Tainted Grail: The Fall Of Avalon PC Review
Summary: Taking the Arthurian legend in a new direction and immersing players in the world of Avalon, Tainted Grail: The Fall Of Avalon is a game you can get lost in.
4.9
Arthurian Adventures
There are many legends from Anglo-Saxon culture, but the legend of King Arthur is certainly one of the most popular. Most people are at least familiar with the idea of “pulling the sword from the stone,” but the legend runs much deeper than that. Tainted Grail: The Fall Of Avalon doesn’t bother with the origin story; instead, it imagines what the world of Avalon would be like after King Arthur has left the picture.
Set 600 years after King Arthur’s fall, Tainted Grail: The Fall Of Avalon places you in a world that seems to be collapsing, stuck in “an everlasting autumn.” Something isn’t quite right in the lands of Avalon. A sickness is spreading, and at night, a chaotic primordial force known as the Wyrdness descends, altering reality and increasing the dangers that lurk in the landscape.
Your journey begins, as many RPG stories do, in a prison cell. A stranger releases you and tells you to meet them a little further on. Here you have your first choice: do you simply go and meet your would-be savior, or do you explore? Naturally, you explore! In all seriousness, this is indeed where the world starts to open up, even as you are still confined to the jail. Exploring rooms and notes begins to provide some context for what is going on. You get your first taste of the game’s crafting—just some of it, as much more is to be experienced as you gain access to more equipment and items.
The fact that Tainted Grail: The Fall Of Avalon can already make the game world seem immense while you are still confined to a relatively small building is a testament to its storytelling. Uncovering charts about prisoners/patients, research notes, books, and so on starts to answer some questions about what’s happening, but it also poses new questions and provides a drive to delve deeper into this world.
Visually, the game is quite impressive. From the dingy dungeons to the sprawling landscapes, the impressive and imposing buildings to the awe-inspiring statues, a lot of work has gone into creating a large, living world.
It’s easy to see why people might compare the gameplay to Morrowind, Skyrim, Fallout, and similar titles. It’s a massive open world where you can encounter many NPCs who may provide side quests. You have the ability to improve at different tasks simply by doing the activity related to them—for example, improve your sneaking skill by sneaking. You can craft food (either via recipes or by combining ingredients and hoping you chance upon a recipe), potions, and weapons. You can fight up close or at range with weapons or spells. It’s a world you can lose yourself in. You can spend hours trying to complete all the quests you find, or you can keep your focus on the main quest and still enjoy the sense of a living world around you.
Final Thoughts?
I’m always keen to dive into an RPG, and open-world RPGs provide a satisfying level of freedom. However, if the storytelling isn’t there, interest can fade quickly. Tainted Grail: The Fall Of Avalon doesn’t just hold that interest; it keeps piquing it. When you build your world upon an established legend, it can be tempting to let the existing elements do all the heavy lifting. Here, that legend is simply the starting point and helps color the world, but the new lore is what truly brings it to life! If you are a fan of the Arthurian legend, you might well enjoy this furthering of the stories. If you enjoy open-world RPG games, then definitely grab a copy!
About the Author
Chris O'Connor Father of four, husband of one and all round oddity. Gaming at home since about 1982 with a Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Moving on to the more traditional PC genre in the years that followed with the classic Jump Joe and Alley Cat. CGA, EGA, VGA and beyond PC's have been central to my gaming but I've also enjoyed consoles and hand helds along the way (who remembers the Atari Lynx?). Would have been actor/film maker, jack of many trades master of none.
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