Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon Review

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I’ve found myself quite behind on joining the fun with “Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon“. Not only did I miss out on playing it at launch, but it has been accessible in early access for more than two years now. The narrative itself is connected to a board game and tabletop RPG as well. Intriguingly, these two video games (the other being “Tainted Grail: Conquest”) branched off from what was initially planned as a port of the same-named board game.

During the creation of Avalon, I wasn’t directly targeted, but when it launched in May, I observed a lot of positive feedback. With my recent fascination for first-person RPGs following games like Kingdom Come Deliverance and Avowed, I thought now would be an excellent moment to explore something new. I wanted to see if Avalon could potentially be a hidden gem.

Astonishing Twist in Tainted Grain: The Fall of Avalon – This game caught me off-guard with several unexpected turns, and I’m genuinely pleased I decided to give it a go on impulse. Yet, I soon discovered that even though it was late, I would have gained more from waiting a bit longer. Regrettably, the game still gives an undercooked feel.

Avalon’s plot seems familiar, reminiscent of numerous RPG Site press releases; it draws on classic Arthurian tales but with a grittier twist. This common pitch initially sparked indifference rather than enthusiasm in me. Yet, after setting aside my initial skepticism and investing some genuine playtime, I realized my first impressions were undeservedly dismissive.

As you begin your journey, your character finds themselves in a place that combines elements of an insane asylum and a prison, serving as a sanctuary for individuals afflicted by the elusive Red Death plague. In the early stages, you discover that King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table departed from their homeland centuries ago, seeking refuge on the island of Avalon to escape the Red Death. However, they found themselves embroiled in a prolonged conflict instead. Additionally, there is a strange entity known as the Wyrdness present on the island, a malevolent fog that Arthur and Merlin had to construct Menhirs to keep under control.

In their daring flight from the asylum, aided by the mysterious knight Caradoc, it’s evident that Avalon remains precariously balanced, under constant threat from monstrous creatures, sinister forces like the Wyrdness and the Red Death. It seems that whatever King Arthur endeavored to achieve in times past has failed to bring about any lasting tranquility or wealth for Avalon.

Over time, a fragment of the mythical king, Arthur, finds his essence within the player’s character. As the narrative progresses, Arthur serves as a secondary character who interacts with the player during camp scenes, acting as a confidant much like Johnny Silverhand from Cyberpunk 2077 or Melina in Elden Ring.

The storyline reveals that Arthur has been repeatedly attempted to be resurrected to address the problems plaguing Avalon, but these attempts have failed to restore him fully. Consequently, Arthur’s consciousness is somewhat tainted and his memories of events from centuries past are hazy and incomplete. It falls upon the player to piece together the truth about Arthur’s past actions and determine the extent of his involvement in the current state of Avalon.

Despite my initial doubts about the story structure, I eventually found it to be a captivating and intriguing tale design. Superb voice acting brought Arthur to life as a character full of layers and complexity, making our interactions richer. Memory scenes and flashbacks gradually unveiled a kind-hearted and sincere King who was determined to gain and maintain the trust of his people, yet was ready to resort to questionable, unethical tactics to secure victory. This complexity is heightened by Arthur’s inability to fully remember the details of his past actions, requiring player intervention to help him reflect on the consequences of his decisions, which were made centuries ago. However, after Act 1, I noticed that my chances for dialogue with Arthur significantly decreased, which I will discuss further later.

In The Fall of Avalon, the atmosphere is overwhelmingly grim and dismal. Scattered throughout the landscape are corpses, entrails, and blood, while skulls and zombies are common sights in both the environment and enemy design. The creatures you encounter range from giant maggots to corrupted humans to demigods resembling leshens. The music often incorporates Celtic-flavored chanting and deep, somber instrumentation. Initially, it may seem like an excessive embrace of everything slightly over-the-top and edgy, but as you become accustomed to the game’s setting, I found that I grew more accepting of its overall tone. The extreme bleakness of many areas in the game makes moments of tranquility stand out even more vividly.

As I delved into Avalon, piecing together its past and navigating through its current state, I encountered various characters trying to exert their power or merely survive. While the game offers a typical quest log filled with tasks like crafting items, defeating foes, and retrieving objects, these missions effectively paint a picture of the world’s situation and contribute to the overall storyline.

One interesting aspect I noticed is that there are no clear indications on how to find new quests – only ongoing ones have markers or points-of-interest displayed. It was left up to me to initiate conversations with Avalon’s inhabitants, uncovering objectives and starting fresh missions. The game refrained from guiding me until after this initial interaction, which I appreciated as it made my character feel more immersed in the quests without relying on a floating exclamation point that I felt obligated to engage with.

