The first non-clothing or weapon item I encountered in Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon was some adult material. You might be thinking, “Will, you classic degenerate, of course it was smut.” But hear me out; I had no idea it was smut at first. I stumbled upon it in what seemed like a guard’s break room after escaping my cell. I couldn’t recall what happened next, but there was an illustration of a beautiful woman and I saw the phrase “love apples” before I zoned out. Let’s rewind a bit and discuss my experiences with this engaging, yet familiar, open-world RPG.
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon reimagines Arthurian legends. After his homeland is ravaged by a plague called the Red Death, Arthur leads his people to Avalon, conquering the island and, with Merlin’s aid, cleansing it of the Wyrdness—a chaotic force that can alter the landscape and its inhabitants. This was 600 years ago. Now, legends have faded, the Wyrdness has reappeared, and the Red Death is back. You take on the role of a nameless prisoner of the Red Priests who are on a desperate quest for a cure. This intriguing premise gives you all the essential background while preserving the larger mysteries of Fall of Avalon.
After a short introductory cutscene, you dive into character creation. The options available are decent, but it’s tough to craft a character that looks particularly good, mainly because all the skin textures resemble Play-Doh. However, other aspects, like the hairstyles, are impressively done. Moreover, since you’ll mostly play in first-person, unless you choose the optional and somewhat underdeveloped third-person mode intended for accessibility, the character’s appearance matters less.
Once your character is created, you find yourself in a jail cell. If you’re someone who has only played The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, you’ll definitely get familiar vibes from this game. Fall of Avalon does borrow elements from The Elder Scrolls, but don’t let that familiarity mislead you—it brings its own concepts. I liked how my character’s initial stats were determined by my responses during an interrogation by a guard. Wanting to focus on ranged combat, I mentioned hunting before being captured, and crafted clothes from what I caught. This boosted my relevant stats even before escaping prison, showcasing that rehabilitation might just work!
I won’t spoil how you escape your cell, but rest assured, you do get out. The first tooltip I received as I navigated the prison instructed me on how to parry—a rather ominous sign, I might add. However, the first-person melee combat is quite satisfying. The strikes feel impactful, and blocking can cause a stagger. The choice of weapons also matters. I initially used a club, but after acquiring a knife, I noticed a significant difference in the hits—less force, but a gratifying slicing sound.
Although I haven’t managed to land a single parry yet (the timing is pretty tight), I appreciate that I haven’t *had* to either. Blocking works perfectly fine, and you have a nice backstep option for quick disengagement. While this combat system might not revolutionize first-person RPG battles, it’s engaging enough to hold my interest.
So far, I’ve spent much of my five hours in Fall of Avalon exploring, accidentally picking up that adult material, and interacting with various characters. This game encourages you to collect everything and talk to everyone, making the world feel like your playground. If you’re familiar with The Elder Scrolls series, you’re likely to feel right at home. Of course, I have to pick up that bucket—and the one next to it, too. You never know when it might come in handy.
I’m still early in Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon. It’s a *large* RPG, and there’s plenty left for me to explore before my final review. As someone who has enjoyed a lot of Arthurian literature, I find what’s here compelling, though nothing feels particularly groundbreaking yet. Nevertheless, it’s definitely intriguing. Now, I just need to be wary of any killer rabbits. I wouldn’t be surprised if one is lurking around somewhere.
