When comparing For the King vs Victor Vran ARPG, the Slant community recommends For the King for most people. In the question“What are the best co-op RPGs on PC?” For the King is ranked 9th while Victor Vran ARPG is ranked 18th. The most important reason people chose For the King is:
Combat involves making choices from among each character's class skills and special moves inherent to each weapon. Those choices are tactical and can mean the difference between killing an opponent more quickly or taking more damage--sometimes deadly damage. Overland movement is individual to each character, allowing you to decide whether to spread out to explore and discover more quickly (and possibly face combat alone) or stick together, exploring the world more safely (but taking longer to do so, possibly allowing the scenario's pressure-based mechanic to build up to uncontrollable levels).
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Old school turn-based D&D-style combat with board game inspired exploration
Combat involves making choices from among each character's class skills and special moves inherent to each weapon. Those choices are tactical and can mean the difference between killing an opponent more quickly or taking more damage--sometimes deadly damage.
Overland movement is individual to each character, allowing you to decide whether to spread out to explore and discover more quickly (and possibly face combat alone) or stick together, exploring the world more safely (but taking longer to do so, possibly allowing the scenario's pressure-based mechanic to build up to uncontrollable levels).
Pro Fun alone, or with one or two friends.
The party is composed of three characters, each selected from among up to 11 different character classes or archetypes. With three players, each person controls all of the decisions of one character each. With two players, one person controls two characters while the other controls one. Each time you load the game, you can choose which player will play which character, allowing two-player groups to take turns controlling the extra character, if they so desire. The gameplay is turn-based, but each player's turn (whether during combat or exploration) resolves fairly quickly, keeping all players engaged. Items obtained and gold found are always able to be traded among characters - there's no "soulbound" mechanic here.
Pro The theme - "regular folk stepping up to become heroes" - is endearing and inspiring.
Players select characters from among "hometown hero" archetypes. You aren't Knights, Wizards, and Assassins that have taken up arms, but instead common folk such as Blacksmiths, Scholars, Minstrels, Hunters, and the like - even a Hobo, which can be unlocked through gameplay! There's a definite satisfaction taking a brave, but unskilled commoner and turning him into an extremely powerful hero who can take down deadly enemies such as demons, liches, and even gigantic dragons by the end of the adventure.
Pro Each adventure is a different experience due to RNG and rogue-like elements.
There are set "scenarios" with set win conditions that introduce differing pressure mechanics: game mechanics that force the players to act, rather than lounge in town or rest every time they lose a hit point or two. However, each time the scenario starts the world is different. Different items are available for purchase or able to be found, different mini-encounters occur, and different opponents will face you, whether in common encounters or infrequently-spawning boss-type creature encounters. Combined with 11 different unique classes and many viable party compositions, this adds a lot of replayability.
Pro Lots of different builds
There are multiple weapons that Victor can equip, and each has a different set of abilities and are used in a way that is very different from how the other weapons are used. They really feel like separate classes.
There is also a huge pool of equipment types (spells, etc.) that drop that supplement the various builds.
Weapons and armor also have stats and qualities attached to them too.
Pro Acrobatic gameplay
Victor Vran ARPG is unique in the genre in that it's a very acrobatic and dodge-oriented game. In order to get far, you're going to have to learn how to jump, dodge, and dive around (or even on to!) your enemies in order to survive. This aspect of the game really adds another level of fun to an already good game.
Pro Funny Dialogue
As you progress through the various maps, you have a "ghost" that tags along with you and pokes fun at Victor, the situation, or sometimes even you. He has multiple pop culture references as well.
Pro Incredibly diverse AI in monsters
The AI in Victor Vran is spectacular. It's randomized very well which leads to far less predictable enemies than other games in the genre, and it will really keep you on your toes which is a lot of fun.
Pro Map Challenges provide extra challenge
Each map has a set of five challenges that reward you for completing them. They range from things you would normally do anyways to things that are so difficult really have to change up your approach to get them.
Cons
Con A string of bad luck--whether or not set off by an initial bad decision--can end the quest in defeat
There are RNG elements to this game, and sometimes a string of misses by your character or a string of hits by an opponent can put your characters in peril. These RNG elements can be mitigated by game knowledge: the various enemies' possible attacks, when to use precious resources and when to save them, when to flee combat, and so forth. However, that knowledge can take a few games to acquire. Fortunately, there are three different difficulty levels, so if you are more RNG-averse, you can select "Novice" for your first few games while you figure out how the game works.
Con There are few in-game "hint" systems, requiring you to learn by doing or rely on the Wiki.
The game is built on an "explore, experience, discover" model, and so the in-game hint system is minimal. Typically, you learn what an ability does, how an item works, or what a creature can do by experience. If you would rather have such information ahead of time, you'll need to rely on the game's Wiki page.