Wartales

I might be exaggerating, but about a 1/3 of the population... is bears. They should have a national holiday. And representation in parliament. At least nine bears should be displayed on the national flag, maybe in a circle to symbolise them surrounding you and killing you. Eating you slowly as you scream for the last seventeen minutes of your life in unimaginable agony. In fact, given how many people must be mauled to death by bears in these villages they must have a measure of respect for bears. I mean, even if they killed 65% of your extended family, you'd feel a decent amount of pride that they were your local bears, not some trash koala or red panda.

Game has been out too long for these loading issues and crashes. This review comes in moderate annoyance since we just were playing for awhile and ran into a bug that lost us all our progress we had just done. One of our companions wanted to speak, and it wouldn't load so we were stuck in a black screen and couldn't save or quick-save or even back out. Not everyone has a bunch of free time to replay the same things because the game doesn't work. Other bugs include: Every time we load in to a fight or something, the screen flashes like crazy. Half the time when on the map you click on something to loot it and it doesn't work, so my teammate has to come pick it up. Also, this game could really use some quality of life for the UI and such, its like the creators didn't play it multiplayer to see how clunky the inventory/UI feels when it's not just you by yourself. If you're like me where fully released games that are broken make you upset, then wait for a deal or something. When it works the game is a lot of fun... though we probably won't be touching it again for awhile. Edit: Just wanted to note, this is all in Base game, not including one of their 5+ DLCs. Base game is broken.

I thought this would be a small scale mercenary management game. Lo and behold 20 companions later, I can still grow my fighting force. The amount of units to manage is a bit overwhelming, but not horrible. As long as you have enough money and food to feed them, everything will be fine. I enjoyed roaming around the regions and picking up bounties ranging from assassinations to.... Assassinations with a different name, with some trading mixed in.

I like the cut scenes with all the epic deaths. Tactics are fun with the small squads. Big battles can take a long time.

I have been enjoying this game a lot. It has so much I like in a game: turn base strategy, RPG elements, an large open world, etc. So I would recommend it based purely on that. I have to mention, however, there is a part you are not told in the advertisement material, trailers and such, and it really puts me off. I'm not going to say exactly what it is for safety reasons, but let's just say Wartales doesn't like mercenaries just being good friends; and that, to me, works against the RPG part of the product. In my head, two of my guys were brothers; the game, however, had other ideas. And this wouldn't be worth writing about, since you have the option to say no, but the big issue is that you are heavily penalized for saying no. I was never below 15 happiness (the maximum amount) before this started happening, but now it drops by the tens every time two bros touch hands by the fire. Not to mention that it undoes the investment in making them friends to begin with, because unless you "live and let live", everyone starts hating each other (and I can already imagine what some might say about that last sentence, but in an RPG the player gets to choose these things and shouldn't be punished for it).

This games strength is simplicity. The only complexity is derived from a large number of very simple systems that layer on top of each other for a solid experience in conjunction with solid leveling and tactical combat nothing here is deep but it's all relatively well done and therefore fun.

Game play: 9/10 UI/UX: 1/10 Probably some of the worst UI/UX I've ever seen. - Can't rotate cameras using Q and E (!?). - Can't see which friendly unit died during combat. - World map path finding is just horrible and the units gets stuck. Game lacks serious polish, but nevertheless it's a game I would recommend.

Price of DLC's are increasing the price of the game while that stuff should be included in base game. So even if I already did make my friends get game so we can enjoy coop I can't make them get each DLC so we can enjoy complete game together and they are not sharable if only 1 of us has it. I will continue playing the game and probably continue getting new dlc's but I can't recommend game to new players. ---- PROS ---- Long gameplay Unique Team Building Good Variety Lots of things to discover Coop ---- CONS ---- Bridge colliders are not fixed since beginning of the game Longer you play it feels like a chore You have to recruit enough people for almost all professions DLC's should be part of the base game Recommendation to developers: Add old DLC's to base game while you're making new ones.

