Eslabong

Overall, Eslabong is a great game. It came out only five days ago, and I already have around 32 hours invested. There is a surprising amount of depth here, especially with the class system. The game has a great economic system, and the relic system is one of my favorite parts. Relics come with meaningful tradeoffs, so nothing feels completely overpowered or like an automatic choice. The character variety is also really cool. There are tons of different character designs, and each character is given their own name. Some names repeat, like "Joel," but others are much more unique, like "Dennis the Menace." It gives the characters a little more personality and makes them feel less like generic units. The Champion system is another great idea, but actually acquiring Champions is where things start to fall apart. Champions are extremely difficult to obtain unless you win tournaments or cups, and even then, trading for them can be incredibly difficult, if not practically impossible. I like the idea of Champions being rare and valuable, but I think the acquisition system could use some adjustments. The game's customization of skills adds another whole layer to the replay ability aspect, which I am a huge on. If a game is following a "roguelike/lite" genre, it needs to have replay ability. You can fully kit out your characters with the skills/playstyle you prefer or enjoy. Not many games do this, so I tip my hat to you. Visually, the game is great. The sprites are fun to look at, and the animations are excellent. The combat is especially satisfying to watch and participate in. One detail that really adds to the immersion is the number of sound effects. There are big bass sound effects for big attacks, and you can definitely feel that attention to detail during combat. That said, the AI definitely needs some tweaking. One of the most frustrating things I've encountered is watching the AI stun an enemy and then... do absolutely nothing. They'll stun an opponent, have a perfect opportunity to follow up, and instead just stand there staring until the enemy gets back up. It can be hilarious sometimes, but it can also be extremely frustrating when it happens during an important fight. The Club Management tab is another area where I think the game has a great concept that isn't being fully utilized. It's useful when you're getting started, but after playing through your first season, it becomes fairly pointless outside of tournaments. I'd love to see this system expanded so that managing your club actually remains meaningful throughout your career. The Iron Gate is...It's just... eh. I don't find it particularly enticing right now, and I don't feel much incentive to interact with it. The trading system is probably the biggest area that needs improvement. When an enemy team wants to trade with you, there is no option to counter-offer. You also can't directly offer one of your players to another team in exchange for gold. The trade system seems to be heavily focused on player-for-player trades. Even then, getting a trade accepted can be ridiculous. I'm constantly getting a "Poor" rating unless I'm offering roughly triple the asking price, offering a Champion, or offering a Healer or Tank. Considering there are something like 57 different classes, I really wish the AI teams had more diverse preferences when it came to trading. Different teams should want different types of players based on their roster, strategy, weaknesses, or preferred playstyle. That would make the trading system feel much more dynamic and meaningful. Overall Despite all of these criticisms, I'm really enjoying Eslabong. The game has a surprising amount of depth, the combat is fun, the classes and characters are diverse, and the relic system is very well designed. For a game that has only been out for five days, 32 hours in and I'm still finding things I enjoy is a pretty good sign. There are definitely some systems that need work — especially AI behavior, trading, Champions, and Club Management — but I think the foundation is extremely strong. Great game with a lot of potential. I'm excited to see where the developers take it.