ENCLAVE GAME REVIEW
Also known as: Jack's first experience with a really unbalanced and unfair game.

I'm only five levels into the game, and on Medium, died twelve times so far.
Now, why is that a problem, you ask?
Let's dissect this thing.
Be aware that I have completed this game on Easy before, and even then, I had similar issues just with less dying.

The first major flaw this game has is a checkpoint system, activated only at certain locations on a level. You usually get one or two depending on how long a level is.
This wouldn't be that big of a deal if dying didn't mean losing 10 gold every time (which you DO need for stuff, will explain later).
This respawn does nothing but restore your health to full. All the ammo and healing potions you spent stay spent, and the enemies you met prior to your death are all dead or as damaged as you left them.

Next, the gameplay. Oh boy, this one's a real pain in the ass.
Due to how ridiculously small hitboxes in this game are, you'll find yourself wondering why your reticule was red but you still missed that shot, many times. Well alright, maybe trying to go the archer route is a bit unplayable, let's switch to sword and shield for the Knight, or magic attacks for the Druid.
Nope! The hitboxes are horrible even then. The Knight swings his sword twice in an X motion, and if your enemy starts jittering all around you, this can make the experience feel less like you're in control and more like an RNG decides whether you land the hit or not.

The same rule DOES NOT apply to the enemies. Even your shield barely helps, as half the time, they will still land a hit on you even if you can see that their weapon hit it and not you. Have I mentioned some enemies need 10+ hits to die, and they can kill you with about 3-4?

Ranged enemies will ALWAYS hit you unless you actively hide behind something where at that point they'll be forced to come close for a clear shot. An assassin and goblin archer will have the same bullseye accuracy, even though they're vastly different in terms of skills.

Their movement pattern isn't programmed properly at all, and you'll see assassins and giant armored Orcs alike moving at the same speed, rushing you while sidestepping no matter if you're actively attacking them or not.
Ranged enemies try to keep their distance, while melee ones run into you and mindlessly attack you, fully knowing you don't stand a chance.

The entire game, if you prefer going as an archer, will have you shooting, missing, then backstepping the entire map to take care of 3-4 enemies that you alerted. Again, not fun.

Coins. Every level has a preset amount of coins you can find in it, so dying is out of the question if you're like me and want to 100% a game. Adding salt to the wound is the fact that you need the maximum amount of gold in the entire game to unlock a secret campaign-specific character, which means you actually have a reason to 100% the game but it actively prevents you from doing so.
This means that if you die once and want the 100% coin amount, you'll have to restart the ENTIRE LEVEL which can range from anywhere between 10 to 30 minutes of playtime.

The music, story and graphics of the game are all great, considering the time of release. Unfortunately, without proper gameplay following it, I can see why the planned sequel never happened.

Even though I have some really hard nostalgia with this game, I can't recommend it as a fun and balanced experience at all.

ENCLAVE GAME REVIEW Also known as: Jack's first experience with a really unbalanced and unfair game. I'm only five levels into the game, and on Medium, died twelve times so far. Now, why is that a problem, you ask? Let's dissect this thing. Be aware that I have completed this game on Easy before, and even then, I had similar issues just with less dying. The first major flaw this game has is a checkpoint system, activated only at certain locations on a level. You usually get one or two depending on how long a level is. This wouldn't be that big of a deal if dying didn't mean losing 10 gold every time (which you DO need for stuff, will explain later). This respawn does nothing but restore your health to full. All the ammo and healing potions you spent stay spent, and the enemies you met prior to your death are all dead or as damaged as you left them. Next, the gameplay. Oh boy, this one's a real pain in the ass. Due to how ridiculously small hitboxes in this game are, you'll find yourself wondering why your reticule was red but you still missed that shot, many times. Well alright, maybe trying to go the archer route is a bit unplayable, let's switch to sword and shield for the Knight, or magic attacks for the Druid. Nope! The hitboxes are horrible even then. The Knight swings his sword twice in an X motion, and if your enemy starts jittering all around you, this can make the experience feel less like you're in control and more like an RNG decides whether you land the hit or not. The same rule DOES NOT apply to the enemies. Even your shield barely helps, as half the time, they will still land a hit on you even if you can see that their weapon hit it and not you. Have I mentioned some enemies need 10+ hits to die, and they can kill you with about 3-4? Ranged enemies will ALWAYS hit you unless you actively hide behind something where at that point they'll be forced to come close for a clear shot. An assassin and goblin archer will have the same bullseye accuracy, even though they're vastly different in terms of skills. Their movement pattern isn't programmed properly at all, and you'll see assassins and giant armored Orcs alike moving at the same speed, rushing you while sidestepping no matter if you're actively attacking them or not. Ranged enemies try to keep their distance, while melee ones run into you and mindlessly attack you, fully knowing you don't stand a chance. The entire game, if you prefer going as an archer, will have you shooting, missing, then backstepping the entire map to take care of 3-4 enemies that you alerted. Again, not fun. Coins. Every level has a preset amount of coins you can find in it, so dying is out of the question if you're like me and want to 100% a game. Adding salt to the wound is the fact that you need the maximum amount of gold in the entire game to unlock a secret campaign-specific character, which means you actually have a reason to 100% the game but it actively prevents you from doing so. This means that if you die once and want the 100% coin amount, you'll have to restart the ENTIRE LEVEL which can range from anywhere between 10 to 30 minutes of playtime. The music, story and graphics of the game are all great, considering the time of release. Unfortunately, without proper gameplay following it, I can see why the planned sequel never happened. Even though I have some really hard nostalgia with this game, I can't recommend it as a fun and balanced experience at all.