Buy it if you like
- Gameplay: 26 reviews raised it, mostly praise
- Combat: 25 reviews raised it, mostly praise
- Difficulty: 20 reviews raised it, mostly praise
Think twice if you dislike
- Story: 16 reviews raised it, mostly criticism
- Controls: 10 reviews raised it, mostly criticism
Based on 394 player reviews · updated
What players think
The recurring themes across 187 analysed reviews: what players praise, what divides them, and what to know.
Why players love itThings to know
71% of themes are praise187 helpful reviews29% are complaints
Gameplay
Players who bring up Gameplay mostly praise it.
26 of 187 sampled reviews raised it
A Bastard's Tale, developed and published by No Pest Productions, is a deliberately unforgiving 2D action game that channels the spirit of early console-era difficulty while layering in directional combat mechanics that demand precision and patience.
Combat
Players who bring up Combat mostly praise it.
25 of 187 sampled reviews raised it
The gameplay employs a unique and novel combat system that revolves around you and your enemies being able to block and attack in three directions: to your left side, above you, and to your right side.
Difficulty
Players who bring up Difficulty mostly praise it.
20 of 187 sampled reviews raised it
Deceptively long, progression is heavily extended by the extreme difficulty and time required to master each level
Graphics
Players who bring up Graphics mostly praise it.
17 of 187 sampled reviews raised it
Complementing the visuals is a soundtrack rooted in chiptune sensibilities, offering energetic but unobtrusive melodies that echo the era it draws inspiration from.
Audio
Players who bring up Audio mostly praise it.
15 of 187 sampled reviews raised it
The soundtrack is composed of surprisingly good medieval-style music that is fitting and serves as good background noise but is ultimately forgettable.
Theme by theme
Scored on what reviews say about each topic, not the thumbs.
Players love
Gameplay26 reviews
Combat25 reviews
Difficulty20 reviews
Graphics17 reviews
Audio15 reviews
Divided opinion
No themes split opinion in this sample.
Players complain
Story56% still recommend
Controls50% still recommend
What you get
Can you play it alone, does a controller work, does it run on your machine.
Play modes
- Single-player
Controller
- Full controller support
Store features
- Family Sharing
- Steam Achievements
- Steam Cloud
- Steam Trading Cards
Platforms
- Windows
Should I buy it now?
Based on Steam price history.
Prices have been lower
$4.99
The lowest we've tracked is $0.99.
6 points recordedtoday · $4.99
If you liked this one
Reviewed games that overlap most with this one.

