I approached Goblin Slayer -Another Adventurer- Nightmare Feast as a seasoned fan of tactical RPGs rather than someone familiar with the original light novel and its adaptations. From that perspective, the game does an adequate job, but I can’t help but wonder if my enjoyment would have been greater had I been a fan of the series it’s based on.
That said, diving into this game doesn’t necessitate prior knowledge of Goblin Slayer. I got through it without much fuss, although I never developed a connection with any characters despite the developers’ clear intentions to engage players with them.
When you first start Goblin Slayer -Another Adventurer- Nightmare Feast, be prepared for a heavy dose of text. A significant portion of time is dedicated to setting the stage: a young woman takes over her late father’s position as the master of a local adventurer’s guild. Veteran gamers will recognize the drill: recruit members, take on missions, and inevitably get caught up in a larger narrative that becomes your story arc.
Here’s the thing: Developers have a myriad of strategies to keep familiar game paths interesting, especially in tactical RPGs, where character development and gameplay mechanics often take the spotlight. In this game, both aspects are decent. With Kumo Kagyu, the series creator, crafting the script, the timing of new character introductions feels spot-on, making the process of meeting and leveraging new guild members quite enjoyable. Fans of the series will appreciate the blend of new faces and familiar personalities.
However, this is a double-edged sword. Although having a diverse set of characters is a plus, many receive more screen time than necessary. Often, the intervals between levels stretch too long, leading you to spend as much time reading as actually playing. The characters are well-voiced (in Japanese), yet I frequently felt the urge to skip through their antics and jump straight into the action—especially in those early stages before the storyline picks up steam.
The excitement truly lies within the danger and combat phases of the game, which unfold over an isometric grid typical of this genre. Veterans will find it easy to acclimate.
A unique feature worth mentioning is the ability to customize how your controller’s D-pad navigates the X-shaped character movement. This was a first for me, and while I appreciated having the option, I ultimately stuck with the default setting.
In battles, you’ll move across the grid to execute actions, and terrain advantages are yours to exploit. It’s crucial not to overextend your characters, making them susceptible to enemy clusters. Although you can display enemy ranges on the grid, the feature only accounts for basic attacks, not any special skills. This means you’ll need to review or remember enemy abilities when positioning your characters, which can slow down gameplay.
Dispatching foes largely requires a balanced application of attacks, magic, item usage, and strategic buffs and debuffs. Laying traps before a battle is also an option, adding another layer of strategy. They’re tricky but immensely satisfying when successful. If you’re the type who restarts a level because your plan didn’t go as intended, let’s just say we’d probably find common ground on Bluesky.
Progressing further into the game opens up more missions, bringing items and rewards to bolster your guild and skills. There’s a decent variety of unit types to draw upon, yet I found myself sticking with the characters I personally liked—irrespective of their skill sets. Not exactly a brilliant strategy, but it speaks to my gaming style—one that’s uninterested in anthropomorphic companions. Thankfully, the difficulty is balanced well enough to accommodate some subpar decisions, provided you’re attentive to optional missions.
Despite its charm, certain gameplay choices did hinder the experience. For example, areas are so vast that multiple turns are needed merely to engage enemies.
This becomes a chore when maneuvering as many as 10 characters across the field. Additionally, enemies tend to be much stronger than your team, requiring careful planning and isolation tactics. Such strategies are valid but make any misstep costly, particularly in the early stages when resources and skills are limited.
Yet, Goblin Slayer -Another Adventurer- Nightmare Feast manages to keep strategy RPG enthusiasts invested. The visual presentation is appealing, particularly the character art by original series artist Noboru Kannatsuki.
The music complements the game well, supporting a story that, while slow-moving at times, isn’t off-putting or childishly dull as is often the case with games of this genre. It even ventures into risqué territory now and then, which aligns with the source material’s tone. While it didn’t convert me into a fan of the original series, it kept my attention until the next tactical RPG catches my eye.
