Unepic takes you back to the days of classic Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) adventure and role-playing games (RPG). With its 2D platforming, no guidance in exploration and very high difficulty, Unepic is a throwback to games like classic Ghosts n’ Goblins for the original NES.
The game is incredibly funny and features a lot of jokes about other video games. It’s the classic breaking of the fourth wall where the characters believe they are in real life as opposed to a video game. In a game of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) one night, your protagonist, Daniel, decides he needs to take a break to urinate. One of Daniel’s friends decides to turn off the lights because he thinks it’s funny. This leads to Daniel saying “Come on guys!” and he ends up being whisked away to a dark and gloomy castle where Unepic begins.
Once inside the castle, a ghost named Zeral tries to take over Daniel’s body and steal his soul. Unfortunately for Zeral, he must settle for occupying the same body. This results in incredible dialog between the two with references to classic movies and games of the late ’80s and ’90s. Spaceballs, Star Wars and even the classic NES title Dragon Warrior are referenced in the ongoing comedy skit that is Daniel and Zeral. There are a whole bunch more, but you’ll have to play it as we’re not going to ruin it for you.
Right from the very beginning it becomes evident how difficult Unepic is going to become. It doesn’t hold your hand in exploring, but instead features a game map that fills in as you progress. Areas you have not yet explored are shrouded in darkness. While you are exploring, you’ll find every area chock-full of enemies. The classic orcs, goblins and other D&D type enemies are all there. If that wasn’t hard enough, the rooms are also pitch black. You’ll need to locate different torches in order to light up the room as well as complete various quests to proceed. These quest givers, of course, are playing the best game of hide-and-seek there is as they aren’t indicated on the map. The NPCs also don’t provide any guidance on where to go. As mentioned above, it’s similar to games like Ghosts n’ Goblins and the original Castlevania, which appears to be the predominant source of inspiration here.
I personally enjoyed this setup as I’m more compulsive when it comes to RPGs. It alone did not present any real issues other than taking more time, and I’ll never complain about time spent in a game. An issue that did pop up occurred in the battle system. Each battle earns you progress toward skill points. How you allocate those skill points determines the type of character you become. Unlike other RPGs where you decide between wizard or melee warrior at the beginning, Unepic lets you choose as you go. It’s an interesting dynamic but ends up presenting a near fatal flaw towards the end of the game.
For example, for some reason I went against what I normally do in games like this and I chose warrior over wizard. One enemy was easy pickings. Even two enemies presented not much of a challenge for my warrior. When I ended up being approached by three or more however, I ended up surrounded and quickly killed.
Being a throwback to classic NES-type RPG games, you’ll remember something vital about the battle system present in most of them. Remember when you were fighting and attempted to melee an enemy, the enemies behind him were able to walk through each other and attack you? It usually meant a quick death since you were unable to actually strike these enemies. It became a frustrating part of the game. The freedom to develop your own character class is a welcome addition, and luckily you are able to respec your character if you decide you don’t like your current choice. Be careful what you wish for though, as you may only do this once.
At a certain point, I switched to my preferred wizard from the warrior and it ended up saving my game. Not only was I able to roast enemies with fire before they even knew I was there, but also beat a boss that a warrior simply could not have. For example, one of the boss characters is a floating Medusa-type head. It sits over a giant canyon of sorts, so you can’t approach it at all. If you are at this point in the game and you are using a warrior, you will be out of luck as none of your strikes will be able to reach the boss. Ranged weapons or magic spells are the only attacks that can reach there, so get ready to die a lot if you don’t have the necessary equipment.
Leveling up has a much higher amount of customization than you are used to in similar games. Five skill points are earned each time you level up, and you can allocate these over five categories: weapons, armor, constitution, magic and potions. Where the difficulty sets in is that there is no way of knowing what you need until you reach the point where you need it. Be prepared to die a lot if you are a warrior and have to fight a boss who is vulnerable to fire. It can be a bit frustrating, but there are multiple ways to beat bosses. It may however just take you a little longer than you may like.
The map in Unepic is your best friend. Seriously. Take it out to dinner and buy it a drink. With over 200 individual rooms scattered across seven different areas, you will get lost unless you’re that guy from A Beautiful Mind. There are secret passages that let you jump to different rooms, and you can even use teleportation scrolls to reach the vendor instantly. To be honest, I used the map more than I needed because of the enemy setup. Since the enemies respawn, having to grind back through rooms I just cleared to reach the vendor was a pain. As a result, boss battles, vendors, secret passages and pretty much everything of importance were on my map.
I saved one part of Daniel and Zeral’s relationship for now. You see, Zeral doesn’t like Daniel very much. Apparently, not letting someone suck out your soul is a bad thing. Who would’ve known? As a result, Zeral sometimes gives Daniel bad advice and it’s up to you to take it or not. There is much more to the story than meets the eye as their relationship grows during the game. The interaction between the two follows the same path of growth as the game, and I was glad that there was a little twist at the end.
Unepic’s combat difficulty may be the one aspect I found confusing. I would find myself wiping out enemies without any issues, and then be killed in one shot in the following area. It doesn’t take away from the game at all, but it was rather odd to see such a drastic difference between the battle system and the rest of the game’s setup. I didn’t have a problem with it. I just wanted to mention it because it stands out so prominently.
Perhaps my favorite part of Unepic was the amount of customization involved. There are over 100 different weapons in the game throughout seven categories: swords, maces, daggers, bows, axes, magic wands and pole arms. You’ll need to keep a decent inventory because not every weapon will work on every enemy.
Magic, my personal favorite, is also heavily featured in Unepic with over 70 spell combinations in seven categories: potions, rings, spells, tomes, artifacts, magic weapons and recipes. While scrolls can only be used once and need to be replenished, items like rings and their effects remain until they are unequipped. Potions are also single-use but the vials can be refilled. Artifacts are extremely rare and powerful.
There is an incredible mix of exploration, customization and enjoyment in Unepic that any development team would be proud of. The ironic thing about Unepic is there is no development team. It’s just one guy. Francisco Téllez de Meneses is from Spain and spent two years creating Unepic in his free time. The score, coding, design…everything about Unepic is the result of one man’s work and dedication.
Summary
Unepic is a really fun, enjoyable game and a recommended purchase for any fan of the genre. There are hardly any flaws, but instead I like to call them challenges. They are minor oddities that challenge you to alter your approach. Doing this allows you to experience a lot more of the game that both RPG and platforming fans will love. I spent about 17 hours playing the game and have yet to discover all of the castle’s 200 rooms. I should note that with all of the options included in the game and the time I spent playing, it’s still currently available for only $10 on the Xbox Store. That’s incredible value right there.
M.W.B. contributed 27 articles to ICXM between 2015–2016, covering game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news with a focus on hands-on impressions and verified-source reporting. Their bylines on the site span the run-up to Xbox One S and Project Scorpio, plus the broader Windows 10 gaming push.