The market for medieval-themed building and survival games is now so densely populated
like the villages built within them. Anyone who wants to stand out there needs a reason that transcends...
It goes beyond simply stacking huts.
“Bellwright” wants to throw its helmet into the ring right there: The team at Donkey Crew managed to launch the game for the PlayStation 5 in early June, just in time for the two-year Early Access anniversary, accompanied by a summer update that already closes some gaps.
From the outcast son who came home
The story is told in a pleasantly relaxed manner: Wrongly accused of murdering a prince, the player character narrowly escapes execution. After many years, we return to our old homeland of Karvenia to confront the queen responsible for the death sentence and reclaim our former position. That's the premise – in reality, however, the story remains noticeably in the background during the first few hours of gameplay as you focus on resource gathering and administrative tasks.
Here's where Donkey Crew learned from the Early Access phase and reacted directly: This Summer Update The early main quest and the game's introduction have been reworked so that the rebellion is felt earlier, rather than just experienced through narration. The Halmare Islands expansion also introduced new, standalone questlines, along with a loyalty and faction system, adding more branching to the main storyline. Those who want to see everything should still expect to spend an estimated 100 to 150 hours completing the main quest – this isn't a game for casual players.
a rainy afternoon.
Overall, the story is well-received without being too intrusive. In fact, we occasionally forgot that we still had tasks to complete, but were gently brought back to the point.
Between Build-a-Village and Wild Battles
Anyone being honest will quickly realize that Bellwright is less of a heroic epic and more of an administrative apparatus with combat elements – and therein lies its appeal as a mix of ARK and KCD. Villagers can be recruited to your cause through quests and then employed as craftsmen, guards, or quest companions. The AI routines of the workers seem well-designed: they independently stock traps, replenish stores, and can be flexibly moved between guard duty, escorting, and fixed stations like mining or logging.
In combat, the game uses a direction-based system where timing and positioning determine our survival – complemented by larger tactical battles in which you command entire squad formations. New with the summer update is a planning mode that allows settlements to be designed before resources are actually used – a simple but noticeable improvement in quality of life.
Not every change was well-received, however: Adjustments to the fast travel and trade systems initially caused discontent within the community because they complicated previously simpler processes. Especially at the beginning, we felt a bit abandoned and had to figure things out on our own by studying settings and menus independently. After a while, though, you get the hang of it and develop your settlement into a small town. The gameplay is captivating and makes it easy to lose track of time.
AAA: different, pleasant, authentic
Visually, according to the developers, Bellwright has completely transformed since its Early Access phase, and the summer update takes it a step further with the switch to Unreal Engine 5.7 and updated upscaling technology (DLSS, FSR, XeSS). The result is a dark, slightly gritty world that prioritizes atmosphere over glossy visuals – fitting for a story of escape and rebellion. Musically, the soundtrack features a folk-inspired style.
An Eastern European-influenced soundscape that alternates between tranquil walking passages and driving battle music.
The voice acting is weaker: NPC dialogues use a text-to-speech solution that, while not robotic, sounds artificial after listening for a while, and some lines of dialogue are omitted due to system failure. Generally, the voice output is only available in English, although the text itself is entirely in German.
However, even this doesn't always load correctly and is sometimes replaced by placeholders. All in all, though, the atmosphere is quite successful and very appealing. Elements like the onset of winter, rain, or an attack on our settlement bring the game to life. While you shouldn't expect a AAA title, it doesn't need to.
