Testament: Order of the High Human is an upcoming fantasy role-playing game that takes inspiration from classic fantasy games such as The Elder Scrolls series. However, it is much more than just another Skyrim clone, as Testament also incorporates some Metroidvania mechanics and sci-fi elements, resulting in something that feels fresh and exciting while simultaneously feeling comfortably familiar.
After playing through the preview for the game, the first thing that came to mind was just how reminiscent Testament is of a prettier, more linear version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. I had automatically developed a pre-conceived notion that this title would take more from Skyrim than anything else. However, it actually shares far more DNA with Bethesda’s classic 2006 fantasy RPG.
That being said, Testament is clearly a much better looking game than the games of that era, although it does undoubtedly feature a handful of retro sensibilities and charm. The character design in this game is also very cool. The main enemies introduced in the preview all have a distinct look to them that again manages to blend that cool retro fantasy style with modern day graphical technology.
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As the game is played in first person, the protagonist is not seen much outside of the game’s box art, but his voice is certainly memorable. In a hilariously goofy manner, he rambles to himself using lore terms that sound hilarious when pronounced in the voice actor’s Nordic accent. A lot of the time, Aran vocal performer reminded me of Tommy Wiseau’s iconic performance as Johnny in The Room.
Arva is the name of the game’s main antagonist and his vocal performer delivers a gloriously theatrical and villainous performance that contains just the right amount of cheese. The rest of the VO seemed solid and the game’s sound design was pretty good overall. The ominous soundtrack chosen as the audio backdrop also works well.
Overall, the game’s presentation is solid. While some may argue that the opening levels feel a bit too linear, the scale and ambition of this game is crazily impressive when you remember that Testament is being developed by a team of fifteen people. Also, within an era of open-world fatigue, a more linear experience may even be welcomed by players.
Gameplay in Testament: Order of the High Human:
The preview that Fairyship Games sent us was surprisingly in-depth and lengthy, lasting over an hour. After watching a few scene-setting cinematics and being dropped into the action, I got to get a feel for the game’s combat which admittedly felt slightly stiff at first. However, after a handful of encounters I was able to find a rhythm which made each fight feel more tactical, while still being fun to play.
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There is a certain element of challenge to the combat, although it never came across as being frustrating in the vein of a Soulslike title. Instead, each battle was able to feel appropriately tough, without feeling unfair or taking up an egregiously long time.
Just as the bow combat and swordplay is starting to feel a little stale, the game switches things up. As the environment changes from the more traditional fantasy woodland to a more futuristic, sci-fi aesthetic, the player is imbued with cool sci-fi magic powers that allow access to more areas and can also be used in combat.
The sci-fi element being introduced breaks up the fantasy babble and also presents a number of puzzle sequences into the game. The puzzles are neat and make for a nice change of pace. None of these puzzles are challenging enough to stall the player’s progress in any major way, remaining fun and working within the flow of the game’s pace.
In summary, Testament: Order of the High Human is shaping up to be something well worth checking out for any fans of fantasy role-playing games; particularly those developed by Bethesda. As exciting as titles like Avowed and The Elder Scrolls VI are, Testament: Order of the High Human is a more than sufficient option to tide you over in the meantime.
A preview code for Testament: Order of the High Human was provided to FandomWire by Press Engine.
