Game:

Forge (2012)

Category:

Review

Duration: 59:39

2,699 views

21

I'm playing Lantern Forge, a sandbox survival game by Hearthfire Studios. A procedurally-generated map can be explored for resources and enemies; experience gained over time (especially through combat) can be used to upgrade character stats and earn new abilities. The control scheme relies on left-clicking for both movement and interaction, a very clumsy and inefficient method. Movement also brings about pathfinding issues, with the character becoming stuck on objects if the waypoint is positioned in most locations. Tools also don’t last for very long, requiring constant re-crafting of items, and it’s difficult to find key ingredients in the game world. The crafting grid does show possible items based on things in the inventory, which is handy. Eating food and sleeping is required to keep the character in tip-top shape. Homes, farms, and animals can also be managed. The game also features a very minor penalty for death. An incredibly awkward control scheme, pathfinding issues, tool limitations, and specific crafting requirements limit the potential of Lantern Forge.