The Bazaar

[h2][i]The Bazaar[/i] — An exceptionally deep autobattler built around systems that constantly interact in intricate ways [/h2] ✅ Incredibly unique game design — the way all the different components of the game interact with each other in unique and interesting ways is, quite frankly, ingenious ✅ Fantastic character designs, both visually and mechanically — there is so much depth and build variety for most of the characters, which leads to an insane amount of replayability (I have ~400 hours just playing Pyg) ✅ Asynchronous PVP — this is a huge sell for me because 1) I can get up and come back to the PC at any time and 2) the PVP nature of this game means that there is always something new to experience and learn ✅ Gorgeous visual design & fantastic audio — super polished animations, gorgeous art, beautiful backgrounds/boards, and lovely soundtracks ⛔ Frustratingly poor balance patches at times that hardly touch overpowered/unplayable archetypes for weeks to months, inevitably leading to stale metas (I usually just drop the game for a few months whenever I feel the meta is getting unfun or stale) ⛔ Buggy UI/UX — settings can reset a good amount and there are still some issues here and there with the UI/UX, although it has drastically improved since open beta ⛔ Server stability — overall server stability is quite good and is night and day better than it was in open beta, but I still run into hiccups with the servers every now and then [h2]Grade: A-[/h2] [i]The Bazaar[/i] is one of the most thoughtfully designed games I've played. The way all of its systems interact with each other creates an absurd amount of depth, and I'm constantly finding new interactions that I didn't realize were possible. The asynchronous PVP is also a huge part of why I enjoy it so much, since I can play at my own pace and still feel like I'm constantly learning from other players' builds. I've put ~400 hours into Pyg alone, and even after all that time, I still find myself discovering new interactions and builds. That's probably the best way I can describe what makes [i]The Bazaar[/i] so special to me. There's just an insane amount to learn, and the more you understand how the different pieces interact, the more interesting the game becomes. Unfortunately, balance patches can be frustratingly slow to address dominant or unplayable archetypes, which can lead to stale metas, and the occasional UI bugs and server issues are still frustrating when they pop up. These are the main reasons I tend to take breaks from the game, but they're also the only reason I don't have this even higher. The underlying game is just that good. For me, [i]The Bazaar[/i] is one of the most replayable and mechanically interesting games I've played. I can take a break for a few months, come back, and still have a ton of new things to learn and experiment with. That's a pretty rare quality, and it's a big reason why I've put so much time into it.