As the end of the year gets closer, Game of the Year discussions are only going to heat up. While AAA games like Guardians of the Galaxy or Far Cry 6 may be some of the first to come to mind, indie games like the Wildermyth absolutely deserve a place in the conversation. Developed by Worldwalker Games, Wildermyth is a fantastic character-driven, procedurally-generated tactical RPG. Let’s take a look at why Wildermyth is a contender for Game of the Year, and what makes it so special.
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Incredibly Interesting and Compelling Storytelling
Arguably the most important aspect of an RPG is the story that it tells. In this regard, Wildermyth is an absolute grand slam. There are multiple campaigns you can play through, which works really well if you only have smaller amounts of time to commit to playing. Each story combines old and new characters and locations, which I’ll get into a bit later, but the storytelling in each is incredibly intriguing. The story also changes based on the decisions you make, which I feel is vital in a game that strives to mimic the tabletop RPG experience. Even when replaying campaigns, the story feels fresh and the power to define the direction of the story is truly in your hands.
Fascinating Characters That Really Grow
The coolest feature in the game is the idea of legacy and the way characters grow between campaigns and even chapters in a campaign. Characters will grow old, they’ll have families, and their legacy will eventually pass on as they leave the game by death or simple retirement. There are ways to continue playing as the same character for longer periods of time, but I was more interested in seeing how the legacy of my starting characters could grow without them directly in the picture. Character development is primarily driven through in-game choices as well, so you have a large amount of control over how they develop. The writing for each character is really well done as well, so the characters feel extremely authentic and unique.
Combat With Tons of Options
Obviously an RPG wouldn’t really be worth talking about if the actual gameplay mechanics weren’t interesting, so thankfully Wildermyth nails is there too. Combat is fought in the traditional style of tactical RPGs, with limited range and movement options that require each move to be calculated. What is fascinating is the amount of options and variety when it comes to what attacks or moves to make in the process. As each character develops, their style of combat also changes. This leads to constantly changing tactics through each campaign, so the fighting never feels stale. I personally tended to choose a balanced party of close range and long range fighters, but the options feel limitless. Those options come in even handier when playing co-op with friends!
Wildermyth is an incredibly RPG that I’m going to find myself coming back to for years to come. It’s well worth checking out, and deserves to be towards the top of most Game of the Year lists when all is said and done.
Wildermyth is out now on PC.
