1348: Ex Voto

Despite awful PC performance dragging down the gorgeous visuals, 1348 Ex Voto excels at offering satisfying sword combat in an enjoyable, bite-sized adventure. However, as a whole package, it wasn't able to keep me invested in a story that I would otherwise love had there been more time spent developing its central relationship.

1348 Ex Voto joins games like A Plague’s Tale and Kingdom Come: Deliverance in giving players a slice of medieval life. Unlike those titles, 1348 Ex Voto is a short time commitment with a relatively simple story and unique character dynamics. If the world weren’t quite so barren and the combat were less frustrating, 1348 Ex Voto’s attractive environments could be the foundation for a special little game.

Sadly a compelling setting, great performances and some occasionally stunning visuals aren't enough to overcome the horrendously uneven and frequently broken combat system which sits at the heart of 1348 Ex Voto and threatens to cast this otherwise intriguing and ambitious indie effort into the ninth circle of mediocrity.

Aeta's tale of confliced queer revenge has so much potential, but doesn't stick the landing.

With Kingdom Come: Deliverance and its stellar sequel gathering a legion of fans, and the Plague Tale games offering epic dark fantasy on a double-A budget, the medieval genre has found fresh momentum.

There are good ideas in 1348 Ex Voto, but they're undercut by the shoddy implementation of its systems. The voice cast carries the game, with several amazing performances woven throughout. Unfortunately, the whole experience is letdown by a variety of glitches, fundamental design flaws with the combat, confusing levels, and several jarring story transitions that make it seem as if 1348 Ex Voto was shoved out the door before it was ready.