Regions of Ruin

Genre: Action-RPG / Action-Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

Regions of Ruin is a game that combines side-scrolling Action-RPG and Action-Platformer elements, along with some light Management Sim elements for an unusual style of gameplay that’s fairly unique. This game was released on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in 2019, before being brought to other platforms the following year.

The presentation here makes use of pixel art visuals and orchestral music befitting the game’s fantasy theme, although nothing here is especially memorable or noteworthy.

As for the gameplay, as previously noted, this is an interesting mix of genres. Players explore mostly-flat side-scrolling areas, fighting enemies and breaking down debris to collect resources, as well as armor and weapons typical of the genre. These resources are used both to further explore the game’s overworld map to open up new areas, as well as to build up the player’s camp to enable more and better upgrades.

On their own, none of these elements is especially compelling. The combat feels limited and uninteresting, the platforming is rarely very interesting, the RPG elements aren’t especially noteworthy, and players aren’t given enough options to make the Management Sim elements all that entertaining or significant. Yet together, these disparate elements make for such a unique game that it’s still worthwhile despite all of these shortcomings, a true story of “greater than the sum of its parts”.

Regions of Ruin is ultimately saved from its mediocre components by the somewhat novel combination of everything into a package that more or less works as a cohesive whole. No one part of this game is all that great, but together it’s an oddly compelling package, and those looking for a fairly unique take on the Action-RPG genre should give it a look.

tl;dr – Regions of Ruin is a unique blend of side-scrolling Action-RPG, Action-Platformer, and Management Sim elements. None of these parts is all that great or noteworthy, but together they form something that’s just novel enough to overcome these shortcomings and become something worth a try.

Grade: B-

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