Verho Curse of Faces (PC) Review

There’s something strangely nostalgic about a game that looks like it was made two decades ago and forgot to catch up. Verho Curse of Faces is a grim, gloomy, and oddly endearing slice of old-school RPG heaven that feels like it’s been plucked straight from the Windows XP era.

The visuals are dated to the point of parody, but somehow, that’s part of the appeal. It’s rough around the edges, for sure, but beneath that scrappy veneer lies a game that’s clearly been made with a lot of love for the classic dungeon crawlers.

An Odd Start to an Odd Tale

The game opens up with a brief cinematic that includes the line “for reasons unknown to himself”. It’s a line that felt like a bit of a copout, there in place of a part of the story that the developers didn’t feel like sharing with us. However, it sets the tone perfectly – mysterious, slightly awkward, but somehow charming. From there, you’re dropped into a bleak and muddy world with one goal: survive, explore and unravel a tale wrapped in masks, monsters, and classical RPG tropes.

Character creation is refreshingly simple but with a clever twist. Instead of picking your class from a menu, you select a mask and each mask defines your playstyle going forwards. It’s a small touch, but one that instantly gives Verho a real sense of personality. Furthermore, it feels thematically spot-on in a world obsessed with identity and hidden faces. Whether you fancy yourself a knife-throwing rogue or a heavy-handed warrior, your masks sets the tone for your adventure.

Verho Curse of Faces: Combat and Exploration

Combat is serviceable, if a little clunky. The controls can feel awkward, and the aiming occasionally feels off (especially for ranged attacks), but once you settle into its rhythm, it starts to make a little more sense. Furthermore, enemy variety is surprisingly broad for a game of this scale. From slow-moving caterpillars to quicker, more agile foes, there’s always something different lurking in the shadows waiting to take you down.

Graphically, Verho Curse of Faces is a bit of an eyesore – there’s no avoiding that. The world looks like it’s been cobbled together from the remains of a 2005 modding toolkit. However, there’s a certain charm to its outdated look. It manages to perfectly encapsulate the aesthetic of an era when ambition far outweighed technical ability, yet that nostalgia might just be what wins over a lot of its intended audience. The voice-acting is also worthy of mention, with the grim tone being held together by some pretty solid dialogs. Every character, from mysterious quest-givers to brooding villains, is delivered with a conviction that helps lift the experience beyond what its visuals suggest.

The Classic RPG Loop of Verho Curse of Faces

The gameplay loop is a straightforward one. Explore, loot, upgrade, repeat. There’s comfort in its simplicity – the kind of comfort you get from slipping into an old pair of jeans that have long since faded but still fit just right. The world design and pacing might be sluggish in places, but the game doesn’t rush you. Instead, it invites you to meander, experiment, and learn by doing. For players who enjoy a slower, more deliberate kind of adventure, that approach works perfectly well.

However, there’s no denying that Verho struggles to shake its dated design. Movement feels stiff, the UI is awkward, and the storytelling often dances on the edge of sense. The lack of direction can be frustrating too, especially when you’re wandering around and unsure whether or not you’ve missed an important cue. Still, for all its shortcomings, there’s a sincerity to the whole thing that makes it difficult to dislike. You can feel the developer’s affection for the genre in every awkward animation.

Summary

Verho Curse of Faces isn’t a modern marvel – far from it. But what it is, is a heartfelt throwback to a time when RPGs were more about exploration, mystery and atmosphere than perfect mechanics. It’s flawed, undeniably so, but its also full of character. Furthermore, its unique class system and surprisingly strong voice work add ample personality to keep things interesting.

If you’re after a grim, nostalgic wander through a world that looks like it’s been pulled from an old CD-ROM, Verho Curse of Faces delivers just that. However, if you prefer your RPGs shiny, smooth, and bursting with hand-holding tutorials, this one will probably have you running for the hills.