Learner I mean a complete review

[@Quick_Learner]

I consider that to be my complete spoiler-free review. Hard to say much more without spoilers.

[@rowenn1729]

​@@Quick_Learner so your first thoughts are the final thought ? Do you understand that people are searching for a rating without spoilers. Anyway

[@Mattastrophic]

Your comments at 22:19 match up with when I flipped the table in my playthrough and decided I really didn't like Hemlock Vale very much. The scenarios are... fine, if buggy, you follow around a Dr. Mary Sue instead of being given agency, and the relationships are really basic for a 2024 game, especially when you have to stalk your choices like it's a hentai dating sim and the game punishes you for not reading the designers' minds. Maybe next year.

[@Mattastrophic]

And since you're looking for details... Alessandra, true solo Played the three "correct" scenarios: woods one, Longest Night, Fate of the Vale, plus the one with the caverns and the one in the haunted house Got totally screwed by the Relationships because I didn't stalk people; didn't get to dance with anyone. As a result (or because of Mary Sue Marquez leading the way) I didn't get to make choices at all. The woods was super-easy, possibly because I had the lantern and didn't have any friends to leave the light. Took the L on Longest Night with a Resign. Breezed through Fate of the Vale... turns out Lockpicks at 5 Int+5 Agi yields a lot of oversuccess!