First I will say I love the core combat of this game. Its nice and simple, but easy to grasp and has a lot of room for expansion. Somehow this game hits the right spots where other similar games miss. The overworld map is competent enough, if somewhat lacking in variety sometimes (loot and random hostile parties), and there is plenty to explore. The knowledge point system is also a nice addition. Early game the game is great. Everything is pretty simple, not too easy or too difficult, and the boss of the first region is challenging but not overwhelming or broken. This sort of thing (with a bit more variety) could easily sell players on the game. Unfortunately it falls off after the first region. While the other regions have a tendency to be more expansive and interesting to explore, the bloat in enemie numbers per encounter starts to become a problem even in region locked (and a major problem if not using region locked from what I've heard). To top that off the simple combat starts to get bloated down with too many enemies with enormous health bars (fighting 7 bears with 300 health each at once is really fun), and enemies that have, and mind my french here, absolute bullshit abilities. I've witnessed my own units in heavy armor and high health (all level 7s, fighting a level 6 party) get 1-shot by a single enemy because they have an attack that boils down to "I will now attack 5-7 times in a row without stopping, because fuck you and the concept of game balance" or how about the crossbowmen that can attack multiple times when its YOUR turn? And this sort of thing just starts getting worse and worse as time goes on, with the game just outright giving enemy units new abilities without any notification at times. The solution of course being "give your men better gear" which I can do, in fact I have made some and have many materials to make more. But I can't use the gear because... level requirement. My units are too low level to use the awesome new gear I just made. At this point I lost interest in the game altogether. So in short, has potential but is ruined by balance issues and stupid gimmicks. I want to have fun with something thats challenging but straightforward, not gameplay that boils down to gimmick-counters and forced level requirements.And yes, I know you can fix this with mods, which I do, but that doesn't speak volumes for the base game, does it?

Good game mechanics and world, but ruined by way too many extremely boring animal attacks (at least 80% of the fighting so far is wolves, bears, boars that constantly attack even on roads), no magic, battles start to feel the same very quickly and are just slowwwwww....should be able to autoresolve the obviously outmatched animal encounters, or just....don't have them. Way too repetitive.

Bought this to play on the steam deck since it's steam deck verified I played for about 2 minutes before shutting down and attempting to play via remote play even that wouldn't work properly.... disappointing but mostly works fine on my gaming desktop. Remove the steam deck verification or improve the optimization single digits performance is unacceptable.

A great tactical RPG. Base game has quite a lot of hours to offer, and with addition of some DLCs (and mods, if you're into that), it's easily a 100+ hour RPG with heaps of tactical decisions and strategies to explore.

one of my first experiences as a turn-based game and the world itself is pretty good with rpg elements. absolutely loved it

This game is stupid. I dont mean the game play is stupid. But the programming is stupid. This game stutters and became unresponsive even when loading. ONLY IF you have an internet issue. SO if you network is unstable so does the game. It stutters. It freezes. It Crashes. It doesnt even load. BUT THE MORE STUPID THING IS, if you totaly disconnect the game from Internet. It work flawlessly. Steam Offline mode doesnt help either. You have to unplug your internet connection. Then it work flawlessly. So I dont say I support Piracy, but this game works better when pirated I think.

BUGGIEST GAME I'VE EVER PLAYED. Let's start things off with the positives.... 1. The concept of having 4 main characters at once going on a journey tailored to the player's choices is interesting and unique. 2. The character models are...okay 50% of the time. 3. There's lots of RP potential if your PC can handle this game's "optimization". As for the negatives... 1. Game averaged 2-3 FPS, often times 0 FPS. My PC plays on high to very high settings on games from as late as 2023. This is not normal. 2. Graphics are comparable to 2010 games. It's pretty jarring. 3. As soon as I opened the game, there was zero audio. I had to turn them all on in settings, and I think I see why it was shut off. The audio kept cutting in and out, and the music was mid at best. Think "generic copyright free medieval background music". 4. The other 50% of character models look like dried human leather.

Steam deck users beware. Frequent stuttering and crashes. Worst verified game I've played. When I googled my issues I found they were common on steam deck. You have been warned.

Fantastic game! Loved seeing all the early updates and how much the team has added since Early Access. Dev's should be proud and happy! Really have no notes :)

recommended just for the fact that the devs gave you options on 'how to save'! some devs seem to think that players should be limited in how they save their games! which I dont understand at all!! just because some players maybe able to dedicate their undivided attention to a game ad infinitum.. others can NOT! and get interrupted constantly IRL! why should we have to replay a games scenario just because the devs decide you cant save or have limited save opportunities!?! players should be able to choose when and if they save! and this game at least gives you that option.. congrats to the devs for at least that decision... however, the game is slow.. it loads slow.. it loads save games slow.. it even plays slow.. but thats ok... I've also had one crash so far.. for something like this.. not good IMHO.. but its fun so far.. so will continue to 'grind on'.. but it also doesnt provide a lot of information.. e.g. what does a captain do? if you hover over just about anything it'll tell you something about the skill/item/whatever.. but not the captain/lieutenant options.. its a minor thing.. but I've only just started playing.. so I'm sure there'll be more.. but as usual, weight limits are an issue (in just about every game!!) and 'unrealistic'.. for a game.. I've already had to drop a stack of ghost carcass because it was too heavy.. and its supposed to be a 'rare resource'.. should be a way to store stuff in town without the 'trading post'.. not going to be able to 'discover' or build a 'trading post' for a long time! so that is kinda annoying..

