Image Credit: Steam Store Page
Playtime: 21 hours
Completion: Story finished
Platform: Steam
Genre: 2D Action RPG / Soulslike / Gothic-Inspired
Played: 2025
Final Score: ★★★★★ (9/10)
🧠 First Impressions
Drova: Forsaken Kin grabbed me from the very first hour and never let go. If I had to sum it up, it’s like 2D Gothic with a souls-like twist. Every step into its dark, mysterious world made me want to explore just one more area, fight one more enemy, or uncover one more secret. It’s rare to find an action RPG this tight, atmospheric, and rewarding.
⚙️ Gameplay & Progression
Progression here is near flawless. You start as a fragile, under-equipped nobody — and through exploration, questing, and persistence, you slowly turn into a powerhouse. The world map isn’t huge, but it’s dense, with almost zero wasted space. Secrets are everywhere, and each discovery feels earned.
Image Credit: Steam Store Page
Quality-of-life choices like unlimited inventory and no item durability make exploration stress-free. You can just collect everything without worrying about micromanaging gear. The variety of enemies keeps combat fresh, and the quest design makes every detour feel worthwhile.
⚔️ Combat & Challenge
Combat is challenging without feeling unfair — at least for most of the game. Early on, it demands patience, weapon mastery, and learning enemy patterns. Later, after you’ve built your kit, there’s a satisfying power spike where you absolutely dominate (especially in the last 10%).
It plays like a blend of Soulslike precision with the strategic feel of Baldur’s Gate. Boss fights are intense, regular encounters are engaging, and the weapons feel weighty and impactful.
✍️ Story & Dialogue
The story starts strong and has its moments of emotional weight, with some surprisingly sad beats. However, after a while, I found myself more absorbed in side quests than the main plot. The “collect X items to escape” premise didn’t hold my interest as much as the world-building and exploration did.
Voiceovers — at least for main missions — could have elevated the emotional impact. Still, the narrative works well enough as a backbone for the incredible gameplay.
🎵 Music, Art, and Atmosphere
Dark, moody, and dripping with atmosphere. The art style complements the game’s tone perfectly, and the soundtrack reinforces the oppressive yet compelling vibe of the world. It’s a place you want to explore, even when it’s trying to kill you.
📝 Category Breakdown
🎮 Gameplay: 8/10 – Rewarding progression, smart design
⚔️ Combat: 10/10 – Soulslike precision meets ARPG variety
📖 Story: 8/10 – Strong start, could use more hooks later
🎵 Music/Art: 9/10 – Atmospheric excellence
🧾 Overall: 9/10
✅ Final Verdict
Drova: Forsaken Kin is one of the best games I’ve played in years. Dense, rewarding, and brimming with secrets, it nails the balance between challenge and reward. While the main story didn’t completely captivate me, the world design and progression more than made up for it.
🔥 Clay’s Take
“This is what every small-scale action RPG should aspire to be: dense, rewarding, and addictive. Even when I wasn’t playing, I was thinking about my next run. Near-perfect.”
Final Score: ★★★★★ (9/10)
Recommended? Absolutely — especially for fans of Gothic-style exploration and challenging combat.
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