Elium - Prison Escape

Elium - Prison Escape
N/A
Metacritic
72
Steam
47.25
xDR
Our rating is calculated based on the reviews and popularity of the game.
Price
$6.95
Release date
28 February 2018
Developers
Publishers
Steam reviews score
Total
72 (36 votes)

Elium - Prison Escape is a skill-based swordfighting action roguelite in a medieval setting. Play in First and 3rd Person view with shooter-like controls, in a challenging and unforgiving prison environment with the main goal of finding an escape.

Show detailed description

Elium - Prison Escape system requirements

Minimum:

  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows 7 (64 Bit)
  • Processor: High-Performance Dual Core CPU or Quad Core CPU
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 / AMD Radeon HD5850
  • DirectX: Version 9.0c
Updated
App type
Steam APP ID
680330
Platforms
Windows PC
Similar games
VOIN
VOIN

Action, Adventure, Indie, RPG

xDr: 0.00
Popularity
Reviews
Write a new review
Piece o' Hans
Piece o' Hans

It's rough around the edges, but worth the price.

The way combat works in this game is quite similar to Mount & Blade, with 4 directional attack. Though if you are used to M&B controlls you're going to want to go to settings and reverse the x and y of attack directions. I found myself ducking and weaving to dodge attacks irl, I don't know if that's a testament to the combats intensity or my abilty to get drawn into video games. Either way combat is fun. I should note that enemies do a good amount of damage, so expect to die now and then. THIS GAME IS THE DARK SOULS OF FIRST/THIRD PERSON MEDIEVAL PRISON BREAK GAMES!

On the other hand combat with allies (you can free fellow prisoners and give them gear), gets messy real fast when there is more than just one ally, so sometimes it's better to sitt back and watch your allies beat the daylight out of guards. Do note that there is friendly fire, but your allies will let you decapitate them without throwing a fit.

Oh yes! The inclusion of a dismemberment mechanic makes combat quite more enjoyable, nothing like sending arms and heads flying! Pity you can't seem to be able to pick them up and throw them. Along with dismembering you can also knock weapons out of enemies hands, break shields, and knock helmets off their heads.

Stealth is a pretty simple afair: don't make too much noise, stay in the dark, and stab people in the back. Classic really.

Performance-wise it's not great, but it luckily has plenty of graphics options to tweak. I get 60fps (locked it to that) but with drops as far down as 20 fps on a mix of high and med setttings. Do note that the 20 fps drop happened when I was in combat with 4 allies and 2 enemies.

heres my pc (laptop) so you can put the performance in some context:
Windows 10
GTX 1050ti
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
16GB DDR4 RAM

Sound and voice acting is bare bones, neither good nor bad enough to dwell on.

Some things I enjoyed:

-I kicked a subofficer into a table and it body slammed him.
-The combat.
-Fellow prisoners that you can free, gear up, and watch die to a subofficers.

Some things I didn't enjoy:

-Freed prisoners are way too clingy, give me breathing room you guys.
-Larger brawls are a mess combat-wise and performance-wise.

Wisak
Wisak

Great realistic combat simulator game. I am totally in love with the combat system. It's hard to find nowadays games with this kind of system and I find it very enjoyable. Combats are decided by good timing, precision and skill. It's true it has some bugs, but it's amazing to think that the whole game was done by ONE person alone. JUST ONE PERSON! So because of that, this game has all my respect and I can only recommend it to anyone that loves realistic swordfighting games.

Give the developer some love!

RazorEQX1.Twitch.TV
RazorEQX1.Twitch.TV

Pro: Cool fighting style, First or 3rd person view, Lots of various equipment, realistic sound effects, and real like body damage with each blow, and multiple play modes - tutorial, training mode, main campaign, Hoard

Con: Very limited save points. The game is based on more of a combat challenge mode
not much of a storyline. The lack of saves makes me think there are not many areas to adventure

MisterCoes
MisterCoes

The only experience I had with sword fighting games was Chivalry. I love that game. But the chaos of multiplayer made it very difficult for me to get into. Elium solves that problem.

Combat system is innovative and intuitive. It rewards timing and observation. There is a way to be stealthy, but I'll admit I'm not very good at it. I always end up having to fight.

