If you like dungeons, H.P. Lovecraft style monsters and stealth, then you might like “Eldritch.” Purchased through the well-known computer gaming client Steam, “Eldritch” is only $15.00. Luckily I was able to take advantage of Steam’s random daily deals and purchase it at a measly $2.49. Quite honestly, I don’t think it’s worth its original price, but hey, that’s Steam’s decision.

This game offers a very specific style of gameplay; and I mean very specific. The entire purpose is to go through dungeons and get magical items that unlock the next series of dungeons…and then do that again…and again…until you finally beat the game. Within these dungeons are various monsters that you can either sneak by or attempt to kill with various weapons that you find lying around. Most monsters can be outrun, which kind of defeats the purpose of sneaking. Along with grabbing weapons lying around, you can also find super spooky shrines of the Old Gods, which grant magical powers once prayed to. As far as I’ve seen, these powers offer no offensive capabilities and instead are used to maneuver around the dungeon with either greater speed or invisibility.

So it boils down to a very simple game; sneak, or run like a moron and still win. The game wants you to be a stealthy player, but why bother with a mediocre stealth system when running works just as well, if not better? I understand what the game makers were trying to do, and I respect them for it, but the game needs to be fine tuned before it can be considered a stand out indie title.

Overall, I did enjoy playing it for a bit. I definitely wouldn’t pay $15.00 for it, but it was still enjoyable. The controls where sharp and responsive and the heavily text based story wasn’t bad.

I’d have to give this game a 6/10. Not bad, but not great.