A Tactical JRPG That Plays Like a CRPG – Guild Saga: Vanished Worlds — 1 Year Later

It’s been well over a year since we did a preview on Guild Saga. And I think the time is ripe for us to go and check on the game to see what’s up, kind of like a year-in-review for the game.

It’s still in early access, so a lot of things are still a work in progress, but the team at Ocelot, the studio behind this project, has made considerable strides between the game’s initial early access release and the subsequent updates that followed, namely version 0.5 and version 0.6, which we’ll be taking a look at.

But before we dive into the new content, I think it’s best to give a brief, a small refresher on what this game is all about for you folks who are new to the channel or just, you know, the folks who are unfamiliar with Guild Saga that managed to stumble their way into this article.

Guild Saga: Vanished Worlds

So Guild Saga: Vanished Worlds is an isometric, grid-based, turn-based fantasy RPG that draws a lot of inspiration from both classic Japanese Tactical RPGs like Tactics Ogre, as well as some modern CRPGs like Divinity: Original Sin. 

The team behind the game is Ocelot Technologies, an independent game development studio based in Ontario, Canada. Their focus is on creating expansive role-playing worlds where strategy, storytelling, and exploration all come together.

Games are built to immerse players in rich RPG experiences that reward creativity and thoughtful decision-making.

Personally, I would describe Guild Saga: Vanished Worlds as a JRPG that plays like a CRPG. It has all the makings of a good CRPG, namely its tactical grid-based combat and open-ended character building.

But has the limited scope of a JRPG, specifically linear storytelling, the game progression, and mostly inconsequential choices. Different playthroughs will only really change the way you decide to tackle the game’s challenges, but you’ll still meet the same cast of characters, experience the same storylines, and will eventually partake in almost exactly the same side activities. That is, at least as of writing’s current version of the game.

I would like to stress that this game is still under heavy active development. It’s in its early access stage and has only gotten two major content updates so far. But even with the limited amount of content, with what it is and what it has right now, it’s still a really fun and engaging experience that any RPG, JRPG, or CRPG fan might truly enjoy.

Also, sidenote, even if we’re not keeping score, any game that has a visual progression system in building characters gets an additional point in my book. 

Version 0.5 — Shadows Over Furrowstead

New Region – Furrowstead

The main attraction for Guild Saga’s 0.5 update is the new large, multi-encounter, treasure-filled, and story-filled area called Furrowstead. A once thriving farmland razed by a sudden outburst of fire-y corruption. Quite literally, fire zombies. 

Furrowstead is a major area in the game that wasn’t really in the initial early access release but its presence was more or less felt and heard throughout my first playthrough. Especially considering that half of the townsfolk literally talk about it. But with the Shadows Over Furrowstead update, we can finally go into and investigate the happenings around Furrowstead that lead to the misfortunes that its denizens are going through.

Furrowstead is a level 7-8 region and the game’s largest combat zone as of yet.
Featuring:

• Two Unique Boss-Tier Encounters
• Over ten new enemy types
• Standalone sidequests and environmental puzzles
• And the zone comes with a twisting narrative steeped in corruption and dark experiments.

New Playable Companion – Persephone

The update also comes with a brand-new playable companion, Persephone, a character critical to the Gladeheim storyline. She’s a character that you’ll eventually meet through your journey, and you can finally recruit her to fill in the dark, pyromancer, and engineer archetypes for your party.

Crafting & Itemization Overhaul

Crafting & Itemization had also been overhauled in this update, turning recipe discovery and character building into a dynamic experience that emphasizes strategic decision-making for players. Translation: choices are limited, every run is different, and you have to be smart with your decisions. 

They also added unique crafted gear that requires a unique component to be crafted. Basically, beating a named boss will drop a single unique component, which you can use to craft a single unique gear.

But the catch is, you only have one of those, and you really have to carefully decide which of the dozen or so items you will create with that specific component. It’s a really big decision.