This is also a difficult game. Once you learn the ropes (around level 3) it's easy to deal with one guard. But then you'll have to fight more than one guard at a time, and that's when things get rough.

I read one guy saying that his powerful computer couldn't get high FPS with this game. I don't know what he's talking about. I run an i5-6500 with a Radeon 460. Game runs at around 50 FPS no problem. And my friend who has a GTX 1060 runs it perfectly.

The other thing that is important, at least if you care about this sort of thing, is the indie aspect of it. Every now and then we get to enjoy the rare indie gems. Games that defy big developers due to excellence in game design and pure customer service. This is a game developed by one guy. And it's excellent. It's the kind of videogame that you want to support simply because of the principle of it. And if on top of that it's a good game, well, Elium checks all the right boxes.

This is not a perfect game. But it's a fun game.

Brave Sir Robin
Brave Sir Robin

Pros:

*Good combat. Choose between timed blocking or directional blocking. If you're like me, it might feel clunky using a mouse, but flicking the right stick on a controller just before pressing RT or R1(Attack) and LT or L1(Block) fixes the problem.

*Stealth is best in the later levels, since you've got to look out for other guards when attempting a stealth kill. Stay crouched in the shadows and attack from behind, and they'll never know what stabbed them.

*Good art stlye. Massive stone structures adorned with torches that you can put out, makes for a great environment for a medieval prison escape experience.The simple designs of armor and weapons is a breath of fresh air compared to overly elaborate fantasy armor and frilly "Chistmas tree swords."

*The music is good and really sets the tone.

Cons/Suggestions:

*The ability to hide bodies would be a welcome addition.

*The option to start with a rusty sword in horde mode would be nice.

I really enjoy this game and would love to someday see a sequel with a bigger world and fleshed out story.

Maenethal
Maenethal

While this game is an interesting concept, it isn't very well executed. The controls are a bit clunky, combat feels stiff and unresponsive and the AI leaves a lot to be desired. This feels a lot like an early access title. There isn't a whole lot of content to speak of. It calls itself "randomly generated" but it's just a collection of a few dozen pre-made rooms cobbled together. The subtitles don't actually work, and the speech isn't in English, for the most part. The only redeeming quality is the graphics, which aren't bad.

All in all, I'd give this game a 4/10.

calamityferret
calamityferret

Severe lack of systems and variety. All enemies are of the same type and look the same, most of the equip you'll get will be theirs. Progress is also more watching numbers increase.

Combat is in the vein of warband, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Chivalry and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, but less mechanically deep than any of them. It severely needs either more systems or more variety, for example ranged weaponry, weapon throwing, maybe some special moves or grappling.

The process of progressing through the game gets old rather quick. You move to a room and kill a guard or later on more. You loot them, switch your equipment out with theirs if theirs has higher numbers and check if they have a cell key. If they do, you free the room's prisoner and equip him with the stuff the guard had on him and then move to the next room. Rinse and repeat.

The rooms are structurally varied but the only difference between them really is whether or not there is something you can kick your enemy into to instakill him. This could be improved by adding opportunities to interact with the levels more, perhaps in the form of environmental hazards you can trigger to kill your enemies, as you could in DMoM&M.

TL;DR: Game is mechanically shallow and rather repetitive, you should probably get Dark Messiah of Might and Magic instead, as it is available for about 10 bucks on Steam. Not recommended as you can get titles like Into the Breach for the same amount of money and get way more for it.

allocater
allocater

Combat has a steep learning curve. It's brutal and unforgiving, which fits the art style. It's also the most realistic sword combat I have ever seen. You will get one/two shotted. But if you stick with it, there is nothing more satisfying than decapitating a guard. You can also play more stealth or assemble an army to fight for you (Equip them!).

Safe points are well placed. Far enough away to keep the tension and be a beacon of relief, but not too far to be unfair and frustrating.

