There are an abundance of VR that allow you to wield a sword and shield, magic and more. This type of physical gameplay is ideally suited to VR. But not all fantasy adventures are created equal. MetalCat Studio has entered the fray with its dark fantasy RPG Grimlord, and as 131XR’s review discovers, it comes close to a souls-like experience.
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The power of a Dark Soul
Like most games of this ilk, Grimlord puts you in the shoes of an unnamed adventurer. Tasked with ridding the cursed land of the titular ‘Grimlord’, you have an assortment of weapons and skills at hand to complete your objective.
It almost goes without saying that Grimlord has been heavily inspired by the king of dark fantasy RPGs, Dark Souls. From the grim aesthetic to the difficult gameplay, if you’re a fan of Dark Souls then Grimlord has a lot to offer. As you’ll find out in 131XR’s review, there’s plenty to enjoy. However, it’s not a completely polished experience.
Grimlord Review
Awakening in a monastery with no idea who you are or how you got there, it’s time to fight. Grabbing the closest sword, you quickly learn to dispatch shambling undead before confronting your first mini boss. It’s here that players learn that while Grimlord can offer a challenging experience similar to Dark Souls, the VR game does not quite have the same refinement.
And that’s a big part of 131XR’s Grimlord review. It comes with its own particular strengths and weaknesses as an RPG adventure. There is a massive assortment of craftable weaponry depending on your own personal strategy. Do you like the classic close combat of a sword and shield, or do you lean more towards the ranged attacks of a bow? Unlike traditional RPGs where you might have an extensive inventory, Grimlord keeps to VR’s immersive ruleset. Everything is attached to your body, so you can’t holster swords, shields, bows, quivers, magical staffs and more. You have to choose.
However, Grimlord isn’t without its glitches. Enemies can knock a weapon out of your hand, leaving you defenceless. Or you may find graphical clipping as a weapon gets suck. Even with these issues, there’s plenty of like. You can learn more about all of this in 131XR’s review below.
What’s next for Grimlord?
MetalCat Studio released Grimlord for Meta Quest and Steam in December 2024. Since then, the studio has released several hotfixes to improve the gameplay. But there’s more coming. The studio has unveiled a 2025 roadmap detailing bigger additions to the game.
Plans include the release of an Arena Mode, Character Customisation and MOD tools. While later in the year, a free chapter DLC and an online multiplayer component are slated to arrive. So there’s plenty to look forward to in the coming months.
Have you played Grimlord? What did you think in comparison to Dark Souls? Let us know in the comments below.
