[Review] - [Sands of Salzaar] - Lost between the desert

Nothing is better than a well crafted DnD session, and very few game can fill the logistics of a world where every single resource is scarce, where your planning is just as important as your battling. Sands of Salzaar is that game. Do not be afraid, the sands can be a comforting place, so let us enter the vast desert, shall we?

ABOUT SANDS OF SALZAAR

Sands of Salzaar is an Open World RPG with a side of Strategy, developed by Han-Squirrel Studio (also known as 汉家松鼠). Traverse the sands in a world with lots of Chinese-influences in its style and design choices, accept quests, declare war or help people along the large and sprawling desert. You also have quite a bit of skills to choose from. Let us enter this world, where any wrong move can kill your party.

MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I am not one who tends to play strategies game, so all of these things are quite a novel marvel to me! Spending most of my in-game days accepting quest, the game does push you towards being a war-lord. I am .. not into that, actually -- so far, I have spent a lot of time being helpful.

This world is vast in its scope, and you will need to check on your different resources. The in-game currency (Ultar) is important, and the world is very money oriented, when a lot of the time people expect you to pay before doing anything. That, or people would fight you. Aha-

!!!!Now, what do I think now that I have had some time to try out the game?

THE GAMEPLAY :

(Ignore the images of me being low level I am still figuring stuff out)

I enjoy the gameplay loop. There is little plot involved, though much is delivered through the setting and quests. You walk around the massive desert with your party — you can have recruits from various points from the game.

Picking fights tends to lead to bad relations, however, the trade of is EXP, money, and occasionally a captive you can hold onto. Resources are scarce and the people here care for themselves most of the time (though many kind people are found in quests).

Trading is the easiest way (and the most peaceful way) to obtain resources. You can accumulate wealth like an ancient traveler walking across the silk road.

You can join factions as well — so far there is are a few religions that people follow, and each group has their own quirks.
Talent points can be found sparingly across the world. Like many other RPGs, you get to pick and choose what to be good at. The progress is slow, so do not expect leveling up too quickly.

All of these leads to my next point, combat.

The combat is very rewarding. There is so much that encourages you to engage with the combat system — you can raid friendly farmers or get into tavern fights. Maybe your name and honor will go down once or twice, but the loot tends to be useful things that get you further into the game.

I do enjoy the battles that I get myself into. It is not brain-dead as I thought, and the skills I found are fun and lets me attack in fun and unique ways. There is quite a bit of strategy as well. Sometimes I thought I could not win a battle, but luckily the AI of my allies are helpful.

There are many different random quests along your journey, spicing things up as you walk across the deserts. Like any DnD sessions, rumours are your friend, and asking around can get you quite a bit of information needed to level up your party.

You can also look for dungeons — well, the game does not ALL call them dungeons, and you can fight your way through floors of many different enemies to obtain loot or food and healing items.

THE STORY :

You travel with your wife's sister at first, but can slowly get more allys along the way. There is little to no story most of the time, but there are little tidbits of lore and history sprinkled around as you talk and interact with the NPCs around you.

This world is packed with history. A war-torn desert scarred by fighting and fighting, leading to bandits and raids and a large class difference. It is bleak, and it encourages you to fight and pay your way through this relatively hostile world.

THE ART AND MUSIC :

It is your typical Chinese RPG artstyle, though the world has a bit of ancient Chinese ink arts scattered around. The characters remind me a lot of pseudo Middle Eastern and many different ethnic Chinese groups.