Frontier Paladin
- TheAwakening
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Overview
Frontier Paladin is an isometric hack and slash with a small mix of tower defense. As a fresh new paladin, you have sworn to cleanse the land of all evil in the name of the empire. Combining the set of skills of the paladin, the game also throws in a tower defense segment during quests where you can set up traps, turrets, and barricades. In the main segment, you must explore the land and clash with the forces of evil and a final boss of the region while also upgrading yourself.
Gameplay
Beginning in the tutorial (that your grandmaster has prepared), the game shows all the controls and your skills, which have a good area of effect damage. You can also dash n’ dodge and block/parry, both with their own counters. Your ranged attack is a crossbow installed in your bracer (with limited bolts), which can be charged and released for more damage. Healing is scarce as you only have a flask with limited charges that can only be recharged at a shrine. Further abilities can be unlocked as you gain experience.
Your first duty is to find the source of demonic activity in the swamps and help any soldier or prisoner to extract them from any danger. The area is open so you can explore at your own leisure, but in order to follow the story, quests must be done first. Enemies come in groups with melee and spellcasters alike, but they don’t pose a threat for a paladin, as your attacks can effectively hit multiple opponents. Bigger foes have stronger attacks that cannot be parried, and they must be dealt with fast. After any fight mobs might drop gear or resources, such as bolts for your crossbow.
Helping NPCs in danger comes into playing the tower defense part of the game. You have a minute to set defenses up before the monsters assault. A limited amount of ground traps, barricades, and turrets can be set between the target to protect and the field. It takes its own pool of resources that you can find in the level to create the structures; those resources are partially returned after the battle. The game will show the path the enemies will charge in waves. The barricades will only hold the enemy back for a couple of seconds; it is you who must deal with them and keep the ally safe.
The land is a bit scarce of resources and secrets to find, where the forces of evil are always wandering nearby in groups. Since upgrading your gear often comes with exploring the entirety of the level, it is recommended, for it will make the game easier. There are optional secrets to find that have unique rewards in gear. Other points of interest are the shrines that will recharge your flask for healing (interaction with the shrine won’t respawn enemies). Lore about the empire can be found scattered across the land, some mentioning the paladins and others detailing past events. All these points are marked down in your map for reference.
To complete the level, one must finish all quests to reach the final boss. Your gear and resourcefulness will be tested; if you are kitted enough, the fight should be a lot easier, but don’t underestimate them. Once the boss is defeated, you will return to the paladin’s bastion to restock and plan your next quest. The tower defense segment will get more complex with newer options to gather resources and more structures to install. Don’t forget to upgrade yourself by spending skill points on the right abilities, which can modify some abilities or replace those with new attack patterns.
Audio & Graphics
The game runs well with its set of graphics on low, and even then it looks fine from the isometric point of view. The music is okay, and it fits wherever I go. The grid control of the tower defense segment is also okay to control, but sometimes it gets a bit imprecise and doesn’t respond to my inputs.
Pros & Cons
Pros-
Good mix of hack n’ slash & tower defense.
Good optimization.
Exploring is rewarding as it should be.
Cons-
Some quests get a bit confusing as to where to go or what to do.
The turrets are very weak (if the intention is that of the paladin to do the combat and the constructions to delay and distract).
Rating: 7/10
For the Emperor! (Wait, which one?)
