Prelude Dark Pain Review

*Note - This is an early access review in progress of Prelude Dark Pain. At July 2026, the game will have the complete Act 1, which should take 10-15 hours.

Prelude Dark Pain has the potential and foundations to be one of the greatest tactical RPG’s ever and at the very least, it will become a cult classic. After finishing Act 1, let me tell you why.

The dark fantasy storytelling feels plucked from the pages of Tolkien as the world feels lived in, the characters are memorable, have depth, and the classic theme of good vs evil is the backbone of the experience. The gameplay features epic battles that are long and often evolve as they progress with layered tactical design offering plenty of strategy. The heroes provide the ability to shape them to suit your playstyle and there is even a meaningful overworld map to explore. The Mike Mignola inspired art direction is stunning and the score done by Kumi Tanioka, who is best known for her work scoring Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles captures the spirit of this fantastical world perfectly.

The gripes are minor as the overall experience is slightly unrefined, the UI could use more clarity, the camera could offer more freedom, and while it works on Steam Deck, further optimization is needed.

However, these are all minor tweaks and the game just entered early access. The biggest problem is that this is only Act 1, which only takes around 10-15 hours and the wait for Act 2 to continue Soren’s journey will be painful. If you’re a fan of games like Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Ogre, Vandal Hearts, or X-Com, I implore you to pick up Prelude Dark Pain because it will soon be mentioned alongside these tactics icons.

If you want to know more, please check out our full video review linked below.