There is also a lot of replay value between random dungeons, unlocks, achievements and the global leader-boards, which should keep a dedicated fan-base trying for new records for years to come.

lauro2004
lauro2004

Great game! Great concept, but battles needs some fixes, sometimes you hit the enemy but there´s no effect, the enemy simply don´t recognize that he where hit, and sometimes you block ( even having full stamina bar) and the attack hits you. Would be nice if you have middle stage save points, couse you need to leave gameplay and simple looses everything you have achieved so far.
Weapon bounce upon parry would be perfect! Becouse there´s no advantage in using parry, and in real battles, a perfect parry almost aways defines the winner.
More colours of Tabards woul be nice either! Couse when you have 5 or more prisioners with you, theres almos no way to identify friends from foes.
I´m in stage 6 and I didn´t find any use for money! Any shop in game would be nice ( any prisioner selling bandages os something like food .. water or things to recover a little heath.
Even so.. a Great Game that worth every penny!

Sersch
Sersch

Elium is a challenging stealth/swordfighting game with randomly generated levels.

+ Nice atmosphere
+ There are multiple options how to progress through the levels
+ Nice Menus (skyrim like but done right)
+ Combat is based on timing/reaction
+ Good tutorial

- Levels feel a bit long
- Controls feel sometimes a bit clunky/indirect

All in all i'm enjoying it for now

Rainer Wingl
Rainer Wingl

Freed a nice guy from a prison cell, let's call him Laszlo.
Gave him all my good equipment, shiny shoes, good belt, heck - even shoulder pats. I've trusted Laszlo.
On our journey through the prison, we had to sneak past a guard in the shadows.
"Okay, i'll wait for you", Laszlo said.

While i was sneaking through the shadows, i've suddenly seen Laszlo supercharging to the prison guard.
What the hell Laszlo! So i tried to ran to my buddy Laszlo while Laszlo started to beat up the guard really badly. But too late.
Even with my axe and the good protection, Laszlo didn't have a chance.

One more hit Laszlo, one more hit and the guard would have been beaten... left my equipment for Laszlo lifeless body, you have earned it, and continued on my journey to escape the prison.
Rest in peace Laszlo, i will never forget you.

--------

Elium - Prison Escape is a nice game for this price. It has some stealth features, a good inventory system, and buddies you can fight with. Controls are sometimes a little but clunky, but you'll get used to it.
Maps are kinda random generated, which is quite an experience.

Worth it!

Keef
Keef

Pretty cool a bit of a chilvary/thief vibe could use some additional work but it is nice to see something a bit different. You chould check it out if you are into this kind of interesting melee combat.

Oakwarrior
Oakwarrior

Immersive, rewarding and quick fun for people who like hard-to-master combat systems.

I mostly play this game for the combat, as it's a nice blend between realism and arcade styles where it punishes you in the right places and rewards you just the same. There are many potentially rewarding moments during a brawl and quite a few options the player can use to get an edge over the enemies, plus a lot of challenges arise when the player is faced with more than one enemy at a given time.

The whole escape story as a motivation is secondary to me, but provides a nice excuse to catch a breath after a tough fight and just skip some enemies with sneaking or stealth kills. In the end it provides a good variety in pace for people to have a sort of roguelike sandbox experience.

Recommended!

The Fifth Dentist
The Fifth Dentist

I may expand this later but I wanted to get it up here.

This is not a good game. Its janky, its sparse, and the gameplay loop is literally just find a guy to stab and see if he has any money or slightly better armor than you. The animations and graphics combine to make it look like your fighting possesed manakins that shout at you in a language that may or may not be real. You can dismember them, but it seems to be totally random as to when and how it happens.

So why do I recommend it? Because despite, and in fact probably because of, these things the game is fun. Its stupid, low budget fun. It's like a Godzilla movie or Deep Space from Plan 9. Its objectively bad but it makes you laugh and you enjoy the time you spend with it.

You may want to buy it on sale though. Or just avoid if you cant appreciate terrible things. But I know I can.

EDIT: The developer is legitimately actively working on improving this game, and I want to say again this game is F.U.N. fun. I've put the time I have on this because I enjoy it. It really is money well spent.

Narttram
Narttram

Quite challenging but rewarding game.
The premise is simple - escape from prison by killing (or sneaking around) guards. No unneccessary embellishments just straightforward, solid gameplay.
The combat takes a bit of getting used to (at start it felt quite clunky but that was only because I moved my mouse FAR too much,
once I realized I only need to do quick flicks it felt really smooth), but once you do get used to it, it is a lot of fun.
A big positive surprise for me was the stealth. While I usually dislike sneaky gameplay and always take the brute force route when possible, I took every opportunity to backstab people here. The combination of the challenging combat
and the fact that every bit of health you lose stays lost until the end of the level made every opponent a potentially lethal danger. Getting rid of some of them without having to fight felt incedibly rewarding.
The whole atmosphere of the game is well done and really draws you in.

