Barony

 ***Special thanks go to a former friend for proofing this review. It has been a very long time, and they were very patient with my rust.

Developed by Turning Wheel LLC, Barony is a first-person dungeon crawling role-playing game with a voxel-based design. As an avid fanatic of both tabletop and video game role-playing, I must preface by stating that I was pleasantly surprised by the depth and complexity, yet welcoming atmosphere of this title. I have experienced this title in both single player and multiplayer and have gained enough of a potent perspective to grade Barony in its near-entirety; the downloadable content is what I lack reliable insight on. Before beginning, I would also like to give thanks to my brother and Krom for assisting me in diving into the dungeons after multiple failures and successes.

Here are just a few reasons to delve deep:

Gameplay - As stated prior, Barony utilizes core principles of tabletop role-playing games with combat surrounding melee, ranged, and magical means within procedurally-generated dungeons. The controls for this title are initially strange, but become much more comfortable over time. Various classes solidify not only the unique combat strategies that may be utilized throughout various dungeons, but grant abilities and advantages such as the Merchant able to more easily identify items to prevent equipping cursed weapons, armour, rings, and amulets, or the Cleric having a higher casting statistic. These abilities may be leveled alongside your character through use, such as the mentioned item identification becoming more quickly achieved as it is successfully accomplished multiple times. Class-based strengths only accentuate the multiplayer experience given advantages are granted to only specific character types, providing a more varied party make-up.

Design - Characters, items, and environments employ the mentioned voxel-based aesthetic. Enemies are of standard fantasy fare, ranging from skeletons and rats to goblins, gnomes, and daemons that have unique intelligence to prevent simply kiting them into a straight line to be killed. These enemies as well as traps and puzzles litter the floors of the dungeon’s layers, and typically follow the themes of the level. Dungeons follow a set theme progression of varying layouts, becoming increasingly difficult as the players continue. Hazards such as darkness obscuring the players’ vision and the mentioned traps requiring a keen eye may cause afflictions or even instant death, ending an entire run. The overall difficulty of Barony is fair, and becomes more accessible with play. If the challenge appears to be too much, it may be modified prior to entering the gauntlet.

TL:DR - Barony is an in-depth dungeon crawling role-playing experience with essence from its tabletop influences. The title is enjoyable alone or with others through a slow and methodical analysis of each environment. The developers were also very kind and approachable when I met them at a convention some months ago; this influences any game, in my opinion. I highly recommend this game for a group game night of role-players. Thanks for reading.

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Originally posted on July 29, 2021.