VED – PS5 Review

When I looked at a trailer for VED, I wondered if it would be for me. I saw dice rolls in an RPG setting and slightly baulked at the idea of reviewing it. Thankfully, VED is an interesting mix of turn-based action with a heavy narrative focused around the discovery and consequences of magic. Karaclan have done a decent job here but it hasn’t quite struck a chord with me.

Narratively, VED focuses on magic and what the world would do with that new knowledge. A small playable prologue delves into the past and takes a more personal look at the potential conflict. This section does play a role in the latter stages but it does vanish from most of the tale. That can make some of the characters shown feel forgettable and their re-entry lacking in impact.

The main meat of the story revolves around Cyrus, a young man who quickly finds himself a new job with a corporation that is using magic for household goods and scientific applications. There’s obvious ethical questions to ponder but the main pull of things seems to be about faction warfare. There’s also two other factions vying for your affections. There is a small society of magic users that see Cyrus as one of them. The VEDs are an older organisation that wants to contain magic and police its use.

Playing these three factions against each other is the crux of proceedings and what your decisions will be based around. It does seem like a world of greys rather than a distinct sense of good and evil. All of them have undesirable traits but I got a sense that the right answer will always have a sense of compromise about it. Cyrus operates as a mediator and he does have strong ties to all three groups.

It can make picking a side very tricky and I found myself going back and forth as each chapter played out. In that sense, it makes for a good game to repeat, perhaps committing to a partisan run. I don’t think either side stands out particularly well. There’s a hint of malevolence with Eclipse with their hi-tech approach and suited demeanour. The magic users, led by Freddy Fire Hands have an aggression to them which is a little terrifying. The VEDs feel the least fleshed out. I sense there’s more to them but the game rarely shows them off.

It should be an emotionally charged conflict of interests but Cyrus is largely written as a brooding cypher for the player’s decisions. He does show show some teenage obsession when it comes to potential love interest, Alice. She ultimately encompasses a bigger role but I don’t fully get the sense their relationship is organic. That’s partly down to the pacing which seems to heighten the stakes immediately.

The voice acting is fine. It’s mostly a cast speaking in heavy English accents with the occasional American voice thrown in for good measure. It’s fine enough but the game moves at such a pace that I didn’t sense much of a build. In particular, the conflicts are laid out in one pivotal scene but I didn’t feel they were fully explored.

The rest of the presentation is pretty solid. The art of each scene is very detailed. The more fantastical areas get a chance to really flourish. Characters faces move well and, even though there’s some repetition, there’s a good kinesis to every chapter. One thing that does bother is the distinct split between reality the fantasy realm. It makes sense to keep them separate but it also makes playing between the two quite jarring.

VED‘s gameplay is a mix of adventure game decision points and some turn-based RPG battles. For the most part, you are picking dialogue choices, directions to go and that gives the narrative plenty of chances to branch. I’m surprised how much of the game leans into this. There are several decisions to make and some of them require successful dice rolls to accomplish.

Dice rolls are backed up by Cyrus’ attributes. For example, you might require a successful roll in magic to cast some lightning. If your magic stat is a little low, it could require a higher dice roll to pass. This can lead to role-playing our hero, particularly if your build isn’t especially balanced.

Combat takes place entirely in an ethereal plain. When Cyrus has the option to teleport, this domain is where he spends the interim. It’s a high fantasy land that doesn’t necessarily push my buttons. There’s troglodytes, crows and a witch you’ll meet. The latter is crucial to the story but it seems tonally at odds with the conflicts of the real world.

Fights are turn-based with an emphasis on positioning after dealing strikes. It’s a pretty basic system, although there’s plenty of status ailments to keep you on your toes. Enemies tend to have one known attack which will only strike certain positions. They switch stances enough to make it interesting and it rarely feels like a static contest.

Cyrus gains a lot of abilities during the course of the game. There’s a limited number slots to use but these abilities have a real variety to them. Some are magic-based, some deal in raw damage and others look to provide some much-needed resilience. The game’s not long enough for you to truly max the tree out but I found myself with plenty of options. I’d favour pushing out more damage but there are encounters where a stronger constitution goes a long way. The enemy design is interesting, although they do eventually fall into certain archetypes. There are big brutish foes that will swipe and claw at you. Some with call for assistance from smaller mobs. Some will split into pieces, tasking you with defeating all tendrils at once.

I don’t think it reaches great heights but these combat sections elevate VED from a run-of-the-mill adventure game to something a little more substantial. It’s still something of a sideshow and I feel the focus is firmly on the decision-making narrative. With that in mind, the battles are surprisingly competent.

I don’t think all of VED hits. The writing can be a little stilted at times and the mix of normal and fantasy elements is a little jarring. The visuals feel really polished and intricate. The combat is solid but can quickly become repetitive. The three-way dance between the main factions feels a little rushed but the open nature of it does lend well to multiple playthroughs.