If you enjoy difficult but fair combat in a dark atmosphere you should definitely give Elium a try.

Siveon
Siveon

I stumbled upon this game by chance and being a fan of the stealth action genre, decided to give it a shot.

The combat system was a pleasant surprise in it's simplicity and emulation of actual combat. There are no flashy moves, lengthy/scripted combat sequences or any overt attempt to impress you, but the down to earth mechanics on how to land a blow or the encouraged timely use of parries/sidestepping has it's own charm if implemented correctly.

Having said that, Elium also provides a challenging environment to play through as there are no healing features other than a small boost upon completing a level. This has been frustrating at times, but ultimately I felt that this added to the challenging nature to which I ended up feeling positive about.

Gameplay therefore became an interesting management between assassinations, stealth passthroughs and in the last resort quick paced melee combat where you have to be very careful as your health will not replenish much during playthroughs.

It is, however, a relatively short game with only 9 levels, replay value would rely on whether you liked the combat system and would like to complete the challenging achievements or score up in the endless mode.

Lastly, it's important to keep in mind that its aimed to be a simple game and where it chose to focus, it does its job relatively well.

Mr. Gilly
Mr. Gilly

Escape From Repetition. Stay In Your Cell.

Who Will Like It : Those who enjoy medieval combat, stealth, and/or random level generation.

Who Won't Like It :Those who enjoy medieval combat, stealth, and/or random level generation.

Everything about Elium pointed toward a gameplay experience that I would absolutely love. After watching a couple videos, I thought I'd be jumping into the prodigal son of Chivalry and KIngs Field: A game with a medieval theme, putting you in the shoes of a nobody who would slowly and methodically grow stronger as the game progressed. When I realized that this wasn't the case, I attempted to enjoy the game for what it actually was, and still left feeling very dissapointed.

You see, Elium feels very empty, as if it were an Early Access title that lost it's funding. The idea of being this prisoner who has to stealthily make his way to freedom is fantastic, but the execution is so poor, that I checked out before reaching the final stages. Speaking of stages, let us talk about level design....

Randomly generated room presets. You've seen this before and I can assure you, you've seen it better. My issue is not with random generation, but with how boring these presets are. Every room aesthetically looks the same, and nothing ever changes. Along the way, you have the option to free prisoners, and every one has the same voice and face. Every guard you encounter also sounds and looks the same (give or take a different color on his armor). There are no traps, clever puzzles, or mix-it-up gameplay surprises along the way. Once you've seen the first level, you've seen the entire game. This wouldn't be a problem if....

The combat had more variety. I definitely enjoyed the more realistic block/parry/attack combat and loved that 1 or 2 well placed hits meant the end if I wasn't careful. The addition of a kick ability is a welcome throwback to the Dark Messiah days and I won't deny chuckling watching the guards bodies ragdoll off the edge of a cliff. Aside from this, your options are either stealth, 1 on 1 combat (with a small handful of melee weapons), or to basically break the game by amassing an army of freed prisoners and outfitting them with the best gear. The latter option is completely broken, with AI going berserk and enemies being swarmed in a giant orgy of bouncy kicks and punches. It makes me wonder why there weren't more options. Where are the bows? How about throwable daggers? How about triggering traps to take out enemies as a bystander? What about a basic hand to hand stealth knockout ability? Not here.

In the end, the experience just feels dry. After the first level or two, you'll realize that you've seen everything, with nothing new to collect or no interesting landmarks to explore. There is no story segments to unravel, no new abilities to acquire, and no variation in enemies to amp up the challenge. Had this been Early Access, I would have stuck around to see where the developer took it, but in a recent forum post, he clearly states that all future updates will be bug fixes unless significant community interest garners additions. At $15, you're getting a shell of a game. Not bad, but could have been so much more.

DeiDuke
DeiDuke

Did not enjoy at all, incredibly glitchy controls, terrible lighting, visuals, music. Just a mess all over. Refused refund. I have literally found free games on GameJolt that were of higher quality.

