Lost Eidolons Gameplay and Features Overview
Oct. 19, 2022Lost Eidolons Gameplay and Features Overview
Lost Eidolons Gameplay and Features Overview– In this Lost Eidolons Gameplay and Features Overview, we will be looking into the gameplay mechanics and qualities that make the new turn-based tactical RPG distinct. Lost Eidolons is developed and published by Ocean Drive Studio, Inc., and it is available on PC via Steam. The game will also be launched on other consoles sometime next year.
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Lost Eidolons is a tacticalTurn-Based RPGcomprised of several classes and skills available for customization, grid-based combat mechanics, and the camp system. Exploration is not really a core focus of the game because you will not traverse across the continent of Artemisia to recruit mercenaries and experienced soldiers in your ranks. Instead, you will engage in strategic combat as well as complete quests in the camp to improve your relationship with allies.
At its core, Lost Eidolons is Fire Emblem: Three Houses in almost everything except for the story, setting, and art style. However, this is not a bad thing as few have emulated the tried and tested formula that the series is known for. If you have played Fire Emblem, combat and NPC interaction to gain rapport will feel nostalgic. If you haven’t, then you are in for a treat because Lost Eidolons has done a good job of delivering a challenging yet fair experience overall.
What makes this RPG unique is the way monster fights are handled differently. Proper positioning and swapping of weapons are crucial to effectively hitting their most vulnerable parts. Otherwise, you will unnecessarily extend the encounter, which can potentially skew the results negatively.
In Lost Eidolons, you take on the role of Eden, who is forced to lead a band of ragtag mercenaries. The Conqueror King who united the lands of Artemisia wasn’t always tyrannical. In fact, he brought peace to the continent for several years until a High Priest predicted the Empire’s fall, prompting him to silence anyone who would dare question his leadership. Your goal is to bring peace by ridding the world of corruption, greed, and the dangerous monsters that are slaughtering half the population.
The RPG’s storytelling element is done linearly, where completing one chapter encounter after another propels the narrative forward. Side stories are presented in the form of characters interacting with each other as well as the player scouring the camp for letters and books. Doing so makes the world feel real the more you learn about the people you meet because of how relatable their lives are. Moreover, you gain a deeper understanding of the places you visit as you continue to develop alliances with neighboring factions. This is due to their well-documented histories and accounts.
Despite the heavy dialogue, your opinions will not steer the plot in a different direction, as this point seems to be fixed. However, you do have the option of choosing the NPCs you wish to develop a rapport with, but not much beyond that.
Lost Eidolons features an older medieval fantasy art style, which Ocean Drive Studio has executed relatively well, especially when it comes to depicting the chaotic perils of war. While the game may not win any awards for visuals, it still does the genre justice. When the characters are talking, however, the shadows and lighting are insufficient to make them stand out from the background. Additionally, the lip-syncing feels awkward as it does not line up with what they are actually saying.
On the contrary, what adds to the exciting experience I have felt comes from the thunderous and rhythmic music and sound effects. In combat, every weapon has its distinctive sounds, from an axe’s devastating blow to an arrow penetrating a target’s armor. The spells are equally impactful, especially when you combine them with terrain modifiers. For instance, casting Thunderbolt against wet targets will electrify the ground they are standing on, most likely killing them in the process.
Last but not least is the convincing voice acting. This is well-executed so much so that it not only elevates the way the story is told but also convincingly captures the behavior of every character.
Lost Eidolon features interesting gameplay mechanics that cohesively work well. For starters, there are multiple classes worth trying as long as you fulfill certain conditions. Specialized classes have specific weapon and armor level Mastery Requirements to be unlocked. To gain gear experience, you need to use them in combat and undergo Weapons and Defense Training. The good thing is that training doesn’t lock characters out, meaning, you can still bring them along in succeeding encounters. Furthermore, remember that you can easily switch from one class to the next without spending money, provided you meet the prerequisites.
Since you will be commanding an army, you are in charge of taking good care of your constituents. Everyone starts as either a Commoner who specializes in wielding weapons or a Noble who is more magically inclined. You can then branch out into 3 Beginner Classes upon reaching Chapter 4. These include the Fighter, Squire, and Mage. The Fighter is offensive in nature, often relying on two-handed weapons such as the sword or bow to eliminate enemies.
Comparatively, the Squire is always prepared to defend themselves thanks to their trusty shield and one-handed sword or spear. Finally, you have the Mage who is focused on dealing elemental and dark magic to effectively debilitate and attack targets as well as light magic to heal allies.
Upon reaching Chapters 6 and 17, you will have the chance to choose from 5 Advanced and 10 Master Classes, respectively, while gaining specific skills and stats. In building the strength of your army, it is ideal to create a party composed of a hunter, warrior or knight, wizard, and priest. Hunters excel in ranged combat, Warriors and Knights deal excellent melee damage and are the best at brute force, Wizards focus on dealing offensive magic and controlling the fight by inflicting status effects, and Priests provide support by healing their comrades.
