Last Epoch
Review
Divine (And Maybe Diabolic) Power Vacuum
by Camrin Santchi
reviewed on PC
Once More Unto the Breach
Action RPG is a genre that can cover a wide breadth of subgenres, typically the standout would be that it contrasts Turn Based RPGs, but that still leaves a lot of room to try and sort out what the game plays like. In the case of Last Epoch, something that can be used to best describe it may just be to refer to it as Diablo-like, since that series is one of the most popular of this subgenre. With the recent release of Diablo IV back in October and the mixed thoughts that fans had on it due to some of the decisions made, that left an opportunity for a new kid on the block to step up.
Filling the Void
Fitting for the potential power vacuum that Last Epoch exists within in the real world, the plot of the game itself also contains one. The goddess of creation has gone missing, and in her absence one of the younger gods has decided that they desire a larger piece of the worldly pie, causing the world of Eterra to descend into chaos. The world feels slightly par for the course early on, but as players continue on, it becomes more and more fleshed out. On the path to peace talks of sort. the players are beset by a flaming army, the first of many.
Character Creation
Gamers in Last Epoch take the role of one of five character classes as they set out to try and restore balance. These five classes (Mage, Sentinel, Acolyte, Primalist, and Rogue) each have three subclasses that can be unlocked over the course of playing that provide separate passive bonuses and powerful individual skills. Because of this, not to mention the sheer ability to level up as you see fit via upgrading specific skills, Last Epoch makes it so that characters can be played in entirely different ways. Having played mostly single-player, this reviewer typically finds magic to be the most satisfying, but the inherent squishiness of spellcasters means that other solo players may prefer the Sentinel or Primalist for their more tanklike builds
Something Last Epoch does interesting is allowing players to specifically make their characters for single-player only, making it so that items they place in their Stash cannot be accessed by other characters on their account. While this reviewer doesn’t necessarily see a reason for this besides perhaps a self-imposed challenge, it is an interesting option that players are more than welcome to make use of if they so choose, and additional options are never a bad thing especially in games that are all about builds.
A Few Weaknesses
Tragically Last Epoch is not a perfect game, and has a few issues that should be pointed out. One of these is due to the lag, even when playing totally offline the game can suffer from input delay or dropped frames, particularly when there are a lot of enemies on screen. This isn't necessarily a rare issue for games like Last Epoch, but due to the placement of enemies coming in sizable hoards - even early on - this can become a bit of a problem.
Another issue of Last Epoch is the occasional bug. Nothing massively standout but sometimes dialogue loads strangely, or menu inputs at merchants are eaten by causing your character to walk away, causing the gamer in question to need to reenter dialogue to open the menu once more and continue where they were originally. Just enough to be a little annoying more than anything else.
Loot Count
Neither of these main problems encountered in Last Epoch are by any means game-breaking, and for the reasonable price tag and low entry window for skill, this game is one that players should be on the lookout for if they're at all a fan of Action RPGs. With a large amount of skill paths, plenty of stash space for all of the loot you'll be picking up, and a lot more features that can make a player feel more than welcome venturing forth into this new world, Last Epoch may mean 'Final Age', but it can be the start of an adventure for many a player.
As always, follow us on Instagram for news updates, reviews, competitions and more.
8.3
fun score
Pros
Enjoyable skill paths, Plenty of accessible features, Reasonable price
Cons
Occasional Bugs, Lag
