This is one of those games that’s frustrating because while you can see what direction it wants to head in, and the experience it is trying to deliver, it can’t help but get in its own way more often than not. In particular, The Serpent Rogue does such a poor job of helping you get off to a decent start that I wonder how many people will simply give up on it before they’ve even gotten out of the starting blocks. With so many titles out there, and many people having backlogs waiting for them, to fail to respect gamers’ time and suck them in quickly and effectively is a critical error, and one I feel The Serpent Rogue is guilty of. Now, if you’re willing to take the time to find, research, and discover new alchemical creations that you will then need in order to power and support your journey it may work out. Just be warned that this world tends to be pretty difficult and cruel, and while some could try to label it somehow as “Souls-like” I’d put the problem more at the feet of the combat being implemented poorly than it possessing a skill-based challenge. There’s potential here, and the experience has an ambiance that feels unique, but it also feels quite unpolished and perhaps a bit incomplete. Hopefully the issues can be patched and it can get into a more player-friendly state.