Fast Facts
Game Title: The Dwarves
Genre: Point and Click/RTS Fighter
Platform: Windows, Mac, PS4, Xbox One
Price: $39.99
Why You Should Get It
Based off the best selling novel of the same name, The Dwarves is a game I feel I've waited all of 2016 to play. I played the game for the first time yesterday just to check it out and entertain our Facebook page...and three hours later I was still playing. Heres some of that 3 hours, which had some crashing issues, but did not at all stop me from continuing to plug away at this amazing game...
In The Dwarves you play human raised Dwarf Tungdil, who sets out on a quest for the Magi who raised him. Not the easiest task considering the land is currently under siege from the Orcs and Dark Elves with a startling amount of magic at their disposal. Very quickly in the game you are forced to continue on your quest, or delay and help others along the way as the siege ravages villages in the land. This isn't all that easy, mind you, as most of the human world does not look kindly upon the Dwarf race. You'll encounter bigotry, change some hearts, or get robbed simply because of who you are. Don't worry, you'll get some companions who got your back soon enough!
All this is accompanied by entertaining voice acting and narration as well as some impressive cinematics at key moments in the game. The narrator plays on Tungdils oblivious nature to the world as well as Dwarf culture, and sometimes mocks the player for decisions they make in the game. I've never found myself more eager to listen to what a narrator has to say about my decision than I have in this game.
I think what I love the most about this game is that you aren't being introduced to the world as you play, the world already exists whether you're aware of it or not. You really feel like Tungdil, who's essentially been living under a rock this whole time and only learning about this world from books he's read. In just a short time of playing, I'm ready to dive into these novels and hear the background of some of these events I'm hearing about in the game. I can't say too many video games have ever persuaded me to read a book!
While the story, narration and voice acting is something to behold, the battle system is amazing. It's the classic multiple character RTS game style you're familiar with but much faster than similar games I've played in the past. You'll blow through Orcs using massive jumping abilities, cleave through hordes with your axe, and in general just hulk through as Dwarves do in these type of scenarios.
Sometimes the battle is focused around killing a boss or a certain amount of enemies, while other times you may have to focus on one particular enemy who's stealing your stuff amongst a horde of them. The ability to pause comes in handy for queuing up multiple moves for allies so you can focus on one character. You can try to stick together in battle, but truthfully I found that keeping my Dwarves together caused more team damage as they were constantly hitting each other with their special attacks.
The point and click exploration options are fun and help break up the story from being strictly cinematic while you wait to do the next thing, which is something I feel games like this often suffer from. I did hate when I'm stuck in a certain area for 15 minutes because I can't find the right thing to click, but that was more a matter of my own impatience than anything.
It's really tough to recommend a game at a time where it seems like there's nothing but blockbuster level games on the market, but I assure you this is a game you don't want to miss. The Dwarves brings a stronger story, heart, and play style unlike any game I've played in 2016. Better yet, it's something fresh and there's something very rewarding about finding something new as opposed to what you've always known. Get this one now.