In discussing any modern fantasy first-person RPG, it’s tempting to bring up Skyrim as a reference point. However, I discovered that Avowed serves as an equally suitable contemporary comparison on several levels. This game is set across three distinct and disconnected territories, each featuring internal locations such as shrines, tombs, and caves. My progress was frequently rewarded with exclusive magical gear through quests and exploration, and the crafting system enabled me to trade materials continuously to enhance every weapon and armor piece, ensuring no equipment ever felt obsolete as long as it had a magic attribute that matched my character’s build.

In a nutshell, Avowed shares many similarities with Combat, featuring dazzling spell animations and the necessity to frequently adjust positioning either to dodge enemy attacks or target their vulnerable spots. Although melee combat may not be as complex as in Kingdom Come, which includes directional feints and parries, it’s essential to consider an enemy’s armor and shield defenses when determining where to strike with your sword. Additionally, the game places a slight emphasis on buffs through the use of consumable items, prepared meals, and spells that can inflict status effects or passively heal characters over time.

An engaging aspect of this setup is the functioning of the magic system. Each unique spell is affixed to individual hands, much like any other tool such as a weapon or shield. Just as swords have both strong and weak strikes based on duration, so do spells, with their power depending on how long they are activated. This setup allows for spells to be combined with various weapons, including swords, shields, or even additional spells in the other hand. Fall of Avalon is a unique scenario where it’s advantageous to experiment with ‘hybrid’ playstyles, rather than strictly focusing on one particular style.

In Avalon’s advancement system, a significant portion of the benefits are passive and proportionate. As I gain points, I often assign them to perks with modifiers such as “a 5% increase in critical chance” or “10% more health regeneration from food.” The enhancements on magical equipment also follow this pattern, primarily offering a basic percentage boost to specific damage types. While there are some enjoyable interactions like having one perk that makes critical strikes potentially cause bleed, and another that increases damage against bleeding enemies, the process of creating a build can feel overly mathematical and formulaic overall.

In simpler terms, having certain percentage adjustments kick in at specific health or endurance levels can get quite complex. Towards the later stages of play, I accumulated numerous basic damage boosters based on my weapon choice and skill selection, which made defeating enemies effortless. I believe a smaller number of perks, each offering more significant changes to gameplay when chosen, would have added more variety and depth to the game experience.

In Avalon, the abundance of quests is truly noteworthy. As I progressed through each act, I found myself constantly moving around the map to accomplish tasks, uncover ruins, and gather items. The quest design is generally well-crafted, and I often resorted to reading in-game books or conversing with various characters to decipher the specific ways to complete my objective when the waypoint markers were unclear. Many quests do not have a clear-cut perfect solution, such as meeting a certain stat requirement or possessing a specific piece of information that would satisfy all parties involved in a conflict. Instead, I was frequently faced with the challenge of picking a side, as neither option seemed obviously ‘right’ or ‘wrong’.

Despite discovering that numerous quests lacked a significant or engaging long-term influence on the game world, I remained keen on finishing as many quests as possible due to the enticing gold and experience rewards. While individual quests frequently showcased intriguing characters and enjoyable interactions, the overall atmosphere felt somewhat static, leading me to yearn for a more vibrant and evolving environment. A memorable example was when I reported a drunk gate guard to his superior officer; he was promptly sent to jail the following day but resumed his post, never deviating from his original position. In summary, I found myself wishing for a game world with a greater sense of dynamism and change.

The game Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon presents several intriguing features yet seems not fully polished, as if it’s still under development. During my gameplay, an unexpected update from the developers significantly altered the visuals of my health and stamina meter on the interface. Although I thought the new design was acceptable, the sudden change mid-game felt more suitable for a project in early access phase rather than a completed game release.

As a fan, I’m thrilled about the latest announcement from the development team – they’ve just released an update that will include almost two-dozen more conversations with Arthur in an upcoming update. Although I’m glad for this expansion because I did feel restricted in my interactions with Arthur, especially post Act 1, it still feels like exploring this aspect of the game is a snapshot from a specific era, given its current limited state. However, I eagerly look forward to experiencing the new additions, whatever their quality may be.

In today’s world, games can be updated, and it’s my sincere advice to potential players to hold off until additional updates are released. Although I had a good time playing the game, some parts of it, particularly in Act 3, seemed a bit unrefined compared to the initial regions, as if they were recently added. Fortunately, I didn’t encounter any game-halting or progress-inhibiting glitches during my playthrough.

All in all, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon possesses the foundations for an outstanding game, offering a unique twist on the fantasy genre compared to many of its peers. For players who are willing and capable of tolerating rough patches and a sense of incompletion, there lies more than 50 hours of immersive RPG entertainment within. However, it may require some extra effort and fine-tuning to truly realize its full potential.

7

Tested versions include: PC (via Steam), as well as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S platforms. Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon can be played on these platforms too.

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2025-07-09 08:57