TheRetroArcade
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Posts: 1,980
Joined: Feb 2026
Joined: Feb 2026
Banquet for Fools is bursting with strange ideas.
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We're in a golden era for the CRPG. Disco Elysium set a new standard for narrative driven roleplaying in 2019, while Baldur's Gate 3 did the same with pretty much everything in 2023. Even the 'B-tier'of modern CRPGs like Rogue Trader and Solasta: Crown of the Magister offer rock-solid roleplaying adventures of dizzying depth.
The hits keep coming, too. This week saw the launch of Esoteric Ebb, which blends Disco Elysium and Dungeons & Dragons with scintillating results. Personally, though, I'm more intrigued by Banquet for Fools, a CRPG that leans closer to Planescape: Torment in its darkly weird vibes.
Developed by a two-person team, Banquet for Fools takes place on an island recently colonised by your race—the Vollings—after being forsaken by their own gods and adopting paganism. All seems to be going well in your newly, uh, acquired home, until the inhabitants of one particular farmhold vanish without a trace.
You play as a group of island guards dispatched to investigate the disappearance. At a glance, Banquet for Fools looks like any of the CRPGs from the Baldur's Gate era. Look closer, though, and you'll notice that the characters are all built and animated with claymation. Banquet for Fools also provides no quest markers or a log suggesting how to go about your business, meaning you need to explore and chat to NPCs to figure out how to proceed. Dialogue choices vary depending on your party's skillsets, and you can build relationships with both NPCs and among each other as the adventure progresses.
There are other interesting design choices too. Its combat is technically real-time with pause, but battles are inspired more directly by side-scrolling beat 'em ups, with you controlling one character while the others fight automatically. You can switch between party members at any point, and even tag them in for combo moves against opponents. Alongside fisticuffs, you can also learn pagan spells to deploy during combat and out in the world, and create powerful holy relics by communing with your new deities via stone statues.
What intrigues me most about Banquet for Fools, however, is how you deal with enemies once they're defeated. You can just slaughter them if you like, though there's a chance they'll turn into ghosts and attack you again. Alternatively, since your party are technically g...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
You are now subscribed
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Want to add more newsletters?
Every Friday
GamesRadar+
Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.
Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
We're in a golden era for the CRPG. Disco Elysium set a new standard for narrative driven roleplaying in 2019, while Baldur's Gate 3 did the same with pretty much everything in 2023. Even the 'B-tier'of modern CRPGs like Rogue Trader and Solasta: Crown of the Magister offer rock-solid roleplaying adventures of dizzying depth.
The hits keep coming, too. This week saw the launch of Esoteric Ebb, which blends Disco Elysium and Dungeons & Dragons with scintillating results. Personally, though, I'm more intrigued by Banquet for Fools, a CRPG that leans closer to Planescape: Torment in its darkly weird vibes.
Developed by a two-person team, Banquet for Fools takes place on an island recently colonised by your race—the Vollings—after being forsaken by their own gods and adopting paganism. All seems to be going well in your newly, uh, acquired home, until the inhabitants of one particular farmhold vanish without a trace.
You play as a group of island guards dispatched to investigate the disappearance. At a glance, Banquet for Fools looks like any of the CRPGs from the Baldur's Gate era. Look closer, though, and you'll notice that the characters are all built and animated with claymation. Banquet for Fools also provides no quest markers or a log suggesting how to go about your business, meaning you need to explore and chat to NPCs to figure out how to proceed. Dialogue choices vary depending on your party's skillsets, and you can build relationships with both NPCs and among each other as the adventure progresses.
There are other interesting design choices too. Its combat is technically real-time with pause, but battles are inspired more directly by side-scrolling beat 'em ups, with you controlling one character while the others fight automatically. You can switch between party members at any point, and even tag them in for combo moves against opponents. Alongside fisticuffs, you can also learn pagan spells to deploy during combat and out in the world, and create powerful holy relics by communing with your new deities via stone statues.
What intrigues me most about Banquet for Fools, however, is how you deal with enemies once they're defeated. You can just slaughter them if you like, though there's a chance they'll turn into ghosts and attack you again. Alternatively, since your party are technically g...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?