Gene
Gene

Great idea. the game is fun but it has a big problem about control even just simple move like forward backward it still hard. i refunded hope it better im sure im gonna buy it again when the game is ready to play

SleepyMax
SleepyMax

The game has a good idea but a bad story if even there is its like the same enemy same combat same everything its not fun and its not a game that you will play and then after a day you would comeback to ,
I hope for the best for you (:

bastardi_burad
bastardi_burad

Great game! If you like challenging games, you’ll definitely enjoy Elium. With a medieval setting, stealthy gameplay and real sword fighting simulation, this game is totally worth playing.

Use your wits, stealth skills and your best combat moves to escape from a brutal prison and free other prisoners that will help you on your quest.

The game has randomly generated levels and only saves your progress at the end of each level, so keep an eye on your health meter!

I really liked this game because it’s quite immersive, with great sound and lightning effects; I could feel the adrenaline kicking in as I tried to make it out of each room alive.

Although it’s not flawless and some things like the general movement of the character could be improved, you’ll have a great overall experience and a lot of fun killing the guards.

I think that the fact that it was developed by just one guy makes it even more cool and interesting, and definitely worth checking out.

Blue Eye Bandit
Blue Eye Bandit

DO NOT BUY THIS YET - very glitchy lighting and textures makes the game very distracting. It is promising, I tried out the stealth and combat and I can see what theyre trying to o but wait for some more patches

johbowfor
johbowfor

Very fun, yet simple combat. Has potential to be a great game.

Anonymous
Anonymous

Fun and challenging game with an interesting take on medieval combat where aiming and positioning are crucial.
Enemies can die with a few well placed hits but they actually know how to block, and you have to do likewise or it's easy to go down. This results in a significant exchange of attacks and blocks not usually seen in games, where you have to keep your edge until you create an opening.
Things get stirred up when you free other prisoners to follow you and can get especially imbalanced if you stack them up in a crowd, but eventually they end up dying.
The storyline only goes as far as the intro and there's no further narrative, so you're just left having to find a way out of the prison levels.
Being an indie game the graphics are not cutting edge but everything looks consistent and immersive.
It could use some more variety in the gameplay and visuals, but it's good enough for a small challenging game

williampatryck
williampatryck

This game is literally worse than ISIS. 10/10 wish I had every second of life energy wasted back in my piggy bank.

Dnompal ꐕ
Dnompal ꐕ

I think what a lot of these negative reviews aren't saying is that the videos, screenshots and summaries of this game display what it is extremely well. You can see the wonky animations, the weird attack angles, find out that there isn't a substantive campaign, or really any story deeper than "You're in a dungeon, so get out". I knew what I was getting when I got this game, and I didn't even have to read the reviews. So, if you've watched gameplay, or even just took a close look at the trailer, and still think you'll enjoy, I think you will too.

Additional notes:
I really admire how the combat is done in this game, but the real issue I have with it are the wonky animations and the animation blending. Attacks are so stiff it's as though no weight is being put into swings at all. Grabbing people to back-stab is really just awkward cuddling. The graphics aren't bad, nor is the lighting surprisingly. The different environments and levels are refreshingly varied. My one issue with the levels and environments however is how there are objects which you can move and should be able to pick up, but you can't. This wouldn't be that much of an issue with things like books, but if I see a potion sitting on a table, I should be able to use it.
Lastly I want to thank Lone Artisan for taking on this project. It seems like a lot of work that really went underappreciated despite asking for a fair price, including no microtransactions, no gimmicks, and showcasing the game as honestly as possible. The world needs more devs like Oscar Sanz.

REK...
REK...

Really enjoying this. Its dark and visceral, and feels very tactile. Plus when i freed a prisoner, he looted a dead guard and became an ally..I hope these guys make another game. A good example of an indie game. Something different..

Ardyn Amberglow
Ardyn Amberglow

I bought this game In baited anticipation in hopes of finding another good semi-roguelike game. Needless to say, I was disappointed by my purchase of this game.

For starters "Is the game fun?" Yes, it can be. Would I recommend buying it? Based on my experience, no, you shouldn't. At least not until some of the game's quirks are ironed out.

