Developer: 圣剑提灯制作组 [BladeLanternStudios]
Publisher: Infini Fun
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Forsaker: DingDing&Blade – Review
A game that fuses a gothic fantasy visual novel with deckbuilding? This can be found in Blade Lantern Studios’ newest game: Forsaker: DingDing&Blade. This title combines immersive storytelling, strategic gameplay, and stunning artwork and brings you into a world of danger and dark fantasy. Available on Steam for PC and macOS, Forsaker delivers beautiful visuals, meaningful choices, and a serious yet playful narrative. Fans of our previously reviewed game Type-NOISE: Shonen Shojo can even opt to purchase a bundle featuring the former along with Forsaker.
Story
The story can be explored from the perspectives of three different characters. For the sake of keeping the review spoiler-free, we will discuss only the first option.
The first story follows the protagonist Ian, who gets saddled up with troublemaker and best friend Daeyi. The pair find themselves on their way towards a nearby village to cut a good deal and earn money, mainly so Daeyi can pay back what he owes Ian. Their arrival at the town introduces us to the main enemies, dubbed as Forsakers. These ‘monsters’ are the main reason that causes fear and chaos amongst otherwise peaceful villages and townsfolk alike.
Daeyi and Ian, on their way home, come in contact with a strange mushroom. This plant seemingly puts both boys in a rather dazed state, followed by both of them passing out. After the pair comes by, it appears that Daeyi has gotten enhanced abilities, and the village praises him as a chosen one. Both Ian and Daeyi then take it upon themselves to protect their village from these monsters.
Whilst the themes are handled quite well, it is obvious in which direction Forsaker wishes to go. The constant interruptions of selecting the next chapter or battles in between cause the player to be shoved in and out of the story. Aside from that, this title never misses a beat when it comes to good storytelling and provokes various emotions naturally and descriptively. Despite the static CG, the narrator communicates their feelings and thoughts properly enough to convey what the player has to feel and see as well, which makes for a pleasant read throughout your gameplay.
Graphics
Forsaker displays a beautiful and unique anime-like art style aesthetic. Both characters and mobs are designed with stunning detail, and none of them seem out of place. The main story features your typical character sprites plastered onto a wallpaper above a textbox. Yet every character sticks neatly to their own color palette, making them easily recognizable and giving every sprite their own time to shine. There is minimal change in the sprites during storytelling, often only changing their facial expressions. This can make the characters seem a bit stiff, but it is not distracting enough to lose any immersion during the chapters.
During combat, however, the screen appears filled with too many details, causing one to lose sight of the gorgeous artwork of the mobs they are fighting. More on that will be discussed in the gameplay section of this review.
Sound
Every visual novel needs a good soundtrack to immerse oneself properly in the story. Forsaker really kept this in mind and made sure to deliver a great fantasy soundtrack to pair with their chapters and combat alike. Oftentimes, however, the music will randomly rise in volume, which is meant to amplify a certain emotion it is trying to provoke. This can catch a player off guard, which ironically fits the moments it is used, but may be something to pay attention to for those who are sensitive to hearing. The background music in this novel never fails to add extra immersion to the story, adding to the fantasy and gothic vibes it is going for.
Gameplay
Forsaker is primarily a visual novel game, and secondarily a deckbuilder. At the main menu, the game can be played in two different variations. One is purely the story exploration. The other option involves going through the story, whilst facing mobs and upgrading the protagonist with talents and deckbuilding.
Lovers of visual novels are granted the option to play Forsaker as just that, with no combat and no deckbuilding. Simply sit back and enjoy the story in divided chapters without needing to do any of the strategic gameplay it can offer. The only downside is that the chapters are divided into smaller bits. Because of this, it is impossible to immerse yourself properly in certain moments. Once a mini chapter is finished, the player is returned to the main menu and has to manually select the next one.
Those who prefer more strategy can opt to play the game in a roguelike deck-builder type of gameplay. This involves going through the story like normal, but exploring pathways that involve random events, fighting mobs, and teaching your main character additional passives. By going through the map, the player can acquire different cards for their deck. These cards feature various attacks, defenses, buffs, or debuffs alike. The variety of mobs brings the opportunity to revise your deck and strategy during your gameplay.
Whilst trying out this mode in Forsaker, it is quite tricky to get the hang of it, due to a convoluted screen during your first combat. At first, the combat screen can feel overwhelming, with health bars, action points, cards, companion skills, and enemy reactions all competing for attention. However, once you grow accustomed to it, the system becomes intuitive and rewarding.
Conclusion
All in all, Forsaker: DingDing&Blade is a lovely gothic fantasy novel featuring its own unique style and take on the genre. The option to play as simply a visual novel or as a deck-builder game really widens the audience as well as its replayability. Aside from some minor shortcomings in regards to animation or layouts, the game does deliver what it promises. It’s a beautiful story told from various perspectives, along with a beautiful soundtrack to complement every delicately written chapter.
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