Most computer and video games are designed as pure solo adventures, usually geared towards competitive multiplayer modes, or combine both. The Last Oricru is different. The action-RPG, which will be released on October 13 for PC and consoles, can also be played completely alone if desired, but Czech development studio Gold Knights is focusing on a cooperative campaign for two players. Of course, the joint game also works online – albeit unfortunately only within the same platform. But “The Last Oricru” is most fun in the local split-screen mode, which we’ve tried extensively for you.
Science fantasy meets dark souls
“The Last Oricru” puts you in a medieval-style fantasy world where three factions fight for supremacy. There are, for example, the Naboru, led by Queen Hadriana, and the Ratkins, the rat people they enslaved and now want to free themselves from the shackles of their oppressors. In the background, however, a mysterious alien race also plays an important role, which may seem out of place, but certainly raises exciting questions. It is clear that your main hero, Silver, owes his immortality to the aliens. However it works exactly, just like with “Dark Souls”, it makes your alter ego resurrect after a death – but also all your enemies except the bosses.
Here you fight mainly with shield and sword, but also with war hammers, lances and other melee clubs, but you also use a mana bar to cast magic. For certain weapons, you can use it to actively activate a fire or lightning plating. Wands can also be used to fire or heal elemental projectiles. However, you focus on the development of the main hero Silver, making him a strong warrior with heavy armor, a very agile swordsman or rather a magician. The variety is great, but the controls, which are also based on “Dark Souls”, and the hit feedback are significantly weaker than in the obvious model. However, due to other strengths, this is just as bearable as the stylistically successful, but technically mediocre graphics.
Together you are strong
You always start “The Last Oricru” as a solo adventure, but after the short prologue you can tackle the rest of the game together with a fellow player. This can also be done online, although unfortunately only within the same platform, but the developers recommend couch co-op in split screen. We agree with these recommendations, because just like in “Mario Kart 8”, sitting next to the other player makes the interaction even more fun. The downside: Depending on the size of the monitor and the distance from the monitor, in split-screen it’s easier to get confused if your gaze wanders to half of the sidekick’s screen. Only PC gamers with an ultra-wide screen should have few problems with it.
However, your co-op buddy is not playing his own hero, but something like a hologram of you. As part of the comfortable drop-in-drop-out system, your opponent receives exactly as many Learning Points as they correspond to your current character level and can freely distribute them among the attributes. Basically, you and your opponent are always equally strong, which is why the game balance doesn’t suffer or a severely underrated companion doesn’t die constantly like in “Diablo 3”. However, unlike you, the joining player does not carry any progress. So he cannot later continue the game alone from the point at which he left the game. Very understandable, but still not very tempting for the player taking part.
Two players, one inventory
The hologram approach also means sharing your own inventory with the player participating. The co-op partner cannot access a sword you have equipped or any other gear item until you release it, and vice versa. This also limits freedom, but promotes the need for collaboration, as you also need to coordinate equipment with your teammates. There are also some special tools in co-op, such as the Amplifier Shield. The carrier switches to the other player instead of the opponent. If the player with that shield is between you and the enemy, magic attacks are greatly boosted, quickly reducing even the boss’s TP bar.
As usual in co-op games, you also have the advantage of being able to revive each other. As long as both don’t go down in quick succession, you can even respawn independently at the final resting point and return to an ongoing boss fight without the boss being able to regenerate in the meantime. This doesn’t make “The Last Oricru” too easy, as you only get full hit points and the maximum amount of healing potions if they both die or rest voluntarily. If the game is too hard for you, no problem: “The Last Oricru” also offers an easier difficulty setting.
Short but with high replay value
If you’re one of those gamers who usually only play the game once and expect a lot of game time, “The Last Oricru” isn’t going to make you quite happy. According to the developer, a run should only take about 15 hours, although manufacturers tend to exaggerate rather than underestimate at this point. On the other hand, “The Last Oricru” carries a fairly high degree of non-linearity. This does not mean that you will enter completely different locations in the campaign. However, in the levels you can expect completely different enemy constellations, bosses or even a bridge defended by the Ratkins with slingshots. In this case, if you have to pass under it via secret paths, you may go directly over it in another passage. You will also meet other NPCs or sometimes have to deal with smaller jump passages similar to platforms. So after one round you haven’t seen everything yet.
Every decision has consequences
What exactly awaits you in the levels depends a lot on your decisions. Already in the prologue you can possibly screw up with all three factions (for now!). At a fortress in the first act, Naboru warriors and Ratkins then kill each other, sometimes making life even easier for you and your potential companion. But both sides are hostile to you, so they attack you too. Another example: later in the game, the Naboru Queen will instruct you to take out a Ratkin General if you are allied with her faction. As an ally of the Ratkins, you will only experience this fight in a cutscene and later you will have to fight against a strong Naboru warrior instead. However, your decisions don’t just lead to path A or B. There are a number of degrees and opportunities to get along better with one of the factions later on. A romance with the queen is even possible if you make the “right” decisions.
In short: “The Last Oricru” isn’t a beauty, nor is it perfect in other areas. We still have fun with the decision system and the battles. You should definitely give the action RPG a shot, especially if you have a teammate for split screen co-op.
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