On April 26, studio Sengi Games and publisher Team17 launched the alchemical sandbox adventure game Snake Watchman on major platforms.
As you can see, the number of reviews of this game two days after its release is not much, and the reviews only stop in the "mixed" range, which may be crossed out by some players who see positive reviews, but after playing for a while, I can actually find some highlights from the game, and I want to share it with you.
As a sandbox category that is not new at present, "Snake Watchman" is a very distinct style of the game, dark backstory, low-key graphics, bird's beak guardian, skeleton, corrupt various strange creatures, complex and diverse alchemy systems, together constitute a fantasy atmosphere of alchemy world.
The person wearing the mask is the protagonist of the game. In fact, such a bird's beak mask human figure is not uncommon in various works of art, from about the 16th century during the Black Death doctors wore this terrible mask, this appearance began to be linked to the "death" image, in the game is directly become the representative of the "god of death", "Overwatch" Death god character skin is a more classic example.
"The Snake Watchman" is one of the few works that returns to its original appearance - to be a good person.
The game's backstory and reality are somewhat similar: as the guardian wearing a mysterious bird's beak mask, brought to a corrupted world by powerful forces, players must master alchemy, explore this world, make and use key potions to purify the world of evil corruption known as the Snake Demon, and restore the balance of order around Mount Morbus.
The game's map exists in a crystal ball in the palm of a hand, which has a sense of substitution for a fantasy story
In a sandbox AVG game, adventure and collecting are inseparable. Players will start from the abandoned hut and explore this unknown world step by step, survive in the wilderness, and build their own camp. All of this needs to be unfolded through the core part of the game, which is "alchemy".
As an alchemist, you need to learn to master pharmaceutical technology, from beginning to end to participate in the production of potions, even the process of making a workbench is included, as time progresses and skills improve, you also have to invent new recipes, try different raw materials, and make alchemical potions that meet different needs: healing potions help you resist corruption, and harmful potions are your main source of output.
Among the strange potions, the most noteworthy is the transformation potion. It can also be said that the game is quite novel and has a design that digs deep and tries fun. In the process of opening up the map, brew potions and transform into creatures that players encounter on their way on their adventures. This transformation is not only a change in appearance, but also acquires the abilities and weaknesses of other creatures.
This may make poison a panacea for you, or use a creature's unique skills to turn the corner, such as when the guardian is hungry, looking at the empty backpack and the only chicken leg in his hand - but it spoils and can't eat, we can transform into dogs and enjoy this feast;
Dog skill iron stomach: can eat any food without being affected
Totems and potions in the map have the same effect
When surrounded by monsters, transforming into Queen Medusa to perform petrified dafa may be the best solution to the dilemma;
However, before the transformation, be mentally prepared, the heavy alchemy props carried by the guardians are likely to be unbearable for some small animals - they can't run after the transformation, and they are bitten to death by the monsters that catch up.
Taming pets in the game is also a very interesting place. As we're about to embark on our first wilderness expedition, we'll find a little blue puppy at the entrance to the camp, and you can feed it two pieces of meat, and it'll grow up and follow you. This was important for the early guardians, and in the rookie period, when there were only two attacks and few bottles of potions, a loyal pet was a rare combat companion, and not only that, but the dogs could also help us carry alchemical materials, or interact when we were tired.
There are many kinds of creatures that can be tamed, from rats and wild dogs to sharp-billed crows and giants, each creature has unique abilities, of course, we recruit human beings, but this requires finding a way to get torches to drive Vineman to the "dock", make a deal with the dockkeeper, and then wait for a ship full of souls-
4 gold skeleton Angus, cheap and honest do not have to eat, except that no one can beat no drawbacks
Compared to the rich and interesting companion and alchemy system, the battle system of Snake Watcher is relatively simple. First of all, there are very few attacks that players can control, such as light and heavy attacks from short or long mouse buttons, long presses and right buttons to aim and then throw the axe/glass/alchemy potion in their hands.
The action part of "Snake Watchman" is actually somewhat flawed, the front and back of the light and heavy attacks are too long, the feel is not very comfortable, and the game may encourage fighting like the "alchemist".
Weapons can be picked up, spawned, or worked part-time as a blacksmith, but the protagonist as an arrogant alchemist may not be very interested in this line: the options for forging are only two major aspects, crafting and forging, and the details are much less than in the alchemy workbench. The "weapons" produced in the early stages are actually more "tools", axes, shovels, and small iron bars (huh?). ）。
Forging has only two directions
It is worth mentioning that in the game, the "mortician" needs to bury the body of the dead monster, otherwise they will mutate and corrupt, then you have to take a few newly made shovels and give them to him when trading.
It is also possible to resurrect dead followers, and resurrecting the puppy "Xiangle" requires a shovel, but I do not
In fact, guardians of the snake are more difficult in the early stages, lack of resources, lack of alchemy recipes, high monster values, and the protagonist and his followers are very weak, and even the flaws in the game design level: incomplete combat system, lack of guidance, etc. make it difficult for the guardians who have just arrived in this world. As we progress through the game, we become familiar with all of this, the base is thriving, the number of followers is increasing, and the later game will become much easier.
Followers can be many
But don't be careless at this time, the game's unique causal design will come at this time a set of "surprise attacks": when you collect too many items in one place, you have to be prepared to deal with the pests that spread the plague; when too many pets are gathered in one place, this will attract bloodthirsty grim reapers, who feed on the living; once they forget to bury the dead, they will begin to attract carrion-eating ghouls, which will destroy all living creatures that stand in the way.
Each step of the Guardian's journey is fraught with challenges and decisions, and the implications of these decisions are profound, and the decisions of the present will be inextricably linked to a future outcome, and the fun of the second half of the game is here. And as we continue to explore the unknown lands with the plot, experience the harvest and restart again and again, gradually understand this world composed of darkness and alchemy, and find out the truth of the world and life, which is probably the challenge and meaning of the guardian.
"Instead of embracing death in loneliness, it's better to regain life in adventure."
All in all, the unique game style of "Snake Watchmen" shows that this is a very "picky" game, with those who like it flock to it and those who hate it. However, the flow of the main body of the game is not too long, and it is still good to have the first experience of a wave of medieval alchemists.
(The steam comment area has a bug in the response, although it did not appear when I played, it is still not recommended to buy it, and it is fixed.) ）