Wintermoor Tactics Club Review (PS4)

very good
key review info
  • Game: Wintermoor Tactics Club
  • Platform: Playstation 4
  • Show system requirements
  • Reviewed on:
Wintermoor Tactics Club key art

The back to school period always awakens mixed feelings in the students: while some can hardly wait to be reunited with their friends and classmates, most youngsters would like to extend the summer holiday indefinitely, and not to waste time in school rooms. This may be caused by the fact that most learning institutions do not seem as fun as Wintermoor, where each student has a hobby or another, courses being the least of their worries. Wintermoor Tactics Club has nothing to do with the learning, but it manages to convey a light-hearted message about acceptance and self-improvement.

To be honest, Wintermoor Tactics Club has nothing to do with school or everyday student life, despite the fact that the entire story plays out on the Wintermoor campus. Being a boarding school, it means that the only interaction you will have is with other students and occasionally with the principal. There are no teachers or periods to distract Alicia, our hero, from tabletop games, her one true passion, and nosing around in other people’s business’, her other true passion.

The entire set-up of the game is built around the idea of the clubs, in which likeminded students can enjoy spending time while sharing their passions. We have a varied assortment of colorful characters such as the Psychic Detectives, the Royalists, the Equestrians, or the New Wave Appreciation. Alicia is part of the Wintermoor Tactics Club, hobbyists passionate about C&C, short for Curses and Catacombs. This is just one of the many references about D&D and the surrounding underground culture, the entire game is an ode to the golden age of tabletop games. The peace and balance that rules Wintermoor are thrown out the window when the principal announces that all clubs will be disbanded except the best, the Ultimate Club. The chosen method to establish the winner is a snowball tournament, in which all clubs must measure their worth.

Wintermoor Tactics Club
Wintermoor Tactics Club
Wintermoor Tactics Club
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And thus in the wake of the bad news, Alicia can start snooping around campus to uncover the secrets of Wintermoor in a game that mixes successfully adventure elements, with RPG and tactics. Each part is equally important, and pretty well balanced. Most of the time you will be roaming the buildings from the campus, interacting with other students, and solving quests to gain their approval. These quests turn out to be easy errands and minor tasks, that help you get better acquainted with the characters surrounding you.

You can ignore them and focus on the main storyline, but that would take away from the charming atmosphere of the game. When you are not poking around in other student’s life, you will be mainly at the board game table, taking part in short encounters of a C&C campaign. That means not only playing out battles but also managing your character’s abilities and equipment. Although nothing about the game or the mission design is revolutionary, the developers managed to avoid monotony or routine, the exploration of Wintermoor being a pretty organic experience.

The battle system has some unexpected depth, but the characters and events keep the light-hearted approach. Each hero is an ironic representation of a character class, built upon the most well-known stereotypes, but also on the power of imagination. Each member of the Wintermoor Tactics Club is assigned a specific character, represented on the board by an alter ego. The actual personalities of the players are intertwined with the specifics of the class they chose.

For example, Eowald, the game master, plays a paladin, a perfect fit since he tends to be quite righteous and stubborn outside the tabletop encounters as well. Each character has a specific set of abilities which makes it more or less suitable for different encounters. But the system is designed so you can accommodate your playstyle, each character having a fighting chance, thanks to their impressive range of abilities and passive buffs. There is no winning combination, rather plenty of space to mix and match the abilities to your liking. Just as in any self-respecting RPG, after battles the C&C heroes gain experience or equipment pieces, thus becoming more and more powerful.

Some of the equipment can be only by running errands in the Wintermoor campus, while the story often can be continued only after a specific battle. This way the different elements of the game complete each other and offer a harmonious experience. The turn-based action from the table will be the key to winning the snowball tournament, out heroes discovering that the same tactics they apply while playing C&C can help them in the snowy arena as well.

From a technical point of view, the only drawback is represented by the long loading times. With relatively small environments, and charming, but not very demanding graphics the annoyingly long loading times are hard to justify. Otherwise, the game looks, sounds, and moves without a hiccup. The visual style is endearing and matches perfectly the atmosphere of the game. And while most of the dialogues are mute, the few occasions when our heroes do get a voice, the actors did a very nice job. The writing feels natural, and the irony to the address of stereotypes and misconceptions will make you at least smile.

Wintermoor Tactics Club
Wintermoor Tactics Club
Wintermoor Tactics Club
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The Good

  • Thoroughly enjoyable story
  • Flexible and enjoyable combat system
  • Endearing visuals

The Bad

  • Unacceptably long loading times
  • Battles can become predictable
  • Quests are actually simple errands

Conclusion

Just like its characters, Wintermoor Tactics Club has a lot of soul. It is not perfect by any means, but the turn-based combat proves to be fun, the RPG elements are well integrated, while the story is compelling and thoroughly enjoyable. Still, there is no real challenge in the game, no replay value and despite the producer’s best efforts, the encounters can feel somewhat repetitive.

WintermoorTcatics Club is an indie game as all indie games should be: it is not flashy, overcomplicated, or very long, but manages to be fun and exciting without the AAA budget. It is a single-player experience that any RPG fan should experience.

story 8
gameplay 8
concept 8
graphics 8
audio 7
multiplayer 0
final rating 8
Editor's review
very good
 

Wintermoor Tactics Club screenshots (26 Images)

Wintermoor Tactics Club key art
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