Welcome to our review of Yaga, the one handed man haunted by bad luck. Out now on Nintendo Switch.
The Role-playing Folktale!
Smash, clobber and bash the murderous legends of Slavic mythology in this darkly funny action role-playing game that changes every time you play. Play as Ivan, a one-handed blacksmith with incredibly bad luck, who must take on the impossible tasks given to him by the tzar. All the while the mysterious witch, Baba Yaga, watches over Ivan’s fate.
The world of Yaga is a world steeped in Slavic folklore and ancient Pagan beliefs. Featuring a head-bobbing Romanian hip-hop soundtrack from Subcarpați and striking, hand-drawn 2D artwork. Yaga is an authentic love letter to childhood fables from Romanian indie developer, Breadcrumbs Interactive.
Bludgeon the ancient monsters of Slavic folklore using a vast arsenal of hammers and tools forged by Ivan’s own hands. Your actions change Ivan’s story, his reputation, and the upgrades he can choose. Experiment in the deep forging system to make weapons like teleporting lightning hammers and hookshot pitchforks.
Explore the combinations of talismans, magic items, blessings, perks, and curses to fundamentally change how Ivan plays. Multiple endings, multiple ways of solving encounters, procedural map, lots of characters to encounter, and hidden secrets mean Yaga is meant to be played over and over again. Oh and Ivan’s grandma just wants him to find a wife. Don’t disappoint her!
Yaga as a game is quite deep. A lot of stuff is going on and keeps you very occupied. The RPG elements on top of the basic fighting, it all adds up to a fun game. Let us start from the beginning when you finally go out there. You are given a clear path to follow and everything you do is guided. I love that aspect of the game.
Fighting is quite straightforward, enemies become increasingly harder and not impossible to beat. I did the rolling attack most of the time, but that is mostly because I like to avoid damage. I tend to hoard my healing items.
In my first playthrough, I was moving towards the given duties, mainly get presents for Baba Yaga. I had to find a missing brother, get a sweaty rag, get a human bone, …. Never a dull moment, because in between fighting, I was harvesting items needed for more and better weapons. Deciding whether or not to upgrade my anvil was another decision I had to make…
Yaga is a fun game but can at times feel a little repetitive. The fighting, while fun, always gives off the same feeling. The levels if we can call them that, are fun to explore though and nothing beats getting a ton of new items.
Yaga also has some downsides to its overall fun gameplay. I did feel the fighting became bland at times, the rolling mechanic appears to be the quickest way to move around and I was constantly hitting the button. Really minor annoyances but they occurred too often to really ignore.
Storywise, you know what you are getting when the description of the game mentions multiple endings. Even if I were to spoil an ending, it would not necessarily mean you are getting that same one. Yaga might appeal to more gamers than you’d expect. It is a fun game to play and easy to get into.
In conclusion, Yaga is a game about a man without a hand. A story about a lot of adventure and battling. It is fun to play and quite fresh.
