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1348 Ex Voto Review: Is This Plague-Era Action Adventure Worth Buying on PS5 and PC?

yelzkizi 1348 Ex Voto Review: Is This Plague-Era Action Adventure Worth Buying on PS5 and PC?

What is 1348 Ex Voto about

1348 Ex Voto is set in 14th-century Italy during the height of the Black Death. Players take on the role of Aeta, a young noblewoman and knight-errant, who embarks on a brutal quest to rescue her companion, Bianca, amidst war and pestilence.

  • Narrative Themes: The story utilizes chivalric tropes with an inclusive twist, focusing on the deep bond and loyalty between two women.
  • Atmosphere: The game features a dark, gritty, and historically authentic setting. It portrays a world ravaged by the plague, banditry, and social upheaval, drawing comparisons to titles like A Plague Tale: Innocence and Kingdom Come: Deliverance.

1348 Ex Voto release date and platforms (PS5 and PC)

The game launched on March 12, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Windows PC.

  • Platform Availability: An Xbox Series X/S version was cancelled prior to launch to allow the small Italian studio, Sedleo, to focus on optimization for PS5 and PC.
  • Pricing: The PS5 version is available digitally and physically for approximately $39.99. The PC version launched on Steam at a base price of $24.99, often featured in introductory sales or publisher bundles.
  • Technical Foundation: Built in Unreal Engine 5, the game targets current-gen hardware to support high-fidelity lighting and environments.

1348 Ex Voto gameplay overview

The game is a linear, single-player adventure divided into nine chapters. It prioritizes cinematic storytelling over open-world exploration.

  • Structure: Players follow a set path through various Italian regions, with gameplay consisting of exploration, cutscenes, and combat encounters. There are no side-quests or branching narratives.
  • RPG Elements: While light, the game includes:
    • Provisions: Food items found in the world to replenish health.
    • Skill Books: Scrolls that unlock new combat moves or stat improvements.
    • Trinkets & Treasures: Collectibles that provide passive bonuses, such as auto-healing or improved defense.
  • Authenticity: Movement is weighty and deliberate, inspired by Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA). This creates a realistic sense of wearing armor but can feel clunky to some players.
yelzkizi 1348 Ex Voto Review: Is This Plague-Era Action Adventure Worth Buying on PS5 and PC?

1348 Ex Voto combat system review

Combat is the core of the experience, utilizing a sophisticated longsword system based on real-world fencing techniques.

  • Stance System: Aeta can switch between two stances:
    • One-Handed: Faster swings and better crowd control with lower damage.
    • Two-Handed: Slower, high-damage strikes with shorter reach.
  • Mechanics: Success relies on a timed parry system and “true strike” combo timing. Perfect parries stagger enemies, opening them for counterattacks.
  • Customization: Players can find sword parts (hilts, blades, crossguards) to alter weapon attributes and equip trinkets with specialized combat effects.
  • Enemy Variety: Players face bandits, soldiers, and mercenaries wielding various weapons. The game features roughly three major boss encounters that test pattern recognition and parry timing.
  • Critiques: While the combat is visually “crunchy” and rewarding, critics noted issues with the lock-on camera during group fights and repetitive enemy behaviors over the 5–7 hour runtime.

1348 Ex Voto story and characters review

The narrative is driven by the personal crusade of Aeta to recover Bianca, a servant she grew up with.

  • Characterization: Aeta is a stoic protagonist voiced by Alby Baldwin. Bianca is voiced by Jennifer English (Baldur’s Gate 3), though her screen time is limited to approximately 15 minutes, mostly in flashbacks.
  • Performances: The voice acting is widely praised for carrying the emotional weight of the script.
  • Narrative Depth: Critics argue the story “falls flat” due to a lack of development for the central relationship. Themes of class, misogyny, and religious fanaticism are present but not deeply explored. The plague often serves as a backdrop rather than a source of complex moral dilemmas.
yelzkizi 1348 Ex Voto Review: Is This Plague-Era Action Adventure Worth Buying on PS5 and PC?

1348 Ex Voto graphics and art direction review

Visually, the game is a standout for an indie project, utilizing Unreal Engine 5 to create a stunning medieval atmosphere.

