REVIEW / Insights Gained: Cult of the Elizabeth (PC)

When diving into Lesson Learned: Cult of the Elizabeth, don’t be fooled by its seemingly innocent charm. This tower defense game is anything but shy, brimming with relentless action and surprisingly eerie bird-like creatures. What initially drew me in was the visual design—a captivating element that’s always a major draw for me in any game. The opening screen immediately grabbed my attention, although at first glance, I feared it might be a copycat of Don’t Starve, a personal favorite of mine. The art style and music did have a reminiscent vibe, but those concerns quickly vanished once I immersed myself in the gameplay, revealing a world all its own.

In both solo and co-op play, the game tasks Amelia and her classmates with escaping a nightmare scenario. Personally, I found the solo play a bit underwhelming due to the sheer time investment required to amass resources for tower upgrades. Ordinarily, I enjoy the downtime involved in gathering—whether it’s mining rocks or chopping wood—as a mental break from the chaos of combat. Here, though, it felt like an excessive grind, making it challenging to defend my base adequately. To be fair, combat isn’t my forte, yet even on easy mode, I ended up overwhelmed by the avian adversaries, with my sidekick proving more of a hindrance than help, requiring constant oversight. It felt like managing a second job, which isn’t the escape I seek in gaming, given the various demands of real life.

Despite my resource-collection woes, the overall gameplay is commendable. The combat mechanics are straightforward, placing emphasis on precision and timing rather than just recklessly shooting at enemies, which won’t get you far. It’s essential to strategize when positioning towers as monster waves seem to multiply. Though these monsters are predictable and not overly challenging, the energy ramps up quickly with a brigade of turkeys dressed as Tudor monarchs charging towards your camp.

Interestingly, this game recommends using a controller for PC play. However, I didn’t have any issues with the keyboard setup. It’s possible that might change as the difficulty escalates and more complex challenges arise—something worth a follow-up down the line.

Overall, Lesson Learned: Cult of the Elizabeth shows great promise, even if it currently feels a bit on the basic side. With hope, the developers are planning to flesh out the storyline and refine gameplay mechanics for a more dynamic experience. There’s significant replay potential with some adjustments. Right now, the prologue is free on Steam, so I’d recommend checking it out if you’re intrigued by this peculiar adventure.

Lesson Learned: Cult of the Elizabeth

Gameplay: 7.5/10
Plot / Writing: 6.5/10
Design / Visuals: 9/10

Overall: 7.7/10

An intriguing blend of genres

Pros:

• Whimsical, yet gothic art style that enhances the narrative
• Unique soundtrack melding lighthearted and ominous tunes
• Well-balanced combat integrated with exploration in a rich environment

Cons:

• Resource gathering feels overly tedious
• Enemy patterns lack challenge and predictability