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Slavic Magic’s Manor Lords has been in the works for years now. Countless demos, alphas, and betas have been drip-fed to fans in that time, but the recent early access period has been the most popular time for the title. In that time, it topped Steam’s Most Wishlisted, breaking records along the way, and only an hour after launch it’s now topping the bestsellers list, alongside hitting 100,000 players only moments ago.
You’ve probably also heard everyone mention how it’s been developed by a single programmer, which should lay out a pretty obvious set of expectations. There’s a pretty rigid limit to the capabilities of a single developer, especially in a game with as many moving cogs as this. It’s also in Early Access still, and will be for the foreseeable future too.
So, seeing people saying things like this sort of makes me confused.
Add this on to the many negative reviews on the Steam page already, and it makes you really question whether people grasp the concept of Early Access.
The above screenshot proves a point; Steam reviews shouldn’t be allowed unless you have at least played the game for an hour. At least one of the reviewers has taken the time to play it for 15, and their review is at least constructive – acknowledging that it’s an Early Access title with a pretty limited scope so far.
Our Manor Lords review praises the game’s mechanics, feel, and its potential, but also remembers that it’s an Early Access title. Don’t get your hopes up; this is a game far from completion. Its price, roughly £25 in the UK, is currently discounted, and I think it fairly reflects the cost of a game this far from completion. If you do end up buying it now, you will enjoy the first ten hours or so, but remember that you’re not buying a game marketed as a finished product, but an Early Access taster of what’s yet to come.
Tuck in for the ride, play your fair share, just remember to visit this game when it’s fully released, and cast your final judgement then.
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