Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown

Genre: Turn-Based Strategy-RPG

Players: 1

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Review:

Table of Tales is a Turn-Based Strategy-RPG released on PlayStation 4 in 2019 (with full PlayStation VR support), ported to PC in 2021 (also with VR support), and then to Nintendo Switch in 2022. This game comes from the same developer that previously brought us The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, and it shares many traits in common with that game. As with Warlock, Table of Tales features a presentation with the strategic movement typical of Turn-Based Strategy RPGs. However, while I was not especially fond of Warlock, I think Table of Tales fares significantly better thanks to improved presentation and especially a more cohesive story.

Table of Tales tells a story within a story – players take the role of the beneficiary of a mysterious relic which, upon being unlocked, reveals itself to be an intricate mechanical interactive device for playing a tabletop game, narrated by a clockwork bird, with the game’s story following the tale of a group of rogues who find themselves unexpectedly celebrated as national heroes and years later they just as unexpectedly find themselves at the center of a mysterious plot against them. Unsure of the identity and motive of their antagonist, the group set out together to places from their individual pasts in an effort to discover the source of the plot.

This is a pretty good setup for a story, and it’s made all the more compelling thanks to the decent writing and solid voice acting of Arbitrix, the clockwork bird not only narrating your story but lending her voice to all characters’ lines of dialogue This character alone adds a great deal of charm to the game, and ensures a consistent tone throughout the story.

The graphics here are also pretty good, though of course not up to par with the PlayStation and PC versions of the game. In particular, the way the 3D table animates scenery popping into and out of the game does a great job of conveying that the table is a highly complex and intricately-designed device. There are a few elements here that stick out due to their comparative low quality though, such as marshmallowy-looking smoke. All of this is backed by a cinematic soundtrack that lacks any truly memorable themes, but nevertheless does a good job highlighting the game’s action and story. Overall, this is a pretty good presentation, especially given the game’s file size of under 1GB.

The gameplay here is decent as well, if a bit simple. At the outset, your characters have four action points to use on every turn, as well as their own class with its associated stats and move set, all of which will gradually become expanded at regular intervals over the course of your journey (there are no experience points here). Your different stats will have effects both in battle and during key points where you must choose characters to take up tasks that will call for dice rolls based on their individual stats. In battle, characters are given some leeway to move a few squares with no cost, but after this, they must choose whether to continue moving by spending action points, or putting those to use for the character’s abilities, one of which is always to rest, repair some health, and add shielding against future attacks.

This is mostly all well and good, but there are a few problems. Firstly, the way the game rations out level up rewards at only certain points in the story really limits players’ abilities to customize their characters. You are given some say in your characters’ development, but the level of choice here seems akin to typical bonuses in a Roguelike, not a long-term campaign. Secondly, the story is similarly pretty linear. You will come up to occasional story forks, but for the most part you’ll feel like you’re being railroaded through one of only a few paths. And thirdly, the controls in this game are pretty bad, and while they’re serviceable, you’ll likely be struggling with them throughout the game.

Still, fans of RPGs looking for a simple and charming game within the genre will likely appreciate Table of Tales. It is certainly not without its flaws, but the storytelling and presentation here is good, and the gameplay is decent, if a bit too simple and lacking decent controls.

tl;dr – Table of Tales is a Turn-Based Strategy-RPG where players play an RPG campaign through an intricate mechanical box. The presentation and story here is solid, but the controls and lack of choice in the gameplay does leave something to be desired. Overall, this game is still well worth a look for those craving a strategic RPG with a fun story.

Grade: B-

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