Age of Reforging: The Freelands

Age of Reforging: The Freelands is a deep, ambitious CRPG blending elements from classics like Kenshi, Baldur's Gate, and Bannerlord, offering a rich sandbox experience with complex party management, class builds, and an expansive world to explore. Players appreciate the game's depth, freedom, and the passion evident in its design, with many investing hundreds of hours into its evolving content. However, the game is currently marred by numerous critical bugs, including save corruption, duplicated enemies, and quest-blocking glitches, which severely hamper progression and enjoyment. The early game is notably difficult and grind-heavy, with a steep learning curve and some unpolished mechanics and UI issues. Despite these drawbacks, the developer's active engagement and ongoing updates provide hope for future improvements. The game offers a promising foundation but requires significant refinement and bug fixes before it can fully realize its potential and appeal to a broader audience.

Highlights

Players praise Age of Reforging's intricate gameplay mechanics, including flexible party and squad management, varied class builds, and engaging combat reminiscent of Kenshi and classic CRPGs. The expansive open world and sandbox elements provide rewarding exploration and replayability. The game's graphics and third-person view have been positively noted for their style and immersion. The storyline and setting, while not top-tier, offer a solid backdrop that complements the gameplay. The developer's passion and responsiveness to community feedback are also highlighted as positive aspects, fostering hope for the game's growth and polish over time.

Criticisms

Common criticisms focus heavily on the game's numerous bugs and technical issues, such as corrupted saves, duplicated NPCs and enemies, stuck questlines, and UI problems like unreadably small fonts without scaling options. The early game is particularly punishing due to a steep difficulty curve, tedious grinding for money and skills, and frustrating injuries. Players also mention inconsistent controls, awkward camera behavior, and a lack of mod support. Some narrative and dialogue elements feel clunky or underdeveloped, and the pacing in the initial hours may discourage many players. Performance optimization and localization quality need improvement. Until these issues are addressed, many find the game frustrating and sometimes unplayable.