Bellwright

Bellwright works in a lot of ways. In particular, it allows you to customize your gameplay experience to better cater to your abilities. Plus, being able to just dig into a map and make it your own is a super cool idea. However, the problems embedded in the game's core make it a rather hard pill to swallow. Villager behavior, disproportionate time management, cumbersome building limitations, and unoptimized menu systems bring the game experience down. There's a fun game here, but you need to sift through a lot of frustrating limitations to get to that fun game.

There is a good game buried beneath Bellwright's achingly slow opening hours and UI awkwardness. There's satisfaction to be had in building up a base and seeing your NPCs gather, build, fight and progress for you, but it takes too long to get there and I just think most people will give up before they do.

At first glance, Bellwright might seem like the classic mix of RPG, survival, and sandbox elements already seen in dozens of other indie titles. However, its strong management component sets it apart from the dangerous label of “more of the same,” making it a deep and enjoyable game. Bellwright is a diamond in the rough: a sandbox in the truest sense of the word, but also an excellent role-playing game that fans of the genre will appreciate. Unfortunately, the console port currently limits the experience, compounded by an interface that’s difficult to navigate with a controller and insufficient optimization. At the time of this review’s publication, however, the game is still in early access: Donkey Crew therefore has plenty of time to step in and iron out the kinks ahead of the full release.

I insist, it's a shame that it's riddled with errors and feels somewhat disorganized in its early stages, but if you're willing to endure its steep learning curve and its rough edges, you'll find a very striking medieval experience with its own unique personality.

Bellwright es una de las propuestas más ambiciosas que ha dado el género de supervivencia medieval en los últimos años.