Alaloth Champions of the Four Kingdoms Review – New take on classic CRPGs

Alaloth - Champions of the Four Kingdoms is a new and interesting take on classic CRPGs. You get to be a Champion in the world of Plamen, responsible for freeing it from the clutches of "Alaloth the Great Betrayer". The storyline is aligned with most RPGs, with a final boss in the end, similar to Diablo and Souls.

The opening intro does a great job of setting the tone. It provides ample lore about Alaloth’s rise and the impending doom that looms over the Four Kingdoms. For those who love story-rich environments, this will hook you early on and keep you invested in the fate of the land. As someone who enjoys diving deep into world-building, I found the narrative quite well-developed, even though the plot sometimes felt predictable.

Intuitive game modes but obtuse combat mechanics

The game mode selection offered two completely distinct gameplay experiences. The Solo Campaign is the ideal choice for most because it is more laid-back and provides the much-needed time to actually get the hang of things.

However, if you’re after a real challenge, I would say the Competitive Campaign has a much more intense experience, throwing you into a rush against three other AI champions. The AI seemed decently smart and can become a challenge to defeat if you leave it unnoticed for too long.

However, not everything about Alaloth is smooth sailing. The combat mechanics, for one, felt quite overwhelming. The mechanics feel more complex than they need to be, especially for someone like me who’s more used to straightforward combat.

It took me over an hour to feel comfortable with the keyboard controls, and I had to put in even more time to adjust to the controller. Neither option felt particularly easy, which might frustrate players used to much simpler combat systems in most RPGs.

A sea of customizations and replayability

That said, Alaloth’s true strength lies in its customization options, particularly regarding character progression and class building. Alaloth features a wide range of class customization, skills, and equipment that you can change to fit your playstyle. Similar to what you’d experience in Baldur’s Gate, there is no single class build; rather, you can mix and match your favorite skills to create a completely hybrid ‘class’.

From my time playing, it seemed clear that the developers poured a lot of thought into these systems. There are so many combinations of skills and gear that no two playthrough experiences will likely feel the same.

There's a lot of room for experimentation in Alaloth, with the potential for countless “best builds” to be discovered, depending on how you like to play. I even felt the low rarity equipment was meaningful because the modifiers made the same item feel entirely different depending on the attributes and bonuses they had.

Lots of NPCs, Quests, and Exploration

The Companion system is another interesting feature. You get to recruit various NPCs to tag along on your adventure and, more importantly, support you in combat. But there’s a twist: your companion must align with your character’s moral nature. So, if you’re playing a good-aligned character, you’ll be limited to recruiting good-aligned companions, which did feel restrictive.

I found myself wishing there were more options for mixing good and evil companions. The potential for some interesting NPC interactions could have added a deeper layer to the game. Hopefully, the developers will explore this in future updates.

But of course, no Souls-inspired game is complete without challenging combat, and Alaloth’s PvE experience delivers in this department. At first, the fights did feel like an uphill battle, especially without companions and still lacking decent gear. The early levels are brutal, but I guess that’s part of the allure. Over time, things most definitely get better. Once you get the hang of things, it suddenly becomes more captivating.

There’s no shortage of things to do with many side quests and even some interesting plots. For players who love a good RPG experience and explore every inch of a map, there are almost endless things for you to discover, making Alaloth incredibly engaging over time. I’ve spent a fair amount of time in the game, and I still feel like I’m just scratching the surface of what’s possible with all the different gear and skill combinations.

Final Verdict - Experience worth investing in

Overall, for fans of RPGs who enjoy complex character builds, deep lore, and challenging gameplay, Alaloth - Champions of the Four Kingdoms is an experience worth investing in. Not only will it attract your attention, but also, at times, your patience. But those willing to put in the time will be rewarded with a worthwhile experience.