Long-time readers may remember the last time I covered Tales of Maj’Eyal, which was when its creator decided to shed the beta tag. But that was way back in January of 2013, and while I’m not in the habit of writing about patches, this recent 1.2.0 update is so bulky that it’s definitely worth sharing. Highlights? Friends list, no more manually reloading ammo-based weaponry, and roguelike being roguelike… a new death screen. Yay!
For those not familiar with Tales of Maj’Eyal, it’s a tile-based fantasy roguelike and one that’s almost literally overflowing with content. There are a ton of classes/races to choose from, even if many need to be unlocked (via. in-game accomplishments, not DLC, mind you) and combat is a turn-based affair with plenty of room for tactics – depending on your play style and choice of class, of course. Needless to say, playing a sword-and-shield-wielding warrior is much more straightforward than, say, a robe-wearing mage, the latter being incredibly fragile and all.
After millennia of war the orcs are extinct, the advanced races have allied together, and the evils of magic have been repressed. But there are still untamed forests, cursed lands, marauding bandits, sealed dungeons of undead, and whispers spread of hidden cults of mages.
But whether you decide to enter the wilds as a melee combatant, ranger, caster or hybrid, there’s a lot to do in this game, with NPCs in need of aid, ferocious monsters to slay, and huge areas to explore. Oh, and you will die, that much is certain. A mode that grants you an extra life at certain levels is available though, and while such is hardly ‘roguelike’, well, to each their own. You also have the option of playing on an even higher difficulty, should you feel the need to really have your skills put to the test.
Anyway, alongside the aforementioned highlights, the patch also improves general performance, in spite of adding lots of new visual effects, and there’s also… wait for it… a brand new class! Yup, laying waste to your foes by way of slingshotting before bashing their brains in with a shield is now possible, as a ‘Skirmisher’. Fun times.
That said, since the changelog has close to 200 bullet points, I’m just gonna leave ya with this link now, instead of going on and on. I’m sure you’re eager to play the game at this point, after all!
Tales of Maj’Eyal is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux as a free download, although a version packing additional content can be purchased from Desura, Steam and GamersGate, for $7.
