Last Epoch - Ok, let me preface this by saying what is probably obvious... I like indy games, I like supporting indy games, and I like following indy games through development by, when possible, playing the beta games and giving feedback. I have, as should also be obvious, a rather think skin when it comes to quirks and bugs if the core game is mechanically sound, fun and/or innovative.
....
It's getting boring just writing about it so I am going to stop. I have no clue how this game got such a high Steam rating...
I'll revisit the game periodically and if they ever get their act together I'll let you know.
A year and a half later I decided to see where this game is in development. I received a steam alert that said version 0.8.1.. something something was released so I decided to give it another try.
It is greatly improved. At least in beta most of the navigation has been "fixed" but maybe in a narrative breaking way. Essentially,now when you open the mad you can tab through all of the epochs and simply click of the way point on the map of the epoch you want, andno matter where you are, you teleport their,free of charge. THis solves the navigation nighmares I was encountering in early beta.
The Also, the story is fully in place and makes some sense. If anything it seem smore like a JRPG narrative than a western narrative.. not really my cup of tea, but good enough for a game genre where 99% of the appeal is what happens AFTER the story.
I finished the main story line nd tried some of the game+stuff and it's pretty standard... run random maps for fun and profit, with the occaisional story mission that drops you into events throughout the various epochs which, I suppose, fleshes out some of the back story, but like most ARPGs, I stopped paying attention.
Itemization is also pretty standard, not as complicated as a Grim Dawn or POE, not as simple as Vermantide. If anything, the feel the item system is closest to is Diablo II. The goal of itemization is a balance between primary damage buff stats are the usual rainbow of resitences.
It's a fun time waster, which is about all you can expect from an ARPG.
It isn't as boring as it was when I last played it, and so far my wheels have grip on the min/max hill climb... but I think I'll hit my maximum incline with a day our two. At that point 1 of two things will happen: 1) I'll unistall it because I hit my limit or 2) I'll start one of the other classes to see what it's like because I haven't have enough.
At the moment it feels like I'll go for #2, but then I haven't it the wall yet on my primary, so time will tell.