REVIEW / Insights Gained: Cult of the Elizabeth (PC)

There’s no subtlety in Lesson Learned: Cult of the Elizabeth. While it might appear a bit cutesy at first glance, don’t be tricked. This tower defense game is packed with relentless action and some quite unsettling bird creatures. If there’s one element that can instantly capture my attention in a game, it’s the visual design, and the moment I opened Cult of the Elizabeth, the main screen had me hooked. I initially feared it could be a mere imitation of Don’t Starve, one of my all-time favorites, due to the similar art style and soundtrack. But those concerns vanished quickly in the initial minutes of gameplay as I discovered the fascinating uniqueness of this quirky world.

Lesson Learned: Cult of the Elizabeth supports both solo and co-op modes, as Amelia and her classmates seek a way out of their eerie predicament. Personally, I found the solo mode a bit lacking. Gathering enough resources to upgrade towers felt excessively time-consuming. Now, usually, I enjoy the breather provided by mining rocks or chopping trees, but this game required an absurd amount of time for such tasks, making defending the base challenging. Admittedly, combat isn’t my forte, yet even on easy mode, those pesky avian creatures brought me down swiftly, with my sidekick contributing little to our defense, necessitating micromanagement. And honestly, the last thing I want is more management tasks in a game, as I’ve got my hands full in real life managing work and home!

Despite the resource-gathering hurdles, the core gameplay is solid. The combat is straightforward and functional, demanding precision over random shooting. You need to be strategic with where you place your towers, especially as monsters become more frequent and your resources dwindle. Even though some enemies’ attacks are somewhat predictable, when a horde of turkeys dressed as Tudor monarchs charges your defenses, things escalate quickly.

Interestingly, Lesson Learned: Cult of the Elizabeth is a PC game where controller play is recommended, but using a keyboard wasn’t problematic for me, which is not always the case with similar games. Whether this remains true as the game advances, introducing new challenges, remains to be seen.

All in all, I’m quite taken with Lesson Learned: Cult of the Elizabeth and its current offering. It does come off as a bit basic now, but hopefully, the developers will expand the storyline and enhance the mechanics to give it a more dynamic feel. With a few adjustments, this game holds great potential for replayability. The prologue is currently available for free on Steam, and I definitely recommend giving it a try if you’re up for a quirky adventure.

Game Review Score

• Lesson Learned: Cult of the Elizabeth
  • Gameplay: 7.5/10
  • Plot / Writing: 6.5/10
  • Design / Visuals: 9/10

Overall Rating: 7.7/10

An interesting mix of genres

Pros:

• Whimsical, gothic art style that complements the story.
• A unique soundtrack blending light-hearted and ominous tunes.
• A good balance of combat and exploration within an atmospheric setting.

Cons:

• Collecting resources can feel monotonous.
• Enemies are predictable and lack significant challenge.