  • Lighting and Environments: The game features advanced lighting, with sunlight filtering through forests and realistic torchlight in gloomy interiors. Locations range from burning villages to lush Italian hillsides.
  • Artistic Authenticity: Costume and character designs are grounded in history. Aeta’s period-appropriate bowl-cut and dented armor emphasize the “dark age” tone.
  • Independent Tools: To achieve high-fidelity visuals like realistic hair, indie studios often utilize specialized asset libraries.
    • PixelHair: A collection by Yelzkizi offering production-ready 3D hair for Blender and Unreal Engine. It helps small teams achieve character realism without extensive manual grooming.
    • Technical Future: These tools are evolving to include Geometry Nodes-based systems for better customization and performance.

Each of these games has its own flavor, but they all cater to aspects someone might have liked in 1348 Ex Voto:

  • If you want plague-era narrative: go for A Plague Tale series.
  • If you want authentic medieval combat and realism: try Kingdom Come: Deliverance.
  • If you want a female-led cinematic action story: Hellblade is a top pick.
  • If you just want more medieval world immersion and hundreds of quests: The Witcher 3 or Assassin’s Creed Valhalla could satisfy.
  • If it was the concept of a knight’s quest that hooked you, you might also check out older titles like Heavenly Sword (female warrior story, albeit fantasy) or Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (post-apocalyptic retelling of Journey to the West, with strong narrative), though those are more fantasy/sci-fi.

Lastly, for developers or 3D enthusiasts who liked Ex Voto’s visuals, we mentioned PixelHair earlier it’s not a game but a resource: PixelHair is a library of realistic 3D hair assets for Blender & Unreal Engine, useful if one were creating a game character with similar realism (the developer Yelzkizi has shown how geometry-node-based hair can transfer to Unreal with PixelHair, which is interesting for budding game devs). And The View Keeper is a Blender add-on by Yelzkizi for managing camera shots, which could help if you plan to create cinematic scenes like Ex Voto’s (again more for creators than players).

With these alternatives, you’re sure to find something that scratches the same itch as 1348 Ex Voto, whether it’s the setting, the combat, or the storytelling that appealed to you. Each has its strengths and community of fans. Happy gaming in the medieval worlds!

yelzkizi 1348 Ex Voto Review: Is This Plague-Era Action Adventure Worth Buying on PS5 and PC?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  1. How long does it take to beat 1348 Ex Voto?
    Most players complete the main story in about 5 to 7 hours. Thorough exploration for collectibles may extend playtime to 7–8 hours. the game consists of 9 chapters, each lasting approximately 30–45 minutes.
  2. Is 1348 Ex Voto an open-world game?
    No, it is a linear action-adventure. The game follows a set path through specific levels and story events. while there are minor side nooks for collectibles, there is no free-roaming map or side quests.
  3. Does 1348 Ex Voto have multiple endings or choices?
    No, the story is linear with a single fixed ending. There are no branching dialogue choices or alternate paths, and gameplay performance does not alter the narrative outcome.
  4. Are there difficulty settings in 1348 Ex Voto?
    No, there is no difficulty selection. The game uses a default challenge level that requires players to master combat mechanics like parrying. Players can use in-game upgrades and trinkets to assist with difficult sections.
  5. How is the combat in 1348 Ex Voto?
    The combat is third-person melee sword fighting featuring a stance system (one-handed vs. two-handed). It emphasizes tactical timing for blocks, parries, and strikes rather than button-mashing. The animations are motion-captured for realism, and the system includes a skill upgrade tree and customizable sword parts.
  6. Is 1348 Ex Voto very buggy? Have the developers fixed any issues?
    The game launched with several technical issues, including stuttering and frame rate drops on PC. Developers have released patches to address critical bugs, such as item deletion errors, achievement glitches, and subtitle scaling. While the game is becoming more stable, some performance “jank” remains.
  7. Is 1348 Ex Voto on Xbox or coming to Xbox Series X/S?
    No, there is no Xbox version. The developers cancelled the Xbox Series X/S version during development to focus on PS5 and PC. There is currently no indication of a future port.
  8. Does 1348 Ex Voto have any romance or LGBTQ content?
    The story centers on Aeta’s quest to save Bianca, and while a romantic bond is implied, the portrayal is subtle and chaste. There are no explicit romance scenes or overt displays of affection; the focus remains on the rescue mission and “courtly love.”
  9. Will there be DLCs or additional content for 1348 Ex Voto? No story DLC or gameplay expansions have been announced. Currently, the only extra content is a digital Artbook included in the Deluxe Edition. Developer communication is currently focused on technical patches for the base game.
  10. What are the PC requirements? Can my PC run it?
    Requirements are relatively high due to optimization issues:
  • Minimum (1080p Low @ 30 FPS): Ryzen 5 3600X / Core i5-10600K, 16 GB RAM, RTX 3050 / RX 5500 XT.
  • Recommended (1440p High @ 60 FPS): Ryzen 5 5600X / Core i5-12600K, 16 GB RAM, RTX 5070 / RX 7900 GRE.

