YAR: Forgotten Throne is an open-world RPG that takes inspiration from classic European role-playing adventures, particularly the Gothic series. Set in the fantasy land of Borea, the game puts players in the shoes of an adventurer who arrives by boat and gradually becomes involved in a much larger conflict involving a mysterious corruption spreading through the forests and wildlife. Developed and published by Honor Games, this PlayStation 5 release aims to recapture the appeal of old-school RPGs, where exploration, experimentation and character progression take precedence over streamlined modern conveniences. There is certainly plenty of ambition here, but whether its considerable collection of ideas translates into an enjoyable adventure is another matter.
The opening hours establish the game’s rather unforgiving approach. After arriving on the shores of Borea, players are largely left to their own devices, with conversations with the locals gradually revealing the main objectives and opportunities for additional quests. There is no particularly strong narrative hook to pull players into the adventure immediately, and the initial assignments are fairly ordinary tasks involving everything from clearing out troublesome creatures to helping villagers with everyday problems. Eventually, the larger mystery surrounding the spreading darkness becomes more prominent, while the presence of two competing factions introduces some additional narrative choices. Unfortunately, the storytelling remains relatively straightforward, and the characters and dialogue do not always make a particularly strong impression. The English voice acting can also feel rather theatrical, occasionally clashing with the atmosphere the game is trying to establish. Nevertheless, the Slavic-inspired setting provides a welcome alternative to more familiar fantasy worlds, and there is something appealing about gradually discovering its inhabitants, creatures and legends.
One of the game’s strongest aspects is the amount of freedom it offers when developing a character. Players can choose between three different classes: Warrior, Archer and Volkhv, the latter being a magic-focused path. Each offers a different approach to combat, while attributes, active abilities and passive skills provide further opportunities to shape a preferred playstyle. There is a considerable amount of content to work through, with more than 100 quests spread across three major settlements and several different biomes. Exploration is rewarded with hidden locations, resources and secrets, while the quest design occasionally goes beyond simply defeating enemies or collecting objects. Helping villagers with their problems, tracking down missing items and dealing with troublesome wildlife all contribute to the feeling of inhabiting a world with its own everyday concerns. The downside is that the sheer volume of activities does not always translate into equally compelling content, and the early missions can become somewhat repetitive. Still, players who enjoy taking their time and gradually getting acquainted with an unfamiliar world should find plenty to occupy themselves with.
Combat is where YAR: Forgotten Throne’s old-school ambitions become particularly apparent, although not always for the right reasons. Encounters can be surprisingly difficult, especially during the opening hours, when even relatively ordinary creatures can pose a serious threat. Learning when to block, attack or retreat is essential, and rushing into fights without adequate preparation can quickly lead to defeat. This makes character progression and equipment upgrades feel meaningful, as acquiring a better weapon, improving armor or unlocking a useful ability can noticeably improve the chances of survival. Warriors can develop defensive and counterattacking techniques, while archers benefit from different arrow types and ranged attacks. Magic provides another approach to dealing with enemies, and experimenting with the available abilities can eventually make combat more manageable. Unfortunately, the difficulty is not always the result of well-designed encounters. Stiff animations, inconsistent hit detection and awkward timing can make certain fights frustrating for reasons that have little to do with player skill. Fighting several enemies simultaneously is particularly problematic, and the combat system lacks the responsiveness needed to make these encounters consistently satisfying.
There is considerably more to the gameplay than fighting monsters, however. Crafting and resource management play an important role throughout the adventure, with systems covering alchemy, cooking, blacksmithing, enchanting, fishing and jewelry making. Collecting materials and gradually learning how to turn them into useful equipment or consumables provides a welcome incentive to explore, while the satisfaction of finally crafting a better weapon or piece of armor can make a tangible difference to progression. The game also offers several difficulty settings, ranging from a more story-oriented experience to a hardcore option with limited saving. This flexibility is appreciated, particularly given how punishing the early encounters can be. Unfortunately, the crafting systems are not always particularly intuitive, and the game could do a much better job of explaining its various mechanics. Some experimentation is required to understand how everything fits together, and players may occasionally find themselves struggling with the interface rather than the actual challenges of the adventure.
The interface and controls are among the more noticeable weaknesses of the PlayStation 5 version. Although the basic controls are reasonably straightforward, movement can feel stiff and less responsive than expected, while jumping has an unusually floaty quality. The menu system is another source of frustration, particularly when managing equipment, crafting items or navigating the various character options. Instead of feeling properly adapted to a controller, several menus rely on a cursor that must be manually moved around the screen to select individual options. This makes even relatively simple tasks more cumbersome than necessary, especially when frequently switching weapons or accessing different crafting screens. The weapon wheel is a useful idea, but changing equipment does not always feel as smooth as it should. Navigation also takes some getting used to, as the game relies on a more traditional approach to exploration rather than constantly displaying an on-screen map. Learning the layout of the world is part of the intended experience, which will appeal to fans of older RPGs, although the lack of convenient navigation options can become an unnecessary inconvenience when trying to locate specific quest objectives.
Visually, YAR: Forgotten Throne is a reasonably attractive game considering its modest production values. It does not attempt to compete with the technical spectacle of contemporary big-budget open-world adventures, instead relying on a more straightforward but distinctive presentation. The different environments have enough character to make exploration worthwhile, and there are some appealing views to discover throughout Borea. Its simplified graphics also contribute to the game’s somewhat nostalgic identity, although visual juddering and occasional slowdowns can detract from the experience. The animations are less convincing, particularly during combat, where their stiffness becomes much more noticeable. The soundtrack fares better, providing an atmospheric orchestral accompaniment that complements the fantasy setting and helps establish a suitable sense of adventure. Voice acting is considerably more inconsistent, with performances that can feel exaggerated and occasional issues with dialogue presentation and localization. It is a presentation with some genuine charm, but one that could have benefited from additional polish.
YAR: Forgotten Throne is a somewhat rough but occasionally rewarding throwback to an earlier generation of open-world RPGs. Its Slavic-inspired setting, extensive crafting options, substantial quest count and character progression systems provide a solid foundation for an adventure that encourages patience and experimentation. There is a certain satisfaction in starting out as a relatively inexperienced adventurer and gradually becoming better equipped to deal with the dangers of Borea. However, the uninspiring opening narrative, awkward controls, cumbersome menus and inconsistent combat prevent the experience from reaching its full potential. Some of its rough edges might even be considered part of its old-school identity, but there is a difference between deliberately demanding game design and mechanics that simply do not work as smoothly as they should. Fans of Gothic-style RPGs may find enough here to appreciate, particularly if they enjoy exploring without constant guidance and don’t mind a fair amount of frustration along the way. For everyone else, YAR: Forgotten Throne is a difficult adventure to recommend without reservations.
Score: 6.7/10