Vahrin's Call Has All The Heart You Could Ever Need

It's hard to tell from the first few hours of Forsaken Realms: Vahrin's Call what makes the 20 hour third person RPG worth the trip. It can feel underbaked in certain ways, while still holding just a little bit of that ever elusive magic that draws you in deeper. I can't point to any one specific thing that sets this experience apart from others among it's brethren. What I can say Vharin's Call absolutely seeps with the love and passion evident from it's designers, in ways that make this game both wonderfully charming beyond expectations and something I am so glad I stuck with all the way to the dramatic finale.

I feel like the opening couple hours of Vahrin's Call leave you with the right expectations. At first, I will admit to being a bit worried - character motivations were scant, moving and swinging your sword about felt a bit janky, and much of the UI felt a bit generic. Yet at the same time, the vibrancy of the world, a wry humour and a genuine sense of curiosity about what's around the next corner propels you forward. 

Let's take story delivery, for example. You're not going to find lavish cinematics or wildly involved cutscenes with complex animation work. Rather, you will come across a few simple yet effective boss introductions, and all story events consist of a handful of characters standing around talking in a circle. It's not going to take down Baldur's Gate 3, but it's not meant to. We're talking Fable sensibilities by way of Gedonia. It’s the perfect example of how it can seem simple at first, but becomes genuinely charming and engaging throughout the experience.

Things begin fairly irreverent, with a mix of slapstick and nonchalance keeping you closer to a state of whimsy. A few quests and some gnome - sorry, Gee-NOAM-ee - shenanigans giving you a hearty chuckle. But the deeper into Vharin I went, the more invested I got in the seemingly impossible and quite serious task of heroics laid out in front of my merry mercenary. The seriousness of what was occurring in this kingdom rolled through me gradually, catching me by surprise with the level of dedication I was putting in to meet the moment.

That, as a journey, is very much what every aspect of this game is - Unassuming at first, but genuinely endearing at the last.

This idea ripples across every other aspect of the game as well. Combat is straightforward and not all that challenging, but the options to which you approach it unfold to some really cool systems throughout your adventure. I favoured the sword and board / bow combo with a bit of Scorching fire magic thrown in, but you can just as easily find ways to crush it with dual-weilding or two handers, earth or ice magic, or any combination you’d like.

The levelling system comes ala Skyrim, with skills increasing with use. I find this approach great for open ended experimentation, with things like alchemy or trap making adding extra wrinkles to the proceedings. Every resource has a purpose in being broken down into components for upgrades or sold for cash, and having your encumbrance tied only to your armour while ignoring your material and junk bags gives you the satisfying urge and explicit permission to hoover up everything in your path.

The level design also doesn't seem like too much at first, but throughout the course of the more than two dozen areas to explore it became clear how excellent the design of these spaces are. Maps run the full gamut, from corridors of challenges, to interlocking Dark Souls areas, to fully open expanses to traverse. All of them are a joy to explore, and every single one is easily learned to navigate without a mini map.

Everything is so clearly and cleverly thought of - even the interiors are all bespoke, with no cookie cutter solutions, instead fully realized, interesting and unique spaces that feel real and (previously) lived in.

Forsaken Realms: Vahrin's Call is clearly a labour of love from a team of passionate people who adore this kind of RPG. You won't find the rough edges filed off of a polished-to-a-sheen slick RPG experience here; you will instead feel the genuine joy and care from the other side of the design table emanating through every corner of this game. Here, we have a true example of a game being more than the sum of it’s parts.

I'd rather spend my time this kind of art every single day of the week. 

A key for Forsaken Realms: Vahrin’s Call was provided by the developer.