Review of Tavern Talk: Legends and Lycanthropes
Our Verdict
Tavern Talk is sure to soothe your appetite - this talking sim with a drink-making minigame runs excellently on Switch, and introduces a delightful cast of vibrant characters that eagerly order menu items to match every taste. No matter your build, you're sure to savor this gem of an indie game.
After striking up a discussion at a pub, a dwarf, a vampire, and a seraph decide to work together to solve the riddle of falling stars. What, did you think that would be some corny joke? This is Tavern Talk, where cosy and fantasy come together in a cute little package for bartenders.
If you loved the Vignettes In A Cup event and are caught up on Honkai Star Rail, you'll appreciate Tavern Talk, an independent graphic novel turned drink simulator. It also has a lot in common with Coffee Talk, heavily drawing inspiration from Toge Productions' game to create a refreshing (LOL) game full of personality and enjoyment. The fantastical setting and decision of pursuing a career in business are evocative of Travis Baldree's book Legends and Lattes, to borrow another piece of media.
You operate your own tavern and are an innkeeper in the country of Phesoa. Locals and visitors who aren't so local stop by to have a drink and maybe a bite from your enticing board. First, you meet Caerlin (or Caer, or Lin for short; she doesn't mind), a vukakin (that's a humanoid wolf to you and me) who works as a beastslayer, and Fable, a timid elf who longs for fame. You start blending the ideal concoction since they both want one of your best cocktails.
From here, a wonderful ensemble of characters emerges, including vampires, seraphs, a changeling with a volatile temper, and many more strange creatures you may encounter for yourself. I would especially want to thank Jade for bringing her little pet turtle to the pub; he makes the atmosphere much livelier. However, I can't help but admire a cutesy prick who goes along with heroes, thus Kyle, the quirky and often perplexing vampire, is definitely my favourite character.
Every customer brings in a fresh drink order. While everyone has different needs, you can be asked to choose between two different sorts of drinks. However, the components for these concoctions are strength, charm, dexterity, intellect, and defense—orange juice or soda are not used as mixers. Maybe in one shift you'll have to produce a drink for Fable that's infused with dex, and for Kyle, the somewhat elderly vampire, a drink that's simmering with intellect. It's also quite simple to use: just take the potion, transfer it to the empty jug, and then fill it to the desired level. You may email the recipe to the client after it's finished.
Even though your drink selection is always expanding, I've noticed that my customers usually order the same few drinks—if I see one more Southern Brawler or Swift Strike, it could be too soon. I have charisma potions that are wasting away in the storage room; please, please. To boost the stats of a certain drink, you may also add a few infusions like freezing pinecone or phoenix chilli, although this is also a less-selected portion of my menu. Perhaps you could simply add them to any drink, but I took precautions to make sure my visitors wouldn't criticise me.
The good news is that you can either wing it or pin the recipe and sketch it on the whiteboard. You can feed all or part of your drink to the purple monster Andu and restart if you mess it up and add too much strength to your dexterity beverage. Alright, Andu? He resides on your bar in a bucket. Occasionally give him a pet, huh?
You keep a notebook in which you record all the gossip and tidbits you discover about the events occurring outside your bar. Occasionally, if you've gathered enough data, you may turn that data into a mission and post it on your board, where observant warriors can go over the options and choose the ones they want to take on. This includes Fable, who steps outside of their comfort zone and earns the title of certified adventurer.
These pals have a lot of personality, especially considering that Tavern Talk uses two-dimensional figures on screen. By conversing with them, you may discover more about their personalities and pasts, which will enable you to assist them on their next adventure. I really like the variety of pronouns and preferences you pick up with time.
A highly fascinating overarching narrative involving arcanas, Gaia temples, falling stars, and the primordial sea is also ongoing; but, I won't go into details here; instead, I'll let you solve the painstakingly constructed puzzle for yourself.
The game plays very well on Switch, which is something I've started to be pleasantly pleased by with independent games. It offers easy-to-use controls, loads quite rapidly, and doesn't crash or freeze. For a Switch player, this may be disconcerting since the B button is initially set to confirm, but you can immediately adjust this in the settings. Additionally, you may adjust the font size and pace and choose a bigger diary layout. Since the Switch's original font size is a bit tiny, I'm delighted these modifications are available.
The success of the Tavern Talk Kickstarter campaign, which exceeded many milestones to guarantee the game's release on the Switch, is entirely responsible for this game. In fact, you can obtain a one-shot campaign that works with 5E, combat maps for your Dungeons and Dragons games, and a digital deck of tarot cards with Tavern Talk's characters on them. Even though I'm not a huge fan of D&D, those tarot cards really seem appealing.
All in all, Tavern Talk is rather enjoyable. The characters are endearing, even when they're making fun of me over the bar, and the artwork is fantastic. It gives me a delightful impression of country life in a fantastical setting. Since I first saw this game as a little Kickstarter project, I've been very thrilled about it. Now that it's completely realised, I can spend hours poring over it. Gentle Troll Entertainment, you've created a very beautiful game. Well done. Salutations!
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