Graphically speaking, it's okay, I've seen better by Unity's standard, it runs good enough on most rigs. The combat does have it's moments (but I will talk about that in a bit). Level design is about on par with what I expect from Indie developers, but there are a couple questionable choices.

Story wise, there really isn't any. Your a prisoner, and you need to escape and can pretty much be beaten in under 4 hours, hell even 2. There are a couple of different modes to try out, and cheats that you can play with in the game after you unlock them.

But truthfully speaking, there's not a lot in here, and what little there is definitely needs some polish.

One of my biggest cons with this game is it's combat system. The combat system, does require a tad bit of skill to learn. The gist of it is you can swing your weapon in 4 different directions, left, right, thrust, and down (Overhead), kick, and blunt strike. For defensive options you have block, and dodge (pretty standard), however there is a limited amount of physics in the game, so there will be times when your weapon collides with another's and can cause an attack to bounce.

That being said, the amount of times I've died due to some bullsh*t reason is part of why I can't reccomend this game. It's not my lack of skill, but rather the inconsistent damage output by the game. For example I could swing my sword at a guard who has inferior weapons and gear to me, and it takes me 4-5 hits, but he can swing his sword, and 1 shot me when I have full health, better weapons, and gear to boot. Or the times when the enemy stun locks me, or hits me 2 times and all my health is gone, but for some reason, I'm essentially tickling him with my weapon.

Enemy variety is extremely lacking. there are guards wearing different color tabbards, but you'll only be facing 1 or 2 enemies at any given time, and 3 at the end of the game. They usually carry the same or weaker type of weapons than you do, but it won't matter because they can still 1-shot you, while your stabbing them with a butter knife.

The AI, is completely brain dead, at least for the companions you can recruit across the levels. When you kill one of the enemies, the AI will stop whatever it's doing, run over to the body, steal all the gear before you can even grab it, and then stand there like nothing. Or in other instances, they will walk right in front of your sword swing and you'll end up killing them instead of the guy your trying to fight. In multiple instances, I could have my companions tricked out with the best gear I can find, and then they run over to the body of a dead guard, take and equip the shield for some god da*n reason, and then I have to change it back.

the "Stealth" mechanics in this game are laughable at best, and never worked in my experience. There will have been times when I'm trying to sneak and the enemy spots me almost immediately even when I'm making no noise whatsoever, and there have also been times when I've ran right up to an enemy and they didn't notice me until I smacked them with my sword.

The money you find in the prison, can't even be used for anything, except for an achievement, so really don't bother. Or there will be times when Items are straight up removed from your inventory for no reason. I had 4 health potions, a long sword, and a short sword, I start the second level, all my health potions gone, my swords, gone and even some of my equipment, gone. In my first playthrough as I was trying to get all of Jarren's equipment, most of the stuff I had just disappeared at the start of next level, making it impossible to get.

Then the "Rogue-like" elements are more or less just a couple of pre-rendered hallways and such, copy pasted through out the 2-3 hour treck you have to endure. Not to mention, there is one type of hallway that you just simply can't walk up, because of how steep the geometry is. That means you have to jump it, and since any AI is basically retarded, they don't know how to jump up, or even navigate the steps themselves.

Overall, don't buy this game as is, wait until it's on sale, or if more content is added.

gamesare2fun
gamesare2fun

Strong First-Person Exanima vibes, waking up deep in a dungeon and trying only to find your way out. The combat is a bit less refined but there's a solid layer of skill to it, though it's nothing entirely unheard of. Definitely worth the cheap purchase, and if they intend to keep developing the game, I strongly suggest they play Exanima if they haven't and further lean into the similarities as they move forward. I think borrowing some themes and mechanics would both improve interest and playability.

If you're like me, gobbling up every Exanima update before waiting the next few months in a pit of depression, this will definitely scratch the itch for a short while, with a bit of the old Thief games creeping in, which i feel was probably their actual influence as Exanima is a relatively uncommonly heard of game.

That's really how I'd describe the game in one sentence; Imagine if Garrett from Thief was stuck in the Exanima dungeon. You can more actively sneak, band together with other prisoners, fight or flee, with heavy physics interactions.

It's very raw, but for $12 (less on sale) it's certainly not a waste of money.