At a recent wedding I attended, I witnessed a scene that many can likely relate to: an intoxicated guest stumbled to their feet to deliver an impromptu speech that lacked any real substance or purpose. They strung together a series of unrelated stories, clearly fulfilling an obligation rather than putting any thought into their words. This reminded me of Testament: The Order of High Human, a peculiar fantasy adventure that is riddled with poorly executed ideas. It feels as though someone who has never played a video game attempted to create their own version of Skyrim from memory. The story is convoluted and cliché, the combat is frustratingly repetitive, and there are numerous bugs that made it difficult to continue playing. These shortcomings were already disappointing after a few hours of gameplay, but over the course of the 40-hour campaign, they became downright agonizing.
One of the missed opportunities for Testament to stand out is its setting: a generic fantasy land called Tessara, complete with halflings, dragons, and characters who possess pyrokinesis. You play as Aran, an immortal god-king who has been overthrown by his deceitful brother. Despite the potentially intriguing premise, the story lacks any depth or background information. Aran’s fall from power is glossed over, removing any sense of urgency or emotional investment. It’s a baffling choice that leaves the player disconnected from the narrative. The game quickly devolves into a predictable revenge plot, where you must regain your strength and seek vengeance against those who betrayed you. I had hoped that there would be an interesting twist later on, but unfortunately, there was none. The game simply thrusts you into the action without providing any context or character development, which ultimately detracts from the overall experience.
As you journey through Tessara, you’ll encounter dialogue filled with tired clichés about light, darkness, truth, and other overused tropes. Skipping the dialogue isn’t an option, forcing you to endure lengthy monologues and unnecessary exposition. The game bombards you with a plethora of characters, history, and lore, but it all lacks substance and fails to enhance the gameplay. You’re constantly subjected to convoluted high-fantasy concepts that have no real impact on the events taking place on-screen. This results in an overwhelming amount of information that ultimately feels extraneous and unimportant to the main quest.
To compound these issues, Aran, the protagonist, possesses all-encompassing knowledge of Tessara, while the player knows little to nothing. Aran incessantly talks to himself, referencing past events that are presumably more interesting than the current quest for vengeance. The game relies heavily on exposition rather than allowing the player to experience the story firsthand. This storytelling approach is misguided and detracts from the immersion. Countless times, Aran would launch into lengthy backstories of minor characters or civilizations that had no real relevance to my quest. These info dumps felt like a waste of time and hindered the pacing of the game.
Furthermore, the characters in Testament lack charisma and gravitas. Aran’s voice acting is reminiscent of Tommy Wiseau from The Room, which either completely lacks emotion or comes across as bizarre in tone. The main antagonist delivers cringe-worthy monologues that inspire neither fear nor loathing. The lackluster performances further diminish the impact of the story.
The combat in Testament is the most excruciating aspect of the game. Armed with a sword, bow, and magic, you engage in repetitive battles against waves of enemies. The encounter design is frustratingly monotonous, with each battle feeling eerily similar to the last. You find yourself constantly dodging attacks and desperately trying to pick off enemies in the midst of chaotic mayhem. The combat occasionally poses a challenge but mostly tests your patience. There is no depth to the combat mechanics; it’s simply a matter of mindlessly spamming the attack button in hopes of defeating your foes.
The bow mechanics, while not original, become more significant as the game progresses. However, the limited supply of arrows and the overwhelming number of enemies often prevent you from taking precise aim. Getting hit interrupts your shots, adding to the frustration and forcing you back into mindless sword swinging.
The spells in Testament offer little surprise or innovation, with standard fireball attacks, healing abilities, and area-of-effect stun spells. The more powerful spells have lengthy casting times that aren’t worth the effort, particularly since the constant onslaught of attacks often disrupts your spellcasting.
As the game progresses, combat becomes increasingly aggravating. Shielded enemies with invisible eyeball guardians make battles even more infuriating. In order to defeat these enemies, you must enter a detective-like insight mode to target and reveal the hidden eyeball, then switch back to regular vision and shoot it with your bow. This mechanic is unnecessarily complex and disrupts the already chaotic combat. Additionally, “darkness zones” further exacerbate the frustration. These encounters involve a dark sky, a larger floating eyeball, and…
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Eugen Boglaru is an AI aficionado covering the fascinating and rapidly advancing field of Artificial Intelligence. From machine learning breakthroughs to ethical considerations, Eugen provides readers with a deep dive into the world of AI, demystifying complex concepts and exploring the transformative impact of intelligent technologies.
