Nordicandia

I rarely leave steam reviews but after seeing all the negative reviews, I thought I would give my honest opinion about this game.

Nordicandia is a incremental/idle ARPG that is clearly inspired by Diablo & Path of Exile. While the visuals might put you off from even trying this game, the dopamine hit from getting loot drops & crafting is just as satisfying.

So what does the game offer?

• Seasonal ladder with rewards
• Hardcore mode
• Complex crafting system (think Path of Exile but a lot easier to grasp)
• Tons of loot (uniques, set items etc)
• Great character customisation (stat distribution, skill trees, passive skills, set bonuses that completely change your play-style)
• An interesting variety of different content.

Can you play the game in full idle mode where you can just check what loot upgrades you've farmed every 10 minutes? Yes.
Can you play the game fully actively like a normal ARPG and progress faster that the idle players? Yes.

You might be wondering how this is possible, it's because each skill has a tree that branches off to Idle & active play-styles.
The 'idle' upgrades for skills will either turn them into a long duration buff or makes them auto-fire off cool-down for reduced damage. The active upgrades will often increase damage and reduce the cool-downs (it's a lot more complex than this but you get the idea). You can essentially build your character to match just how active you want to be while playing which is something I really appreciate.

So... the pay2win stuff that I'm sure you've seen mentioned in the other reviews. Yes, the game has elements of pay2win via the Opal currency but please bear in mind that these Opals drop from all mobs in the game. While I'm not a huge fan of having to pay (or wait a long time) to unlock the extra skill slots, the developer has released a statement and they're going to address some of these issues. We're essentially getting a lot more for free (such as max inventory space, free daily skill respecs etc). While these changes will be a huge improvement, there will still be some pay2win elements since you know, the SOLO developer (who has been working on this game for a long time) needs to make some money.

I would recommend this game to anyone who enjoys loot-grinders, it ticks all the boxes in that aspect. For a solo developer, this game is a gem and the potential it has is huge.

Please note the playtime of the negative reviews complaining about monetization. When I first launched the game I was really irked by the amount of stuff locked behind premium currency and almost closed it immediately (much like those reviewers, I'm sure..) I quickly realized that you get plenty of currency in game, enough to unlock everything you need without a ton of effort.
*EDIT* The vast majority of these things that irked me have been completely removed and made free based on player feedback. I have such a deep respect for the developer for doing this...He had just upgraded the server before EA release and is surely needing the funding but decided to make this game even more f2p friendly than it already was to make the players happy.

With that out of the way, I have to say this game is great. The developer is very responsive on discord and listens to player feedback, sometimes updating things the same day it's brought up. This alone is worth supporting the game especially considering it's only being developed by one person.

The gameplay is the solid loot grind that you would expect from your typical ARPG. Crafting gear is the primary focus of the game and it allows for plenty of depth and freedom when it comes to building your items.

This game supports cross platform play, you can play on steam, and when you need to leave you can load it up on your phone and continue grinding without any hiccups. That along with the leaderboard makes for an addictive grind that will keep you coming back.

DON'T SPEND MONEY IN THIS GAME

Play the game if you wish but be warned:
A growing number of people have reported in the game's discord server that they have spent money on in-game purchases but have not received the content that they paid for. There has also been no tech support to help these people either get the content or a refund of their money spent.
There are numerous bugs but for the most part they aren't completely game-breaking but sadly the leaderboards have been infested with exploiters.
There has been some sporadic communication from the discord community manager, but it appears they are being given little to no reliable information from the devs...just empty promises.

This used to be such a great little game that had a top community with a very accessible solo developer (Iterative Studios) who was in constant communication with the players. Unfortunately it was sold early '24 and the new owners have slowly let it dwindle and lapse into a wreck.

My advice is DO NOT spend real money on anything from Garden of Dreams.