Zoria: Age of Shattering Review (PC)

There is no reinventing the wheel in the vast field of turn-based RPGs. You get your typical mystical land, once flourishing but suddenly struck with a calamity. Who are you going to call? Well, you. Swooping into action in fast-paced combat, players step into the shoes of the titular protagonist. Occasionally, games will spice things up with a crafting element, a skill tree to upgrade your characters, and a plot twist to keep you on the hook. It is a tried-and-tested formula. One that Tiny Trinket Games embellishes with their new game, Zoria: Age of Shattering.

With the recent commercial success of Baldur's Gate 3, the genre has experienced a resurgence of interest. However, this popularity surge comes with its own set of challenges. While there's a dedicated fan base hungry for similar experiences, Zoria: Age of Shattering faces stiff competition from other heavyweight contenders in the genre. Will it carve out its own path to success, or will it falter under the weight of its rivals? Can it dethrone Baldur's Gate 3 from its perch atop the genre? To answer these questions, join us as we journey through this mystical Kingdom of Elion in our Zoria: Age of Shattering review.

Here We Go Again

The game sets the stage with an illustrated narration. The Kingdom of Elion, once embroiled in war centuries ago, now faces a similar fate as the Izirians seek dominion. Resorting to necromancy and dark magic, the Izirians have ravaged the kingdom, leaving only a few towns standing. However, hope lingers as Captain Witherel and a team of veterans stand as the last line of defense, aiming to turn the tide of war. While the storyline may not break new ground, it immerses players in a high-fantasy world ripe for exploration.

But before embroiling in the narrative, you must customize your character. Customization covers everything from face, hair, and gender to classes. There are nine available options: Priest, Battle Cleric, Kingsman, Ranger, Lancer, Nightwarden, and Thief. Your class choice shapes your play style, whether you prefer offensive or defensive tactics.

Will you opt for the healing abilities of a priest, the monster-hunting skills of a Nightwarden, or the defensive prowess of a Sentinel? Each class is equipped with particular equipment. For instance, don’t expect the Ranger class to have melee weapons.

Moreover, some classes will prove helpful from the start, while others will need upgrading to be formidable. The good news is that you’ll amass a following along your journey. These will be your troops, fighting alongside you. Each member hails from a different class, ensuring a diverse and well-rounded team to tackle any challenge that comes your way.

Lay of the Land

Setting foot into the mystical world of Zoria, you'll quickly discover its openness to exploration—a feature actively encouraged by the game. This exploration yields various rewards, including recipes, loot, encounters with enemies, and opportunities for side quests. While the landscape appears bright and inviting from afar, it lacks the lushness found in other CRPGs.

As you traverse different zones like crystal caves, grasslands, and ancient ruins, you'll find that certain areas are accessible only to specific classes. For instance, the priest's ability to dispel cursed lands grants entry to such places. This mechanic prompts you to alter your formation, enticing experimentation with different classes.

After exploring several maps, you'll establish an outpost—a much-needed respite for weary adventurers.Especially since fatigue serves as a gentle reminder to rest and replenish your supplies. The outpost doubles as your base of operations, where you can craft and repair equipment to prepare for the journey ahead.

But survival in Zoria isn't solely reliant on rest; building upgrades are crucial to expanding your access to resources. Upgrading facilities like the inn unlocks food recipes, while enhancing the alchemy lab grants access to potent elixirs and elemental magic. These upgrades cater to specific classes, reinforcing the game's emphasis on versatility and experimentation.

However, Zoria affords players the freedom to choose their approach. You can stick with a particular set of companions for an extended period of time without fear of missing out on upgrades. You can send out inactive party members to scavenge for loot, ensuring they remain relevant and capable in your adventures.

Combat

Combat serves as the beating heart of Zoria. Players engage in dynamic turn-based combat that almost always finds you on your path. The fights are fluid and generally fast-paced. You won't be restricted by any time limit or specific conditions guaranteeing your victory. It's the simple principle that the best man may win. But to do so, you must leverage your team’s class abilities. Now, this is where the game’s tactical element comes to light.

As alluded to earlier, every character has a unique combat style. Some possess incredible strength, while others, like priests, are more fond of magical attacks. Their abilities range from area of effect, spawning AOE items, summoning, to single target effect over time. Keep in mind that any magical ability requires mana. Some attacks leverage focus, which your characters gain from basic attacks in previous battle sequences. But there is an underlying twist: the more your party members fight, the more fatigue they garner, meaning they will need some time out. If you don't have any time to spare for a quick nap, you can replenish your party’s energy using potions.

Besides Mana, Energy, and Focus, your character uses a two-action technique similar to the enemy’s. This means you get two moves per round, which you can either use for moving and abilities or for abilities only.

Additionally, the character skills tree is your ideal chance of buffing your character's stats for a win on the battlefield. Each class has a tree with 16 skills. When buffing your character, the game doesn't restrict you on which route to follow. For instance, the Wizard class can go for all the fire-based spells. If this doesn't work for you, you can switch to a water-based spell or, ideally, mix them up. 

Hunting and Gathering

Crafting and looting are your ideal breakaway from the fast-paced battle sequences. The game uses a Diablo-like approach, where you get bountiful items at your disposal. The first map you come across is filled with plenty of loot you shouldn’t miss out on. Plus, the more you battle, the more loot becomes available. This mechanic appeals to chaps who relish stat buffs and do not wallow over having too much in storage. 

There are plenty of resources to collect, and the tie-in with weapon upgrades makes it more interesting. Every weapon has a unique resource requirement, making the hunt all worthwhile. It's a circular system that dares you out of boredom. See if you need more resources. You must explore. Exploring opens up chances of battle. And the more you battle, the more your enemies drop resources. 

Ideally, the developers' school of thought was to let players enjoy the game and not employ advanced economic strategies or cheating  to ‘get through mid-game.’ Personally, no loot is enough loot. Especially if you keep getting more members added to your party. It's a system that keeps the checks in balance. You don’t want to starve your team to death, nor do you want them to be half-baked for battle.

The Hits

Zoria: Age of Shattering could be what RPG fans have been waiting to dip their feet into after the triumphant release of Baldur’s Gate 3. From the lore, tactical combat, and base building, there is so much you can do. Its engaging narrative isn't entirely there, considering none of your friends have a background story, nor do you. However, it gets the job done of immersing players in the fantasy game world. All the mechanics from looting and status buffs fed into the combat, which again is the bread and butter of Zoria. Like in any other CRPG, the action points have a satisfying feel. It’s pretty much like a chess board, deciding which piece will lead you to victory with just a few moves.  

The Miss

As a system-heavy RPG, Zoria is an ambitious project that delivers interestingly but also misses. I learned the hard way that you should save your progress as much as possible. The game has its fair share of bugs that will bring out your frustration. Word of advice; use the 6 save slots as much as possible.

Besides that, the game’s strength is perhaps its greatest weakness. While Zoria is teeming with variety, there’s no helpful way to indicate which of your companions or gear is the crème de la crème. Players must painstakingly sift through the entire inventory, individually evaluating each item's worth. This task can prove draining and detract from the overall experience. This quality-of-life issue represents a notable drawback in an otherwise immersive journey.

Verdict

Zoria: Age of Shattering is a unique take on the CRPG, flying close to the high bar set by Baldur’s Gate 3. Its wealth of potential lies in its tactical combat and team formation, which ideally rely on careful resource management. While we get what Tiny Trinket Games aimed for, the drawbacks categorically take the charm away from this game. It certainly would have ranked in the AAA title category, but the developers might want to consider a few patch updates.