Graal Delteria – Is It Worth Your Time?

Bottom Line: If you’re a person who enjoys top down RPG games with a multiplayer element, this game is a decent way to fill the need. If you don’t have an interest in RPG games however, this game is passable at most.

The Pros:

• Classic Art Style with a Zelda-Like feel to it. Delteria looks almost exactly like that of a Zelda game for a mobile device. As a result, you are treated to a cartoony look that’s been done in many RPG games. Colorful environments, surprisingly well done water effects and all the animations are flashy and suit the art style well.
• A Surprising Amount Of Depth. Though it looks like a simple RPG game, Delteria is surprisingly deep in its customization options. At the start of the game, you choose a base class after several starter quests and you can customize your character with a robust skill tree. No class will feel the same way assuming you spec your character properly. Though I personally didn’t get very far up the food chain, some of the skills I saw were actually interesting and things I would think are pretty cool to have, giving me a reason to want to achieve a level. The game also has a crafting system, something not often found in these kinds of RPGs and though it’s simple, it’s a welcome addition to the game. There are also a lot of items in the game, a fair amount more than a lot of games of its kind.
• Free Roaming. These kinds of RPGs don’t usually allow the player to roam anywhere they please but Delteria allows that though venturing too far can result in a significantly harder experience. Even though it’s harder, the fact that you can move onto another area if you want to is a good thought to have.
• Interesting Concept. This game is an MMORPG, something not usually seen in the top down style of gameplay. Though it is early in development, it’s a very interesting concept to introduce PvP combat in a game like this.

The Cons:

• Bad Frame Rate Issues. The engine of the game, though a classic and loved one, isn’t the best and it does have some frame issues, especially if you have a lower end connection to the internet and its hamper on loading the textures. A lot of spells on the screen at the same time will also result in a large frame rate drop. This can however be improved with future patches.
• PvP, though innovative, EXTREMELY unbalanced. It seems this game falls victim to the MMORPG problem of class balancing. A warrior in this game at full build and good gear can easily destroy almost any opponent. Balancing issues do exist in the game though it is to be expected considering it is a new release and no meaningful patches have been done. PvP is also clunky and can essentially boil down to whoever has the fastest internet speed for attacks to register first. Server improvements can fix this problem.
• Unresponsive Interface at times. At times, the menus are not responsive at all and sometimes, you can try to attempt to move your character and you see no movement until the game decides to catch up. Again, a minor issue but something to point out, especially if you’re a hardcore PvP fan.
• No true group ethic. This game tends to be more of a solo experience and even though you can group up with your friends, there isn’t truly a desire to until it is utterly impossible to pass a point on your own. Group systems should be improved and give players more of a reason to stick together rather than to fend for themselves.
• Boring Menus and Labels. The menus in the game are very plain and average looking, never truly attempting to make themselves unique. The text choices are also a tad plain and more interesting fonts can help to improve the overall polish of the game.
• Lack Of Variety. Apart from questing and going into PK zones, there isn’t particularly much to do in the game. Adding things such as mini games, deeper customization in game (such as homes or gear) and perhaps even dungeons that can be taken on with a group can help to improve this.
• Irritating and Monotonous Audio. After several hours of gameplay, hearing the same song over and over again in towns got on my nerves. The same sound effects for landing spells and such becomes even more annoying, especially when in PK zones where many players are firing at each other.

The Verdict

Off to a decent start, Deltaria can fill the needs of a casual RPG gamer who wants to experience something a little different from the standard World Of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XIV. Though the experience is a tad clunky and there isn’t too much to do, future patches can alleviate most of these issues.

Graphics: 7
Gameplay: 7
Audio: 5
Multiplayer: 6

Overall: 6/10