Maroc - 3RD-STRIKE.COM - A La Une - 16/Oct 00:01

Ale Abbey – Review

Call it instinct, but hailing from a country so rich in beer history meant that we were inevitably drawn to Ale Abbey. Could a game developed by Estonian studio Hammer & Ravens teach us, Belgians, something about medieval brewing that we didn’t know already? The game spoke to us on a personal level -we only just visited the real-life Postel Abbey last month- so we were definitely eager to see what Ale Abbey would brew up. Story The premise behind Ale Abbey is simple: you’re in charge of a small medieval monastery, and the bishop tasks you with brewing ale. The game doesn’t offer a story in the traditional sense beyond that initial premise. However, as you set up your brewing operation, you’ll encounter all sorts of events that add narrative flair. You may find that you’ll have to bribe bandits to prevent them from attacking your carts, or one of your goats may develop an ale addiction -no, really. The charming writing contributes a lot to the game’s light-hearted atmosphere. The dialogue is filled with puns related to ale, with characters addressing you as “your Maltiness”, and is often genuinely hilarious. Graphics Your budding brewing operation is brought to life through cartoonish pixel art. The monastery itself is shown as a 2D cross-section, making it clear and easy to navigate. Our initial impression of the pixel art was that it was very simplistic. As we kept adding new rooms and furnishings to our monastery, however, we found that there was actually plenty of detail to discover. The character designs for the monks and nuns were full of personality, and it was worth it to check out every animation of them interacting with brewing equipment, writing desks, and even watching them sleep. The UI is clean and easy to navigate, and the game’s performance is flawless, partially owing to the seeming simplicity of those visuals. Sound If there is one area where Ale Abbey drops the ball, it’s the soundscape. Initially, the game’s medieval-sounding music comes across as fitting and atmospheric, but it quickly turns stale and repetitive. We definitely would have preferred a bit more variation here. Sound effects are appropriate but not anything to write home about, and the game doesn’t feature any voice acting. Gameplay As far as sim games go, Ale Abbey doesn’t bring anything revolutionary to the table, but to be fair, it doesn’t aspire to do so. Within the boundaries of coziness and lightheartedness that the game has set for itself, Ale Abbey aims to deliver a straightforward and realistic take on how ale was brewed in medieval times. The goal is clear enough: to turn your humble monastery into a respected and beloved brewery that sells specialty ales of the highest quality. This isn’t as simple as figuring out the best recipe, of course. You’ll constantly need to improve and expand your monastery, adding new and better equipment and obtaining rare and high-quality ingredients, but you’ll also need to ensure your clergymen and women are kept happy, well-rested, and well-fed. This is the kind of game that is all about juggling different tasks, and there’s always something to do. Players are eased into the game’s core loop by the bishop. He’ll break down how to get the brewery up and running into simple, achievable tasks. Every time you complete your to-do list, you’re rewarded with florins (medieval money) and a new checklist. This approach keeps things accessible and easy to understand, although we did find that simply adhering to the bishop’s demands wasn’t the most efficient approach to playing Ale Abbey. Unlike sim games like Factorio or Microtopia, there is no way to have certain actions automated -it is medieval times after all- so if you just stick to focusing on what the bishop wants, a good chunk of your workforce isn’t doing anything at all. Fortunately, you can pause the game at any given time and issue orders. Likewise, if things are taking too long, you can speed things up. Given that your monks need to sleep, things grind down to a halt at night. Supplementing the core loop of brewery micromanagement is the creation of recipes, allowing you to experiment with different ingredients and attributes. Your early brews won’t set the world on fire, but as you reïnvest your profits, you’ll gain more freedom to experiment. The inherent simplicity of Ale Abbey’s gameplay loop has a major drawback: throughout your playthrough, things don’t really change or evolve all that much. Events like negotiating with bandits or poor hygiëne do break things up, but the core brewing experience remains the same throughout. As satisfying as it is when you strike liquid gold with a recipe, Ale Abbey’s specific blend of micromanagement does become repetitive over time. It doesn’t help that certain simple tasks keep falling in your lap, like having to sweep the monastery and light candles manually. Really, brother Ignatius, is it so hard to clean up after yourself? Now, despite our minor frustrations about lazy monks and a repetitive core loop, Ale Abbey’s high degree of accessibility and charming atmosphere still make this a game worth checking out. Just keep in mind that it’s best played in short bursts rather than fully dedicating your evening to it. The game’s RRP of €14.99 reflects how this is a low-commitment title, and for that price, it’s definitely worth brewing up some ale of your own. Conclusion Playing Ale Abbey is a lot like drinking ale: enjoy, but consume in moderation. The game oozes charm, thanks to its lighthearted tone, fun visuals, and accessible mechanics. While Ale Abbey goes into surprising depth when it comes to recipes and medieval brewing techniques, the core loop doesn’t evolve enough to keep things interesting in the long run, especially when simple busywork can’t be assigned to monks. In short bursts though, Ale Abbey definitely is worth a taste.