Massive Chalice
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Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Massive Chalice
Basically, the game asks a lot of you, and demands that you pay close attention to every decision you make. While that makes for a steep learning curve, requiring deep thought is hardly the worst sin a strategy game can commit. Slyly funny, satisfyingly deep and yet slick and simple to play, Massive Chalice is a huge return to form for a studio that is overdue a comeback.
Massive Chalice's aggressive tactical combat would be stronger without so many opportunities to lose due to bad luck.
Double Fine's Massive Chalice takes XCOM's DNA in a fresh direction, but doesn't exceed it.
A strategy role-player that is filled with clever ideas and inspires great empathy with your characters, even if the battle system is a few steps behind XCOM.
A strategic experiment in eugenics that could benefit from more attention to the fine details
Massive Chalice can create hilarious moments of eugenics disasters, but other elements leave a lot to be desired.
Massive Chalice's generational loop makes for a strong core, and elements like the hybrid classes lend it some much-needed depth. However, it doesn't do a great job of tracking the history of your heroes, and it's ultimately lacking in elements like diverse character art and base classes. Still, there's the foundation for a phenomenal strategy game here if Double Fine is willing to build on it. As it is, though, it makes for a diverting few hours, and a welcome change of pace from XCOM.