Being the leader of the squad, Eden’s exclusive role is that of the Overlord when he reaches level 30. Not only is he heavily protected due to Plated Armor but he is also adept in dealing significant physical and magic damage.
In addition to how meticulous your planning should be when it comes to the characters you are building, you must also be prepared in combat, which is both turn and grid-based like in Fire Emblem. Prior to the actual encounter, you can buy potions from the merchant, change unit formation, and even explore the area. The latter consists of wide open spaces with various terrain that provide different kinds of bonuses and hindrances. Some tiles can get wet, making units standing on them vulnerable to taking great lightning damage. Thickets, on the other hand, provide cover, thereby granting +10 guard to take less damage.
Additionally, unlike most turn-based RPGs, there are no flanking maneuvers, attacks of opportunity, or height advantage.
At the start of every round, you begin with a birds-eye view of how you want to control your characters, that is, whether they move next to the enemy to hit them using a sword or advance a few grids away to pelt them with arrows. When you launch an attack, you are treated to a cinematic cutscene just like in Fire Emblem where the camera zooms into the action. These combat scenes can be sped up by hitting Ctrl in case they get too repetitive for the players’ tastes. Enemy turns can also be skipped entirely by pressing Esc should you wish to get surprised by how much the game’s board state changes.
Next, you do get notified every time an enemy is “targeting” your units due to the presence of red lines directed at them. Targeting an enemy with a normal attack, ability, or spell also gives an approximation of how much damage you might deal. This essentially lets players make an informed decision about whether their next move will kill a foe or not, considering that the attack actually hits. Furthermore, there are Command Skills, which change based on the character’s class. So if you play as a martial unit, you can use Taunting Blow to goad an enemy into attacking you. Doing so can protect your Wizard or Priest from getting hit if they are standing beside the affected target.
Most units take up one tile, except for huge monsters who occupy multiple spaces. Specifically, Hellhounds and Manticores which also feature adaptive weaknesses. This means that certain sides of the creature will be susceptible to specific attacks, such as having their hind legs weak against spear-type weapons, or their heads being vulnerable to magic. As such, you need to change tactics to adapt and position your characters differently. Doing so grants the advantage of dealing greater damage in the form of chained attacks. However, you also have to be careful since these creatures will often turn around, thereby modifying their weaknesses in succeeding turns, not unlike a table top game.
What makes Lost Eidolons forgiving is the “Undo” feature. This allows players to backtrack at most 10 times per encounter to ensure that they are making the right combat decisions. This is essentially better than reloading the game, and a nice way to allow more optimal actions without having to do so. It’s not all fun and games though, as permadeath is also a good way to introduce an added layer of challenge should you choose the Maniac Game Mode in the beginning. If a character dies in combat in this game mode, they can no longer be used in any of the subsequent fights.
Oddly enough, they will continue to roam around in camp but are branded as “Retired” instead. These fallen allies will still contribute to the story in some shape or form. After all, it’s only a flesh wound!
Lost Eidolon’s camp isn’t there simply to be a breather in between story chapters. Rather than upgrading buildings, the activities you will usually engage in include talking to NPCs, joining training, and completing optional battles for bonus experience. You can converse with, and get to know the various people who have decided to join your cause as well as pay you a visit. By spending time and giving them gifts, you will build rapport, which will provide perks such as potentially recruiting them to your army. These cost Leadership points are replenished after every chapter encounter.
Here, you can also prepare everything and anything related to your party’s loadout. As mentioned previously, remember to enroll your characters in the Training Plan via the Attendant by the Lodgings to improve weapon and armor proficiencies, thereby speeding up their progress toward specialized classes. Additionally, Eden can choose to waltz through the camp in all its glory or make use of the intuitive fast travel system to jump to an important NPC’s location. It also helps that the loading screen in between these segments is super quick, especially on an SSD.
Lost Eidolons is a tactical, turn-based RPG where army composition, proper positioning, and environmental awareness take center stage. These are the factors that you need to pay close attention to in order to succeed in fights. Despite incorporating several combat mechanics from Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the game still features unique qualities such as the advantage you gain by targeting the vulnerabilities of large monsters as well as triggering chained attacks.
Because of the undo mechanic, players are provided with some leeway to quickly fix their mistakes, however, they may need to redo the battle because it can easily go sideways, especially when there are way too many enemies on the board, which is part of the overall nature of the game. If you enjoy commanding an army of characters, whom you can customize when it comes to classes and skills, while thriving in strategic and challenging combat, then you may want to take a look at Lost Eidolons. It is now available for 34.99 USD. You can use the link below to support the channel!
What did you think of this Lost Eidolons Gameplay and Features Overview? Will you be playing the game soon? If you have questions, remember to drop by ourTwitch Channel. If you enjoyed this article, be sure to check out our recent overviews,Fractured Online Gameplay Overview – New Sandbox MMORPG (Isometric)andTunic Review – A Wonderful Zelda-like Gem (PlayStation And Nintendo Switch Release).
Reiku
Writer at Fextralife. I enjoy playing RPGs, narrative-driven games, and platformers. Outside of gaming, I like watching meaningful movies and reading sci-fi and dystopian books.
