Whether your frame of reference to Arthurian legend is traditional, like the classic novels and films or comical, like Monty Python and the Holy Grail, there’s no doubt that you’ve been exposed to the iconic tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table in some form or another.
However, Arthur’s tale has been retold so many times over the years, which prompted developer Room-C Games to think about it differently. How could they pay homage to the beloved lore while also putting a new spin on it?
The result is The Hand of Merlin: a tactical, roguelite RPG fusing elements of sci-fi and horror with Arthurian legend.
Our story begins in the years following Arthur’s death. An apocalyptic event known as the Cataclysm threatens to destroy the multiverse, as each world is under siege by the spreading corruption of evil abominations hell-bent on extinguishing every last sun.
After years of imprisonment, Merlin is weak and cannot directly intervene, but retains influence within the mortal world, searching for those who would succeed where Arthur had failed. The rest is up to you. Recruit a party of Heroes and guide them on a perilous journey to take the Grail from Albion to Jerusalem and stop the Cataclysm to save the multiverse from collapse.
Sounds simple enough, right? That’s what I thought at first, too, but was then quickly and unceremoniously wiped out during my first few runs. These enemies are far more savage than any Knights Who Say “Ni!”
However, this is where I really grew to appreciate the game. Yes, it can be a punishing experience at times, but the game rewards players who learn from their mistakes and make adjustments to their strategy. If rushing the enemy leads to a brutal defeat in close combat, you’ll darnn sure try a ranged attack first next time!
I also appreciate that The Hand of Merlin offers several difficulty options, allowing you to settle into the game at your own speed. “Story” is a great place to start for folks new to tactical RPGs and want a more casual experience. For strategy veterans, the difficulty level increases substantially all the way up to Hard Mode ++. Have fun with that!
Whether you’re a diehard strategy player or a newcomer to the genre, The Hand of Merlin delivers a well-crafted story and a satisfying adventure. Are you ready to hold the Grail and save the multiverse?
The Hand of Merlin is available now on the Xbox Store for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. We hope you’ll enjoy it, and look forward to hearing your thoughts!
The Hand Of Merlin
Versus Evil
Related:
Happy Pride Month from Rec Room!
Welcome to Backfirewall_
Obsidian Entertainment Announces Pentiment
- a
- About
- across
- Adventure
- against
- ahead
- All
- Allowing
- Ancient
- Announces
- Another
- attributes
- available
- Beginning
- beloved
- benefits
- between
- Beyond
- buy
- careful
- challenge
- challenges
- change
- characters
- choices
- Choose
- classes
- classic
- collectors
- combat
- company
- compelling
- compelling story
- complex
- coordinated
- Corruption
- could
- cover
- day
- deeper
- delivers
- destroy
- Developer
- different
- Dimension
- dimensions
- directly
- displays
- dream
- during
- dynamic
- earn
- elements
- enemies
- Entertainment
- equipment
- essence
- Event
- events
- experience
- explore
- exposed
- Features
- First
- following
- forever
- form
- Forward
- FRAME
- France
- from
- fun
- game
- Games
- Gold
- good
- great
- greater
- guide
- High
- history
- hold
- horror
- How
- HTTPS
- human
- improve
- improved
- influence
- inspired
- interactive
- IT
- journey
- jump
- Key
- King
- knowledge
- known
- Leads
- LEARN
- legendary
- Level
- live
- Look
- luck
- make
- management
- Matter
- measure
- medieval
- Merchants
- Microsoft
- mistakes
- Month
- more
- Offers
- Options
- own
- party
- Pay
- permanent
- Play
- player
- players
- power
- Prepare
- principle
- purchase
- quickly
- Randomized
- resource
- REST
- Rewards
- road
- round
- Route
- RPGs
- Run
- safer
- same
- Search
- Series
- serious
- set
- setting
- several
- Simple
- skills
- So
- some
- speed
- Spin
- stand
- stands
- start
- store
- Strategy
- tactics
- temporary
- The
- the world
- three
- Through
- time
- times
- towns
- trade
- traditional
- twist
- under
- unique
- unlock
- use
- Veterans
- What
- while
- WHO
- within
- world
- world’s
- would
- xbox
- years
- Your