Review - Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch... More's the Pity

 

Image credit: Ocean Drive Studio

I love when a game comes around and has the confidence... nay, the audacity... to just completely usurp the time that my other games take up. It's not often, but sometimes you'll get in a gaming slump that really just means that anything and everything doesn't really seem all that appealing.

    Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch to the rescue.

    In this spin-off from Ocean Drive Studio's initial Lost Eidolons project, we find ourselves occupying the boots of Ashe. Ashe can be male or female depending on your pick in the offset, but the difference is largely negligible when it comes to the narrative. Ashe doesn't remember who he or she is, and only has snippets of recollections as to why they would possibly be on the faraway island they find themselves on in the first place.

    Our first companions to join us are Evie and "Marco," a cleric and a berserker, who do not seem to have lost any of their own memories but are more than willing to let Ashe take the lead in their merry band. That party expands to a total of nine as the game progresses, but that progression is halted and stunted by the roguelike elements so often used in today's gaming. That said, however, it works wonders in Veil in much the same way that it does in Hades. The main difference between those two would obviously be in gameplay. While Hades is hack 'n slash, Veil is a tactical RPG in every sense. Turn-based moves help to set up the rising action and climax of every battle from the sandy beach of a cursed island to the snowy peaks within.

    It's an epic ride.

The Good

The narrative of Veil is compelling. Perhaps even more so than its predecessor, if I'm being honest. One of the things that I liked in the original was the push from goody-two-shoes Eden against the brutal-yet-efficient Balastar. It reminded me of my own construction of foil characters, a hero and an anti-hero, established in my book series The Sovereign. That dynamic is not so much at play here, although there are tidbits between Ashe and "Marco." You also have interesting things at play between all the other characters. Someone is in love with someone but maybe something might have happened between them that makes things a little more complicated than they ought to be and so on and so forth. You know the deal. These tales have been told, but our appreciation for them doesn't have to be diminished. It's in the quality of the telling that Veil separates itself as wheat... not chaff. Evie's personal desire to better herself and the burgeoning regency, Marco's struggles with the past, Laurent's inability to listen to others' advice, and Emile's transition from a money-grubbing mercenary to a conscience-bearing mayor... all of these things work well in conjunction with one another to flesh out the world and lore of Lost Eidolons as a whole.

    Character development aside, the build-up that we find through Ashe's memory fragments is a great addition to constructing a wonderful tale worth telling. The story goes from a young adult trying to find out why they are on this cursed island to begin with to what they need to do in order to stave off a cataclysmic event threatening everyone and everything. The beauty of this apocalyptic revelation, though, lies in the simplicity of its reveal. This isn't just a comic-book villain rehearsing a played-out script, this is life and death and the balance therein.

    That life and death is showcased on a more personal level as we die and get thrown back into the island's loop once again. This dynamic has been done to death, but Veil doesn't waste a bunch of time trying to explain why it's being done again. Simply put, you are the champion of an Eidolon (a godlike entity) needing to see a mission through to its completion, regardless of how many times a sword finds its way through your defenses. The gameplay is turn-based and tactical, with some of the environmental elements working in or against your favor. The beauty of this tried and true method for gaming combat lies in having your characters work side by side. This is only emphasized as their personal rapport with one another grows throughout the journey. Then they will start activating bonuses all on their own that can result in some incredible moments of teamwork, and devastating blows against the enemy.

    Visuals are another plus for the game. I love the artwork that went into constructing every character's appearance, from their painted versions to the digital avatars given a splash of cell-shading. Simplicity again, but you know what? It looks great. It matches the theme and tone they were going for.

The Bad

Honestly the worst part of the whole game has to do with the audio, and it's really only half-bad. The audio that relates to the voice acting is pretty good. Some of it can take you out of the moment, specifically Carmen's adult actress trying to play a 12 year old girl, but much of it is good stuff. Every character sounds exactly like how you would imagine, and the immersion doesn't break too often.

    The part of the audio that stands out in a negative light is definitely the music. Like Lost Eidolons, Veil also uses this cheapy version of some kind of metal core during the battles. That actually does break the immersion a little bit. According to my wife, it's "so dorky sounding," and hopefully no one tells her this but... she's right. I loathed the battle music of this otherwise-incredible game.

Nearly Flawless

I was pleasantly surprised by just how enchanting Veil of the Witch ended up being. For a game that is really only marketed as a spin-off from the main title, it stands on its own and more against so many games that are similar. It tells a great story and brings every character in for a compelling narrative that I want to see even more of in the future. Here's hoping.

9/10

Epic