Medieval Dynasty Review (STLRonin 浪人)
Boring Game Loop
The game's core loop is quite simple: Grind -> Sell something -> Spend on decorations -> Repeat. Players are forced to gather resources, sell the products, and use the earned money on decorations. However, this loop is so monotonous that it doesn’t give players a satisfying sense of progress. Decorations are presented as the only meaningful way to spend money in the game, but unfortunately, these decorations do not change the overall course of the game. As a result, after all the effort, receiving only aesthetic rewards makes the game lose its meaning.
Lack of Purpose
While the game promises to offer deep strategy or management mechanics, it fails to provide players with a real goal. Growing the village, managing resources, and keeping the villagers happy may seem interesting at first. However, as the game progresses, these tasks turn into nothing more than chores. The lack of combat, exploration, or a broader narrative prevents the player from immersing themselves in the game world. In other words, there is no real objective in the game.
Unsatisfying Rewards
As players advance, the only reward they receive is money, and the only thing they can do with that money is buy decorations. However, these decorations don’t contribute to the game’s core loop or mechanics. After playing for a few hours, you realize that all the effort you put in doesn’t lead to any real progress, making the game incredibly unsatisfying. The reward system focuses on visual changes rather than offering new options to the player, making the time spent feel like a waste.
Lack of Depth
In a medieval-themed game, players would expect to manage various elements like strategy, combat, trade, or exploration. However, in this game, you are limited to village management alone. The lack of a combat mechanic is one of the biggest shortcomings. Simply building and decorating a village becomes an empty and meaningless effort after a while. The time invested should have been rewarded with more meaningful content. Elements like combat or fighting enemies could have added depth and excitement to the game.
Conclusion: Repetitive and Empty Experience
Unfortunately, this game fails to go beyond its theme and visuals. Its grind-based loop doesn’t create a sense of progression, and the in-game rewards lack meaning, causing the player to lose interest over time. When managing a village doesn’t offer meaningful progress, the game just feels like a waste of time. Without the addition of new mechanics or deeper strategic elements like combat, this game is destined to remain empty and boring.