Aveyond: The Lost Orb

Magical artifacts are the root of all evil in fantasy scenarios, since you only need to think about what mess the ring from Lord of the Rings caused and realize that maybe we are better off without such objects. On the other hand, the mind can’t help but wonder how would life change if simple items could hold immense power. Thankfully, we have movies and video games to answer that for us.

Aveyond: The Lost Orb is a 2D role-playing game with a top-down perspective and a pretty straightforward gameplay. The game doesn’t try to leave anyone in awe, since it features a rather basic story and no original mechanics whatsoever, but that doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy the experience from start to finish. In fact, it can be liberating to do something simple for a change.

Your role in the story is to help Mel, a girl who finds out that one of her ancestors passed down a powerful artifact to her. This artifact holds immense power, but it’s not the pleasant type. Obviously, Mel decides that she doesn’t need the item, but that still leaves the question of what happens if anyone else finds it. As such, you have to go on a journey to find the orb, only to destroy it and prevent an apocalypse.

Just like in every other RPG out there, your main tasks are to defeat enemies, solve quests and gain experience. This experience can then be used to improve your skills and get stronger, in order to cast more powerful spells and equip better weapons. Speaking of which, the loot is an important part of the gameplay as well, since you are always liable to get something shiny from the mobs you slaughter along the way.

The combat is nothing out of the ordinary either, since most enemies can be defeated with ease. You do have to employ the abilities of every party member in order to win some encounters. The visual quality is modest as best, especially in the age of Witcher 3 and similar examples. On the other hand, the 2D perspective might at least treat your nostalgia a little bit.

While Aveyond: The Lost Orb is mostly dedicated to casual audiences, that doesn’t mean hardcore RPG lovers cannot enjoy it as well. Sure, it’s simple in most regards and the story is almost dull, but there’s nothing like saving the world from evil one more time.