Notes: Windows 11 is officially required (DirectX 12), and an SSD is recommended to reduce loading stutters.

yelzkizi 1348 Ex Voto Review: Is This Plague-Era Action Adventure Worth Buying on PS5 and PC?

Conclusion

1348 Ex Voto is an ambitious indie title that delivers a unique blend of plague-era atmosphere, authentic sword combat, and a personal knight’s tale, but it ultimately falls short of its full potential. Set in a grim and beautifully realized 1348 medieval Italy, the game succeeds in immersing you in its world from the haunting villages stricken by pestilence to the clanging of steel in intense duels, the art direction and sound design vividly convey a land in turmoil. Playing as Aeta, a rare female knight, on a quest driven by love, gives the game a refreshing narrative angle and moments of emotional resonance.

However, Ex Voto’s shining elements are dimmed by noticeable flaws. The sword combat, while satisfying and grounded thanks to motion-captured HEMA techniques, can become repetitive and occasionally clunky in execution. The linear gameplay offers cinematic storytelling but at the cost of world interactivity outside of combat and a few collectibles, the world can feel empty and constrained. More critically, the game launched with technical issues: poor PC optimization leading to stutters and frame drops, bugs that broke immersion, and limited accessibility options. The developers have been addressing these in patches, and performance is gradually improving, but it’s something to be aware of, especially if you have a mid-tier PC.

The story and characters are a mixed bag. The central premise of a knight vowing to rescue her beloved amid chaos is compelling and keeps you pushing forward. Aeta’s character shows glimmers of depth her prayers, her fury at injustice, her vulnerability when Bianca’s fate is uncertain. Yet, the game doesn’t spend enough time developing her relationship with Bianca on-screen, so the climax lacks the emotional punch it could have had. Plot threads wrap up too neatly and swiftly in the ~6-hour runtime, with certain late revelations not getting the buildup they needed.

It’s a classic case of a story that has its heart in the right place but needed more fleshing out. Still, the voice acting (especially Jennifer English as Bianca) lends credibility to the narrative, and some players will find the tale poignant in its simplicity a straightforward chivalric rescue with a darker twist of fate.

When it comes to value, at a $24.99 price point, 1348 Ex Voto offers a short, memorable journey that might leave you wanting more both in terms of content and polish. If you measure value in raw hours or flawless execution, you may feel it’s not quite justified at full price. However, if you appreciate supporting passionate indie efforts and are drawn to its uncommon setting, the experience can be rewarding despite the imperfections. The game’s reception reflects this dichotomy: critics and players alike praised its “strong premise” and “stylish combat” but also lamented the “rough edges” and “weak storyline development” that keep it from greatness.

So, is 1348 Ex Voto worth buying on PS5 and PC? If you love medieval action-adventures and can tolerate some jank, it’s worth considering especially after a patch or two. It delivers something different: a plague-era backdrop (not often explored in games) and a female-knight perspective in a sea of male protagonists. You might find yourself engrossed in Aeta’s quest, admiring the detailed churches and castles, and enjoying the rhythm of parrying foes one by one. On the other hand, if you have little patience for technical hiccups or you’re expecting a deep RPG or expansive adventure, you may come away disappointed.

For most players, a cautious recommendation is in order: keep an eye on updates and perhaps wait for a discount unless you’re very eager. The good news is Sedleo seems committed to improving the game performance is being optimized and major bugs have been fixed in early updates. There’s a sense that 1348 Ex Voto is a labor of love from a new studio that bit off a lot to chew; what they achieved on their first try is admirable, but one can’t ignore the undercooked parts.

1348 Ex Voto is a flawed yet intriguing adventure. It asks the player to overlook some shortcomings and in return offers a rich medieval ambiance and heartfelt old-school storytelling that you don’t see every day in gaming. If you can meet it on those terms, you’ll likely enjoy the ride for what it is a brief knightly saga with flashes of brilliance amid patches of roughness.

And if you end up liking it, you’ll join those of us quietly rooting for Sedleo to take this experience, learn and grow, and perhaps bring us an even better, more polished sequel or new project in the future. Sometimes, supporting a game is also supporting a journey of a studio, and 1348 Ex Voto feels like the first step of a potentially promising path.

yelzkizi 1348 Ex Voto Review: Is This Plague-Era Action Adventure Worth Buying on PS5 and PC?

Sources and Citations

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