Eager to try my hand at something outside of my usual realm, I caught wind of what is self-described as  "Minimalistic Skyrim + West of Loathing + Supraland". Toss all that in a pickle jar, shake it up, and you're left with The RPG: A game that takes ...well. Nothing all too seriously. Developed by Dionysus Acroreites, this looks to be the first title they've put out. And honestly, a fairly entertaining one, at that! With a bright and colorful pallete, as well as a very cartoonish visual style, its a unique and memorable (though somewhat short) game- though that isn't to say it's not without it's quirks.

The tone of the game really is set....from the get-go.

The RPG relies on a few factors to make itself work. Comedy, simplification, ease of grinding, and troupes. For the most part, these things are all done reasonably well. You will easily find more than one reference to well known video games within the time you spend sauntering across the island. Jabs at Skyrim are all-too-abundant in your quest to (slay?) the Evil Glitchy Dragon. Or... hmn... maybe you may want to reconsider? Choices all have consequences... maybe mill it over. The game-play loop is really quite simple. Explore, grind for loot (which in turn you trade in for gold), upgrade your gear (consisting of a melee, ranged and armor... but for the love of Talos PLEASE don't ask about a bow) and grind your way farther down into the dungeon - revealing the story as you go. Also, don't ignore the Village and the inhabitant of the Island- you'll find plenty of quests to help break up the monotony.

Yeah, it's who you think it is. No, you cannot. Together. FOREVER.

Unfortunately, some of the grinding within the loop can feel far too much, as well as some of the directive of the game. Quests are generally quick and easy to follow, though some can feel very floundery, leaving you talking to multiple people before you figure out where it really is you were supposed to go, or what you were supposed to do. The initial quest of getting your pardon papers was horribly easy to overlook until around level 15, and only when I finally figured out where to find the pardon papers for someone else. Embarrassingly, they were right in front of my nose close to the entire time- but where they were exactly (supposedly IN the castle... which you can't enter) was more confusing than it should have been.

While many Elder Scrolls titles seemed to be much of the inspiration, you'll find other sources, as well.

That was a massive letdown to be sure. This is a very simplistically styled game, and for that, I'd hope to have a bit more detail in SOME areas. You can roam freely about the island, but the only real places to enter, will be in the village. Most of the homes follow the exact same layout. That being said, being unable (at least at THIS time) to enter the castle left a fairly bad taste in my mouth, and felt like a huge missed opportunity. However, as of the writing of this article, The RPG hasn't released yet, and there may yet be a patch prior to launch - or some changed may be made later down the line.

You really can't blame the guy. He's been around for a VERY long time.

While I found this a very fun and enjoyable title, I noticed a few things. As it stands, the comedy is amusing, but it isn't strong enough in my own opinion to carry across the amount of grinding you need to do. The Loot-to-Gold ratio is slightly painful (and for reasons I will explain further, I wasn't able to get Bandit Exchange Prices) and with upgrades being a large drive, it can feel somewhat drawn out. A lack of repeatable dialogue can get stale but it fairly easily overlooked, nearly as much as the music. I wish there was more there, but I think the score was one of the weaker points in the game. Despite some of these flaws, he concept is exceptionally well done with some very solid comedic nuance, and easy to comprehend mechanics and upgrades (both bought and earned through leveling).

Making your way through dungeons will often reward you with Shouts.... er. I mean... Screams.

However, there are still some definite kinks to work out, as it can be relatively easy to get soft locked, at least in the Band Cave specifically. I was quite prepared to work my way through the entirety of the game (after investing around 10+ hour as it were) but was devastated to find out that my propensity to touch, kill, and mess with things prior to talking can really get you in trouble. I found that since I killed quite a few monsters in the cave, as well as cleaned out what was apparently the bandits toilet, as well as open the door to the prisoners cells, there wasn't much I could do. Eventually I was told to come back later, however, upon doing so when the MAIN story required it, I was met with hostility, and no way to progress the story further. I feel like this was entirely a soft lock that was missed or easily overlooked. After completing every other side quest I could, talking to everyone I could, and even slow-mo-jumping across the collapsed bridge and falling through the world, there wasn't much I could find to help me  progress along. That being said, I had to hang up my sledge, drop off my loot, and retire shortly thereafter.

Alas, my time in The RPG came to a sadly abrupt halt... at the hands of the Notorious Glitch Dragon Himself. At least for the time being.

Ultimately The RPG is a fun, lighthearted adventure that is easy to sink into, and just loose yourself in. Letting my brain turn off, enjoy the goofy humor, and auto-pilot in hack and slash fun, despite some of the grindiness was highly enjoyable, and I loved the time I spent in it. Every game has some minor shortcomings, and this one has some as well. They're absolutely not game-killers, and are easily overlookable for this silly RPG adventure. Perfect? No. And while needing some definite adjustments, I think if the price point lands right, this could be and easy purchase for many. Hopefully some of the more unstable bits can get addressed prior to launch (The Glitch Dragon did a number!), but overall it is at least worth trying your hand at the Demo to see if it tickles your fancy.

The RPG will be available on the Steam Marketplace, starting on August 7th, 2025. As of the writing of this article, no price was listed.