🗡️Fantastic turn-based strategy game with just the right balance of simplicity and depth. I absolutely love its gameplay style, and the mix of strategy, RPG elements, and exploration works incredibly well. 🐉The game delivers a rich dark fantasy and gritty medieval atmosphere that pulls you in right from the start. The map is beautifully designed, the story is engaging, and the world feels both dangerous and alive. It’s easy to get into, but there’s plenty to master as your band of mercenaries grows. Honestly, I can’t think of anything I disliked — this is exactly the kind of game I enjoy. 👍 10/10

Optimization issues (stutters and freezes for me), random irrelevant achievement was unlocked (not an issue on its own but I think it just shows the poor background processing this game has), even quit game button didn't work, concept seems very interesting but quickly felt it's gonna get boring very quickly. (Classes seemed dull to me)

Wartales is a captivating open-world tactical RPG that skillfully combines strategic combat, deep role-playing elements, and a richly detailed medieval setting to offer a fresh take on mercenary life. Developed by Shiro Games, the title plunges players into a gritty, living world where survival depends not only on skillful turn-based battles but also on smart resource management, party cohesion, and meaningful decision-making. Unlike many RPGs that focus solely on epic heroics, Wartales shines by portraying the harsh realities and moral ambiguities of mercenary life in a war-torn land. The gameplay loop revolves around recruiting and managing a band of mercenaries, each with unique skills and personalities, then venturing out to complete contracts, explore ruins, and survive harsh conditions. The turn-based combat is tactical and satisfying, emphasizing positioning, terrain, and synergy between characters. Every skirmish feels impactful, often forcing players to balance aggression with caution, as wounds and fatigue can have lasting effects. Beyond combat, the survival mechanics—such as managing food, rest, and morale—add a layer of realism that enhances immersion and strategic depth. Exploration in Wartales is rewarding, with a sprawling, hand-crafted world filled with hidden treasures, dynamic events, and multiple faction interactions. The game’s narrative unfolds organically through encounters and player choices rather than a linear story, encouraging players to carve their own path and shape their mercenary company’s legacy. Crafting, trading, and upgrading gear play important roles, allowing customization and progression that feel earned rather than handed out. Visually, Wartales features detailed, painterly art and atmospheric lighting that bring its medieval world to life with a somber and authentic tone. The soundtrack complements this with haunting melodies that underscore the game’s gritty mood. The UI is intuitive but packed with information, balancing accessibility with depth. While the game impresses with its breadth and ambition, it’s not without minor flaws—some players may find pacing uneven, and a few interface elements could benefit from refinement. The learning curve is moderate but rewarding, inviting strategic thinking and experimentation. Additionally, occasional bugs typical of early access titles have been reported, though the developers show commitment to ongoing improvements. In summary, Wartales is a richly textured tactical RPG that excels in delivering an immersive, strategic experience rooted in survival and mercenary life. It’s ideal for players who appreciate thoughtful combat, open-ended exploration, and the gritty realities of medieval warfare over traditional fantasy heroics. With its strong core gameplay and evolving content, Wartales stands out as a promising and engaging title in the tactical RPG genre. Rating: 7/10

Great base game, especially when on sale. Sadly the DLCs for their price aren't really worth it unless on sale. The tavern one is a bit of fun and adds a gameplay loop/extra content to new towns. The pirate one is also pretty good, otherwise they offer pretty low value. They have still been releasing free updates however, so it is a way you can support them. I hope their next DLC has more depth/content to it. Gameplay wise, strongly consider a higher difficulty and a smaller group, you dont need a companion of every profession/can use prisoners for that.

tl;dr - The game is in a poorly optimized state right now, wait on purchasing. I cannot rightly recommend the game in its current state. Despite releasing more DLC, they've somehow forgotten to optimize the game. I used to be able to play this at high fidelity on my Steam Deck at 30fps, now the game chugs along at single digit frames on low settings, with constant stuttering. This has been addressed repeatedly with the dev team, who ignores the problem entirely. Take a look at their "Report Bug" page, and you'll see time and again where they say they "Can't replicate" the issue. This is total BS, if a huge chunk of the player base says you have optimization issues, then you have optimization issues and you know it. Instead, the devs continue to push DLC trying to collect more money for a game they seemingly don't want to fix. It's a shame, because the game is a great time when it works, it just doesn't work anymore.

