Adapting tabletop games to a videogame setting, usually increasing their size and scope, is not exactly a novel thing. One doesn’t need to be reminded that Cyberpunk 2077, now lauded as a masterpiece after CDPR spent its time fixing all of its bugs, is actually based on a tabletop RPG from the 80s. Thus, the videogame adaptation of Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon had potential to become a hit. We’ve reviewed the tabletop game in the past, and gave it a massive thumbs up. The prospect of playing an RPG based on an alternative version of the Arthurian mythos was enticing enough, after all.

What I wasn’t expecting, however, was for Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon to actually be, well, an Elder Scrolls clone. And this is not an insult, as being able to make a game that resembles Oblivion in size, scope, sense of exploration, and overall gameplay, is a commendable effort. Do I need to remind you that the Oblivion remaster came out just a while ago, and people have been playing it non-stop since then? But that also begs the question: why would I want to play an Oblivion clone when there’s a brand new version of Oblivion available right now? What makes Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon stand out?

It’s mostly its premise. The Elder Scrolls features some interesting lore, but I will admit that the plot in those games isn’t exactly something I care about. The sole fact you can just ignore the entire critical path to freely explore whichever map you are on goes to show that it can actually be a bit forgettable. In Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, the setting and plot are actually really interesting.

In short, it is set in an alternate rendition of the legendary tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Set in the kingdom of Avalon, the game takes place about six centuries after King Arthur’s reign and demise. Avalon has since been riddled with an evil plague known as the Red Death, as well as an otherworldly miasma known as Wyrdness. Said miasma is so potent it can alter reality, and has rendered nights in Avalon dangerous, as it summons stronger monsters during this time.

You play as an unnamed warrior who starts off their journey locked inside a cell (oh, I think I’ve seen this before in a first-person RPG). After being rescued by a mysterious figure, you venture through some ethereal regions until you reach a mysterious coffin, where you end up meeting the ghost of King Arthur himself. Weak, devoid of a body, and actually bound to your own, Arthur decides to join you in a quest to retrieve other pieces of his soul to restore his memory and ressurect him altogether.

Of course, just like its source of inspiration, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon‘s story will only progress if you can be bothered to. With nearly 200 quests scattered throughout an immense open world, the world is your oyster. The main difference is that, as you’ve just read, the story is indeed interesting. Even though I knew jack about the franchise’s premise, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon was able to explain everything I needed to know in a cohesive and non-condescending manner. I knew what I had to do, I was motivated to do so, and I was ready to explore. And struggle with the game’s many issues.

Don’t get me wrong, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is a fun game, but it does suffer from an overall lack of polish. Sure, a lack of polish is also something clearly seen in basically all Elder Scrolls games, but copying its jank wasn’t supposed to be a feature. For starters, let’s just say that this game isn’t a looker. It’s got some really creative designs (or better yet, great translations of the designs from the tabletop RPG), but all in all, the textural work, lighting, and animations feel a bit dated. Something more akin to what I would expect from a PS4 RPG from a decade ago.

But then again, dated visuals are something I would have been able to accept if Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon was able to run decently, at least. Which, sadly, is not the case. Despite featuring visual options and even a framerate cap meter in the pause menu, something rarely seen in non-PC ports, the framerate is incredibly inconsistent, rarely reaching 60fps, and stuttering like crazy. The frame pacing is also janky. Considering that the framerate worsens in open world areas, it becomes infuriating after a while.

There are also some glitches, and I’ve experienced some crashes. Thankfully, the game autosaves so often that I barely lost any progress, but I did notice that crashes occured whenever there were too many enemies onscreen. Fighting foes isn’t exactly the most enticing thing to do, depending on your build, but the game would tend to either crash or have its framerate drop severely during those sections. And oh boy, if I ever dared to use an area-of-effect spell with particle and lighting effects… things wouldn’t end up well on my end.

I may have sounded overly harsh, but in reality, I actually enjoyed my time playing Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon IN SPITE of its many issues and bugs. It’s a fun world to explore, it’s an interesting lore to unveil, and, as previously mentioned, the story is actually really good. I can’t help but deeply respect a smaller team for coming up with what’s essentially their own take on The Elder Scrolls. That being said, those Bethesda RPGs have a certain charm and mojo that’s impossible to replicate. It’s a fun RPG to tackle if you’re currently looking for something akin to Oblivion and Skyrim, and especially if you’re a fan of anything related to King Arthur.

Graphics: 6.5 Some impressive vistas and cool assets, but it looks like a PS4 game at best. And sadly, its framerate is unacceptable, struggling to run at a stable rate, even though there’s a framerate cap meter in the pause menu. One which basically doesn’t work.	Gameplay: 7.0 It’s basically the control scheme and overall gameplay loop from the more modern The Elder Scrolls games, even including the part where you are constantly fighting with the game’s framerate.
Sound: 9.0 Considering the game’s scope and budget, the voice acting is pretty decent. Furthermore, the soundtrack is excellent.	Fun Factor: 7.5 A commendable effort by a small studio basically delivering their own Elder Scrolls game. There’s loads to do and explore, and the story isn’t half bad. Technical issues and an overall lack of creativity (it IS an Elder Scrolls game through and through) bring it down some notches.
Final Verdict: 7.5

Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is available now on PS5, Xbox Series S/X and PC.

Reviewed on PS5.

A copy of Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon was provided by the publisher.