Food & Potions also get a rebalance, adding more meaningful effects like accuracy boosts, crit enhancements, resistances, and so much more, as opposed to being just a cheaper alternative to a healing potion. 

They also added additional crafted items in the form of skill-granting rings to tailor to your party’s capabilities.

Version 0.5 also features an overhaul to the game’s core combat mechanics with the addition of the Attack of Opportunity and Threatened Status Systems. 

Attack of Opportunity lets characters equipped with melee weapons interrupt enemies that pass adjacent to them by delivering a basic attack. 

The Threatened Status, on the other hand, provides a debuff to ranged units when a melee character capable of performing an attack of opportunity stands adjacent to them, lowering the accuracy of ranged attacks from both archers and spell casters.

Expanded Ship Features & Visuals

The Ship had also been expanded. Get a visual overhaul with new interior spaces, more companion hangouts, and a visual progression system for the ship to enhance your adventures. 

I haven’t really fully explored this system or this part of the game for that matter but, additional features that enhance the immersion are always a welcome addition in games like these.

Full Changelog

Combat & Mechanics

• Attack of Opportunity implemented for players and enemies
• Threatened Status debuffs adjacent ranged characters’ accuracy
• Tactical Reposition: 1AP skill lets any character swap with an adjacent ally once per turn
• Game Speed modifier added
• Initial implementation of Tactician Difficulty (future iterations will add smarter AI and skill variations)
• Pickup and place objects like explosive barrels, both in and out of combat
• Formation Logic updated: formations are now based on the controlled character pre-battle, and custom formation is applied at the start of combat

Character Creation

• Expanded and revised backstory options
• Backstories now provide attribute bonuses, adding meaningful strategic choice

Attributes, Skills & Items

• Attribute system rework: removed weapon-specific stats in favor of core combat attributes (accuracy, evasion, crit, block)
• Added block chance and block multiplier to all characters
• Skill level requirements added for learning and usage
• Major rebalancing of skills and items to promote build diversity and creativity

Surfaces & Effects

• Added Ice, Blood, Frozen Blood, and Electrified Blood surfaces
• Ice-based skills now introduce unique movement-altering effects

Crafting & Loot

• Recipes are now discovered, not static
• Jewelry Crafting added
• Rebalanced food and potions for greater strategic impact
• Unique gear now available only through crafting with rare components
• 100+ new items

UI, Performance & QoL

• Combined inventory display in merchant and crafting menus
• Dialogue and examine text now scale with font size
• ALT functionality improvements (click object highlights to loot, etc.)
• Look direction indicators and early AoO warning overlays
• Respec your characters at a new NPC in Gladeheim
• Major engine upgrade improves load times and performance
• Initial portuguese-Brazil localization

New Content & Encounters

• Furrowstead combat map (level 7–8)
• Fire Realm combat map (level 8-9) with unique fire-themed enemies and hazards
• New bounty: bloodthirsty crab encounter
• New companion: Persephone, with custom skills and story integration
• New ship design, interior, etc.

Bug Fixes

Dozens of minor quality-of-life improvements

Resolved issues with skill levels, summons, and damage calculations

Various skill/item functionality fixes

Version 0.6 — Curses, Courtiers & Controllers

Version 0.6 — Curses, Courtiers & Controllers is another major update released quite recently just this last September. Bringing secrets, romance, controller support, and a banquet full of mystery into Guild Saga.

Full Controller Support

First off, the update added full controller support, making the game fully playable with any PlayStation or Xbox controller. Complete with streamlined radial menus, fluid targeting, and an enhanced looting system for a better controller experience. 

2 New Zones

This update also highlights two new zones featuring all-new challenges, lore, and brand-new storylines that greatly expand the world-building of Guild Saga.

Usior’s Palace – A Banquet of Shadows

A Banquet of Shadows invites players to attend a dinner party at Usior’s Palace, the elusive information broker’s estate.