This game has got me. I have crossed event horizon. I am being sucked in by the black hole this game created. Ans i am happy with it. Recommending it to anyone who likes stories and easy paced adventures.

Fun and addictive. Its not only fighting though. There is alot of managing resources. No one aspect is overwhelming though.

Great game, lots of fun, tons of side quests and mini games, highly recommend.

Great game! Still feel a bit yanky in stability and gives somewhat a early access feeling when starting up and closing down. BUT, the game itself is great! Highly recommend!

It's playable, but way too boring just clicking around the map.

It's a bit of a slog at times but I like the way that units can be upgraded and build bonds with other team members making the mercenary gang even more powerful

A great game with interesting mechanics around building your own mercenary group

fun squad gearing and building. interactive world where you feel like you have an impact.

I’m sure the game is good,but I couldn’t play it, as it kept crashing for no reason

A pretty simple game but with a ton of layers and a lot of management. I don't have too much to say but understand that this game is a huge grind. Like, one of the biggest grinds I've played in a while. Maybe this is because I didn't play on the adaptive levels difficulty. I hit a wall around level 4~ where I had to just grind earlier missions and stuff to be able to handle fights in the next zones. The tactical combat is pretty basic but the main issues are that even at the highest animation speed it can take quite a while, especially against high HP animals. Also, there's not fast forward on the world map?????? There's an absolute ton of progression systems and you're always progressing a little bit in them, but it's almost never noticeable to me past the very early stages. I think on sale this is still worth a buy. If you don't mind doing tons of contracts and making very very slow progress, I recommend it. However, if you really wanted a Strategy RPG, more akin to something like Tactics Ogre, I'd still give it a hesitant recommend. It's nothing like those games but you should still get some enjoyment out of it. Also, I see the review about how a homosexual relationship was rejected between mercs and it gave a negative happiness modifier. That modifier is in place no matter if it's heterosexual or homosexual. He seems to be upset that the devs punished him for not fitting the "AGENDA", but that's completely bullshit.

The game boils down to fight human or animal groups, there's a very shallow RPG element to it with a few mini games. Look, it has good reviews but I've been playing games for over 20 years so games like this don't appeal to me anymore, it lacks immersion, story and interesting gaming mechanics. It might be engaging to younger players but for me this game feels like a throwback to games from 2005.

Great game, awesome tactics and fun rp

This is the game that made me like isometric perspective. The level of details are awesome and still better than a lot of games.

I really enjoyed this game. I still play on SteamDeck in my free time. All the DLC was worthwhile in my opinion. Some are smaller than others but they each bring something new to the game. Looking forward to the next DLC.

good game, I love battle brother, wildermyth and others like it. this one defintely scratchs an itch.

i thought this game was just a pretty good time until i started playing co-op with my best friend. i didn't even expect to like it co-op, i thought it'd be janky or grind the pace down, but it's become one of my favorite co-op games now, from the shenanigans of having a merc squad with only wolves as lieutenants to us running from the law due to all our illegal activities, it's been a really fun time!!

Fun game but not worth the full price, I bought it for 14 eur in sale. If you play non region locked then having a few wolves will cause the enemy warband to grow as well. Wolves don't wear armor and are generally weaker, non region locked fewer squad members with higher tier armor is better then having multiple less geared units.

An amazing experience, love the feeling of running a mercenary company.

Enjoyable game. Learning curve can be annoying. Not a lot of explanation on how to do things. However, worth playing and will have opportunities to replay with different decisions.

The game is good if you do like turn based games. It is even better, when the game is on sale!

Solo this game can be a bit draining however if you grab a friend and investigate the regions together it makes for an amazing game. Highly recommend it if you like X-com style turn based combat with a flare of fantasy/medieval themes. Some mechanics really arent explained well so reddit and guides online are a bit necessary for certain in-game events and functions.

This game presents a satisfying challenge. One you can overcome through strategies and tactics. There are no ridiculous random or RNG effects. You have lots of game mechanics to play with too so it doesn't feel like one big grind of a fight. Fighting is a main component but give the tactics you can deploy with various roles and builds it feels fun, as you out maneuver your opponent. Plenty of play time, quests, objectives, and even some story weaved in to pull you into the world further. Keep your eyes peeled too, lots of hidden finds to look for.

