The Legend of Tianding

 PC
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 13 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 13
  3. Negative: 2 out of 13

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  1. Victor_Ziblis
    Nov 4, 2021
    9
    This is a lot of fun. What primarily makes it so for me? The story is not thrown in your face with a ton of exposition, which is a common mistake games make. Don't show me a 10 minute cinema screen at the beginning of a game, _let me play the damn game_. Now, that right there is a big plus, but the game itself? It's smooth and has a lot of potential for entertaining combos. Is it the mostThis is a lot of fun. What primarily makes it so for me? The story is not thrown in your face with a ton of exposition, which is a common mistake games make. Don't show me a 10 minute cinema screen at the beginning of a game, _let me play the damn game_. Now, that right there is a big plus, but the game itself? It's smooth and has a lot of potential for entertaining combos. Is it the most efficient to smack a guy a few times, kick him up in the air, yank him down with a scarf then one-inch punch his butt off a building side? Heck no. Is it fun? Heck yes!

    The story line does not, as I have heard others say "make light" of Japanese occupation of these places at all. What it does is show both the heroes and antagonists as (cartoon versions of) real people. It is awful that a woman is held as a courtesan against her will, but that doesn't mean she forgets how to laugh and care for others! The human condition is to try and find the best in life even when all you have is oppression. I like how this story reflects that.    … Expand
  2. GamingCouchSpud
    Nov 19, 2021
    8
    The Legend of Tianding is a hand drawn 2D side-scrolling platform/action game, you play as Liao Tianding, a legendary Taiwanese Folk Hero. Set in the early 1900s in Colonial Japanese Taiwan, this is the type of game that instantly grabs your attention.

    Let's take a quick look at the official story. "Based on real events, real people and real situations, The Legend of Tianding is an    The Legend of Tianding is a hand drawn 2D side-scrolling platform/action game, you play as Liao Tianding, a legendary Taiwanese Folk Hero. Set in the early 1900s in Colonial Japanese Taiwan, this is the type of game that instantly grabs your attention.

    Let's take a quick look at the official story.

    "Based on real events, real people and real situations, The Legend of Tianding is an exploration of a place and time often overlooked and presented in the style of Traditional Chinese Manga.

    Battle the colonial authorities in style with a tanto, waist sash, and fast paced Kung Fu in tightly tuned technical combat. Execute advanced aerial combos, steal weapons from your enemies, use your waist sash and grappling hook to fly around the battlefield, and strike fear into the hearts of your oppressors.
    Take on incredible bosses like deadly courtesans, greedy businessmen, and even military leaders, each one guaranteed to challenge you with their dynamic abilities and brutal attacks."

    You play in the Dadaocheng area of Taipei city, as mentioned earlier, everything is seemingly hand drawn, and although in general you play in a 2D manner, moving from cut scenes and menus, you do get a 3D view for a few moments, which is so well done. Everything is colourful and highly detailed.

    Although a platform game, fighting is a big part of the game, and you will quickly learn new styles and attacks as you play, as well as defensive techniques. You will explore underground as well as over ground, and even on moving trains, and not forgetting some pretty tough boss battles.

    The first boss fight you have is against Wang, now I have to come clean here, it took me a while to figure out how to beat him, as I clearly had not been paying attention, and didn't realise that when your health bar goes low, you can gain some health simply by pressing up on the d-pad. You will find save points throughout the game which also allows you to recover health, and store 3 health teas, or soups, not sure which, but you will take a sip of those in battle, and that will give you a health boost.

    Playing the game which is very much drawn in a "Retro Traditional Chinese Manga" style, at times it is like playing a comic book.

    Find talismans (talismen??) and upgrade your character, which in turn can also change your playstyle.

    The game does have a Robin Hood type element to it, steal from the rich, give to the poor, etc.

    The Good
    The graphics are outstanding, not enough can be said about that, just glorious to see. The gameplay is easy to pick up, the character easy to control, and you never feel overwhelmed as you learn new things.

    The Bad
    The text on screen you have to read through is a lot, conversations go on a bit, and sometimes you just want to actually play the game as opposed to reading a comic.

    Overall
    This is a really good action platformer, looks and plays brilliantly. Some great characters to interact and fight with. A good learning curve, and detailed story to be a part of.

    I score The Legend of Tianding on PC (Steam) a solid 8/10    … Expand
  3. yoshikakyo
    Dec 4, 2021
    10
    i can do it all day,very easy to play and fun.a lot of taiwan history.There is no incorrect historical view of brainwashing after the Kuomintang massacre
  4. AvisCheng9
    Dec 4, 2021
    10
    Very interesting! I think the characteristic of Tianding is cool. Also Tianding's skills are creative. Really had fun!
  5. shinder
    Dec 4, 2021
    10
    nice and fun game. lots history materials about Taiwan when occupied by Jappan

Awards & Rankings

22
#22 Best PC Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. Gamersky
    Dec 2, 2021
    79
    The Legend of Tianding is a sketch game of upper middle quality. There are some issues that will affect the game experience to a certain extent, such as the repetitive late miscellaneous battle, unclear mission guidance, bugs of individual levels in the design. But the refreshing experience of the plot, like reading the Hong Kong comics, is very unique.
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  2. Ragequit.gr
    Nov 22, 2021
    89
    The Legend of Tianding is a surprise game that we liked more than we expected. The level of production is high, while all its individual elements are harmoniously linked together (brawling, platforming, visual novel), accompanied by a quite interesting story and a likeable protagonist. For fans of the genre (and not only to them) it is highly recommended.
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  3. Softpedia
    Nov 16, 2021
    95
    The Legend of Tianding shows how indie developers can mix solid mechanics and cool history-based protagonists to deliver a fresh take on the classic side-scrolling brawler experience. The game is tough but fair, asking players to master a series of moves and constantly finding new ways to test their skills. I would have liked less backtracking and, maybe, more meaningful side quests but simply engaging with the core missions is very fun. The Taiwan historical setting mixes very well with the presentation. More developers should try to use universes that have not been previously explored to add another dimension to their titles. And all fans of the genre should play The Legend of Tianding to enjoy its many good ideas and great execution.
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