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0 Yaga is an Action-RPG set in the world of baba yaga, the renowned witch known for her curses and superstitions. You play as Ivan, a one-handed blacksmith down on his luck, on a journey for his life. Yaga is developed by Breadcrumbs Interactive and published by Versus Evil best known for the Banner Saga Trilogy.
Bad Luck Brings Great Fortune To The Worthy in Yaga
I was so eager to get my hands on Yaga, having played lots of games with Baba Yaga in. I was also very intrigued to discover the difficulty of this action rpg and hoping to get immersed in Yaga’s world.
Gameplay
Yaga has a personality based system with each action having a consequence; will you build a fortune or be self-righteous? But, For every decision, a good and bad comes from your actions. Choose a personality at the start of the game to follow, and with every action gives you points and keeps bad luck to a minimum, however, go against your personality and see your bad luck meter go up fast.
More bad luck you have the faster you gain experience and good rewards, but be careful too much bad luck and more enemies may be on the prowl to bring your journey to an end. As Ivan, you are summoned by your Tzar to free him of a curse that Baba Yaga has claimed to have put on him by journeying the dangerous lands for mysterious items to protect one from such curses. Although Baba Yaga watches over you, shaping your fate and giving you the option to help her or face her wraith. The choice is yours. Will you defy Baba Yaga or be her instrument to bring great misfortune to your Tzar. How will you face this quest?
Yaga has a really cool balancing system with bad luck increasing every time you heal, kill enemies and decisions you make. The game has a simple crafting system using an anvil for crafting weapons and adding modifications. Each item has its own stats with some doing extra damage and others offering better dodge. After each adventure, you get to choose between 3 things learned while sleeping. Each selection will either help you on your adventure or hinder you. Crafting allows you to make weapons with different stats, but watch out weapons and tools have a durability system.
Each map has 3 stoves you can repair and act as quick travel locations, loot for bread or turn any item gifted into bread. Sometimes bonus items are gifted like ore, which is important for creating tools, weapons and repairing. Fights are okay, however, the reaction time for dodging can sometimes be slow to input and result in lost health. Improving on map mission locations actively leaving mini-map when finished would make it easier as it was confusing. Yaga is a fun filled game and doesn’t really do anything to badly, just minor improvements, to improve my experience with the game.
Graphics & Audio
Yaga had no issues with frame rate or glitches in game and easily a smooth running game. The top-down view allows for a smooth transition between scenes with no video problems throughout. Although it may not be a game full of realism and ultra HD textures. But, Yaga still offers stable content and only adds to its depth with its unique art style. The style creates layers of gloom and despair, giving you an understanding of what Ivan is experiencing.
The soundtrack only adds to the depth of game-play that brings progressive music throughout and transitions well between attack sequences and idle exploring. Howver, The transitions pull you in, creating a sense of immersion and building on the character’s relationship with the gamer. Sound effects only further add to the immersion creating the battlefield during fight sequences with clashes of metal and gunpowder. The voice acting is spot on, creating that medieval feel and building Ivan’s character up with that blacksmith style voice.
Longevity
Yaga has a lot of replay-ability with multiple ways to play your game with different personalities and outcomes every time. Therefore, Creating a web of outcomes for every quest you go on. Personally I could spend hours upon hours enjoying this immersive game and really enjoy the world of Baba Yaga.
Final Thoughts
Yaga is all round amazing Action-RPG leaving you with a sense of fulfilment as you go on your noble quest. The style is fun, exciting and allows you to make the character in your image; how you see fit, creating a personal touch to each time you play. The break between levels gives you the time you need to create your weapon’s and tools, bringing strategy to the game. This creates many layers of fun and excitement throughout. The audio and Soundtrack adds to the immersion and builds on the adventure throughout.
Therefore, due to a well-built game with great visuals for its genre style and a soundtrack that pulls you in, I would like to give Yaga a Thumb Culture Gold Award
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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