However flawed your party members may be – and they are flawed – they carry on to Camlann because they share a belief in Arthur. They believe in each other, and believe in something better for Britain. It’s hope that moves the game forward, and mechanically speaking, it’s morale that keeps your pieces on the board, and resolve that lets them rely on each other and enact their unique abilities. Pendragon is built on balancing tensions that would break a lesser game to pieces, but instead creates something new and worthwhile in that space.

Tactical movement as conversation and combat is intriguing, and inkle has masterfully incorporated this innovation into a truly wonderful blend of narrative and tactics.

After 80 Days and Heavens' Vault, Inkle shows again its talent with Pendragon, a narrative experiment set in the Arthurian legend.

Pendragon utilizes the Arthurian Legend as a backdrop to bring forth an intriguing coalescence of chess-like tactics and interactive fiction. Challenging yet accessible and addictive.

A mournful journey into the shattered realm of King Arthur with various stories to uncover. But you’re certainly not going to find a deep strategic experience in this war-torn Britain.

Pendragon is a great introduction to the strategy genre and is easy to pick up and play without the fear of being overwhelmed by menus and options. Multiple characters, dialogue options and areas ensure no two playthroughs will be the same.

Dull, expressionless character art and contrived strategy combat make for a bad impression right off the bat. I can respect what Pendragon tries to accomplish, but for a game that heavily relies on its procedural story telling and replayability, there is barely enough content here to justify a third run. The writing truly shines in the final battle between Arthur and Mordred, but the dialogue during the main chunk of the game is too interchangeable and devoid of personality to be engaging. Ironically, the attempt to tell a different story every time makes every playthrough feel the same.