On first impression, it feels as though there’s an abundance of depth in how Shroud of the Avatar offers a completely classless system. As I headed around the outskirts of Highvale and discovered a snow-covered monastery high in the hillside, I also found an Adventure Trainer who’d help me expand my repertoire of skills.

It turns out there are two different sets of skills to learn in SOTA – one batch focuses on adventuring (combat, magic and strategy), while the other is all about crafting (gathering, refining and production). By the time I reached the trainer, I’d become proficient enough in the use of blades to pick up a few new abilities, but not without spending a few gold coins first. I also learned how to use a shield and some new tactics to help defend myself from incoming attacks – something that would become useful very soon.

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With a limited budget, Shroud of the Avatar had to compromise somewhere, and nowhere are those compromises more evident than in how the game looks. Built using the Unity engine, it was never going to win any beauty contests, but the choice of a pseudo-realistic art style means that SOTA feels dated before it’s even launched. Although the polygon count is relatively high, the rigid ground clutter and trees, lack of cloud shadow and minimal animated or variable lighting makes me feel like I’m part of a static diorama rather than in a world full of life. It’s like stepping back to the turn of the millenium, and that’s not always a good thing.