A dark, Slavic myth-themed dungeon-crawling action RPG sounds amazing on paper, and that’s what Bylina from developer Far Far Games sets out to be. This year at PAX East in Boston, I got to play roughly 20 minutes of what I can only assume is an early build of the game. Unfortunately, it was quite a buggy mess and largely unenjoyable, but the bones of a great game are here, especially if you’re a fan of other ARPGs of its ilk. I just think it needs a bit more time in the oven.
The typical ARPG mechanics and sensibilities you’d expect are on full display here, and when the game worked, it felt pretty good to play. Combat is the game’s best aspect, and hitting enemies feels chunky and very tactile. But there were a handful of times where my controls would simply stop working, and I’d get swarmed and die fast, and then be sent back to the start of the demo. This happened way too many times to the point that I just wanted to quit. However, once I broke through and progressed through more of the demo and into a boss fight, it became a lot more fun.
This game is a bit more challenging compared to games like Diablo, but there’s plenty of loot to grind for and abilities to unlock for that ever-out-of-reach power chase we know and love from the genre.
I’m not well-versed in Slavic myth and folklore, but I can appreciate quality art direction when I see it. Bylina‘s world feels macabre, with atmospheric and moody music to set the stage. The creatures and enemies you’ll come across are unique — like a giant house with chicken talons for legs — and I can’t help but wonder what sort of deep cultural references I’m missing. That just helps add the game’s wonder, keeping me interested enough to keep an eye on its development as time goes on.
It really is tough to judge Bylina‘s quality because of how poorly it ran for my demo, but what I played at PAX East was not its best showing. I do, however, have a strong feeling this will be a quality action RPG that fans of the genre will be able to sink dozens of hours into. I just hope that the appropriate love and care go into it before it releases later this year.
A dark, Slavic myth-themed dungeon-crawling action RPG sounds amazing on paper, and that’s what Bylina from developer Far Far Games sets out to be. This year at PAX East in Boston, I got to play roughly 20 minutes of what I can only assume is an early build of the game. Unfortunately, it was quite a buggy mess and largely unenjoyable, but the bones of a great game are here, especially if you’re a fan of other ARPGs of its ilk. I just think it needs a bit more time in the oven.
A dark, Slavic myth-themed dungeon-crawling action RPG sounds amazing on paper, and that’s what Bylina from developer Far Far Games sets out to be. This year at PAX East in Boston, I got to play roughly 20 minutes of what I can only assume is an early build of the game. Unfortunately, it was quite a buggy mess and largely unenjoyable, but the bones of a great game are here, especially if you’re a fan of other ARPGs of its ilk. I just think it needs a bit more time in the oven.
The typical ARPG mechanics and sensibilities you’d expect are on full display here, and when the game worked, it felt pretty good to play. Combat is the game’s best aspect, and hitting enemies feels chunky and very tactile. But there were a handful of times where my controls would simply stop working, and I’d get swarmed and die fast, and then be sent back to the start of the demo. This happened way too many times to the point that I just wanted to quit. However, once I broke through and progressed through more of the demo and into a boss fight, it became a lot more fun.
This game is a bit more challenging compared to games like Diablo, but there’s plenty of loot to grind for and abilities to unlock for that ever-out-of-reach power chase we know and love from the genre.
I’m not well-versed in Slavic myth and folklore, but I can appreciate quality art direction when I see it. Bylina‘s world feels macabre, with atmospheric and moody music to set the stage. The creatures and enemies you’ll come across are unique — like a giant house with chicken talons for legs — and I can’t help but wonder what sort of deep cultural references I’m missing. That just helps add the game’s wonder, keeping me interested enough to keep an eye on its development as time goes on.
It really is tough to judge Bylina‘s quality because of how poorly it ran for my demo, but what I played at PAX East was not its best showing. I do, however, have a strong feeling this will be a quality action RPG that fans of the genre will be able to sink dozens of hours into. I just hope that the appropriate love and care go into it before it releases later this year.
by Myles Obenza