Reviewing (mostly) every game (or DLC) in my library, part 92: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ (8/10) [i] Wartales [/i] is a gritty, low-fantasy tactical RPG about leading a band of mercenaries through a harsh, plague-ridden world. It trades sweeping narratives and chosen-one tropes for grounded, survival-focused gameplay where food, wages, and morale are as important as swords and skills. It’s a game built for wandering: full of grimy inns, desperate contracts, and endless decisions about who lives, who dies, and who carries the tent. [i] Wartales [/i] is a grim, grounded tactical RPG that nails its tone and systems, but also struggles with pacing and repetition. It's best enjoyed in small bursts, where you can soak in the atmosphere, enjoy the troop micromanagement, and slowly uncover its bleak world. Just don’t expect a gripping plot or a satisfying ending. 🏕️[b] Pros: [/b] [list] [*] Tactical sandbox with deep combat. Battles are slow-paced but offer rich tactical variety. Each class has its own utility, and positioning, turn order, and environmental manipulation (fire, poison, traps, elevation) all matter. Later fights become more complex, almost like puzzle encounters, though not everyone will like that. You can capture animals, like wolves or bears, to fight for you! [*] Atmospheric worldbuilding through gameplay. There’s little in the way of cutscenes or exposition, but [i] Wartales [/i] lets its bleak tone emerge organically. You feel the desperation of poor farmers. You witness the impact of plague. You struggle to afford wages, medicine, and repairs. It’s a harsh world, and it earns its weight. [*] Troop management is addictive. Your crew becomes your story. You’ll start recognizing and favoring certain soldiers: your brutal axeman who lost a leg, your archer who keeps pet wolves, your overworked cook. With customizable roles and jobs (miners, thieves, bards, etc.), each merc becomes part of your camp’s rhythm. [*] Open-ended progression. There’s no set story route or win condition. You go where you want, take the contracts you like, and shape your own rise (or downfall). Regional scaling means you’re never entirely outmatched, though some areas are clearly designed for higher-level play. [*] Visuals are grounded but appealing. The painterly style and muted color palette fit the grim tone perfectly. Interiors, encampments, and battlefields all feel like they were pulled from medieval sketches. UI is clean, detailed, and mostly intuitive. [*] Stellar music and sound. The soundtrack has a low-key intensity that keeps you immersed. Even just wandering across fields feels somber and evocative. Sound design during combat is crunchy and satisfying too. [*] Active devs and ongoing updates. Shiro Games continues to support [i] Wartales [/i] with balance tweaks, new content, DLCs, and gameplay reworks. Modding support is limited, but community feedback has clearly shaped the game’s evolution. [/list] 📖[b] Cons: [/b] [list] [*] No real story, and the side quests don’t compensate. While the sandbox freedom is great, [i] Wartales [/i] lacks a strong narrative hook. Regions have small local stories, but they’re often shallow and end abruptly. If you’re someone who needs a main quest or character arcs (like me), you’ll feel the absence quickly. [*] Battles can drag on. Some fights—especially in the mid-to-late game—are long. When you’re facing 5+ enemies with armor, status effects, and complex AI behavior, turns can take forever. Add in the puzzle-y nature of late-game encounters, and it can become a slog. [*] Gameplay loop gets repetitive. After 15–20 hours, you’ll notice the rhythm: take contract → march across map → fight → rest → repair gear → repeat. Even with troop upgrades and regional variation, the game lacks the sense of escalation or surprise that many RPGs rely on. [*] Pacing can be glacial. Because there’s no urgent plot, and many systems are resource-gated, [i] Wartales [/i] often feels like a grind. You’re always just a few coins short of what you need, which is immersive, sure, but not always fun. This especially hits players who want to “see everything” in one go. [*] Micromanagement-heavy at times. Between hunger, fatigue, wages, injuries, armor repairs, job assignments, and crafting, there’s a lot to juggle. While some enjoy this, others may feel bogged down in tedium rather than strategy. [*] No real long-term goal. Even though the game lets you choose your own path, that can start to feel aimless. Without a meaningful endgame, it’s easy to burn out once the novelty of exploration fades. [/list]

Easy to get lost in for hours. If I did have work in the morning I'm sure I'd play all night. The classes are fun to explore. Also Battle PONIES!

I'm not sure what needs to be said other than it is a solid game. Super fun, punishing and fresh. Great DLCs and definitely has replay value.

A super comprehensive, profound game. Definitely worth it, highly recommended!

Great game, love the strategy, love the graphics, love the big landscape and all the quests. My only issues are 1: that when fighting, the camera can be a bit finicky and frustrating when wanting to move it. 2: At different areas in the game the framerate can take a hit sometimes but thats mainly in places with lots of assets, like the city of Gosenbirg or some areas in Ludern But besides those I would highly recommend getting this game and it’s dlcs