But rather than enjoying the banquet as an unsuspecting guest, you are invited as a secret investigator, for Usior believes that one of his powerful guests is plotting to steal from his sacred vault.

This is an optional quest and an alternative route for obtaining the ship later in the game. It’s also filled with characters from all across its world, making this content a must-do for players who are interested in the expanded lore of Guild Saga.

But instead of another combat-filled content addition like Furrowstead, A Banquet of Shadows is a strictly non-combat, dialogue-rich, and puzzle-filled questline designed to challenge your wit, reward your curiosity, and deepen your character’s relationship with a party member.

Mazan Forward Camp – Silence In The Jungle

But no need to fret, combat fans, because this update also brought along another entirely new zone that’ll challenge your knack for tactical turn-based combat.

Silence in the Jungle has you investigate the sudden radio silence of a Mazan forward camp. No messages. No survivors. Just silence. In trying to uncover what befell the soldiers, players will encounter something far older and darker than what they’d expect.

This update also comes with the new Inclination System, which makes character building an important factor in dialogues.

Adding over 200 inclination-specific dialogue options, special rewards, and unique outcomes depending on your character’s inclination.

This system weaves your chosen personality into the narrative, where your character’s origin will influence NPC dialogue, unlock new choices, and ultimately shape your interactions throughout the world of Guild Saga.

2 New Playable Companions

And last but not least, two new playable companions join the fray. 

Morey

The talking skull, Morey, now has his own questline that lets players seek his other skeletal remains to put him back together, earning you a permanent, swashbuckling companion.

Morey’s definitely one of the more interesting characters in the game, designed to be more antagonistic towards moral dilemmas, and is more inclined to the pursuit of power. A stark contrast to the main cast of the Heroes Guild party members, who are more interested in protecting the weak and completing their mission.

The Hollow Eye

The other companion is a mysterious rogue mage that you’ll meet in one of your quests. His background is shrouded in mystery, getting him into the party is more of an accident, really, and based on how the game tries to be elusive when it comes to this character, I think it’s best that you discover for yourself who this mystery character is.

Full Changelog

Combat & Mechanics

• Complete, native controller support for Playstation and Xbox gamepads.
• Enhanced AI, including “IQ”, provides for more random turns and targeting by certain enemy types.

Attributes, Skills & Items

• Visual upgrades to the VFX for various skills.
• Quivers now provide a % chance to recover special arrows.
• Minor changes to starter skills.

UI, Performance & QoL

• Dedicated Attributes/Level Up UI provides for more satisfying and intuitive level up and point allocation.
• Various UI improvement with a view to enhancing visuals and usability, including Crafting and Stash menus.

New Content & Encounters

• Usior’s Palace map, narrative-focused with multiple floors and puzzle rooms.
• Mazan Forward Camp with 3 battles plus one major encounter.
• 2 new companions: Morey and a new optional/missable companion, both with custom skills and sidequests.
• A new narrative-focused beach/cave map.
• 200+ new inclination dialogue options added, with unique rewards and outcomes.
• Major dialogue revisions to improve writing from the start of the game.
• Visual enhancements to early-game maps.

Bug Fixes

Dozens of minor quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes.

Performance, pathfinding, and decision-making enhancement.

Resolved issues with party member respec

If you’re on the fence when deciding if you really want to play this game or not, there’s also a free demo available to download through their Steam page as well, so you can check the game out for yourself, before you decide if you really want to closely follow this game’s evolution as an early access supporter. 

Final Thoughts

But that’s really all I have to say for now. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Guild Saga: Vanished Worlds is a pretty solid RPG experience, despite being in its early access stages. 

Sure, there’s still a lot of content missing from the current version of the game, and we’re probably a long way away from the full 1.0 release. But even then, I’ve played through this game from start to finish about 5 times now, and I have had a lot of fun every time. 

So if you’re interested in an alternative, lite CRPG experience, consider giving Guild Saga: Vanished Worlds a try.