NONE SHALL INTRUDE REVIEW: WHEN RAID BOSS DREAMS MEET UNFINISHED SCHEMES
Ever wondered what it would be like to be the raid boss instead of the hero? None Shall Intrude answers that question with a deck-building roguelite that has more potential than a dragon's hoard and more rough edges than its scales.
PLAYING WITH FIRE (AND EARTH, AND WIND...)
The game's elemental combo system is its crown jewel. Combining different elements to create devastating effects feels genuinely satisfying when it works. Setting tiles ablaze with fire, spreading chaos with wind, and creating explosive traps with earth gives you that true "fear me, mortals" feeling. There are 18 possible tile interactions to discover, and finding new combinations feels like opening presents on Destruction Day.
But like a dragon with performance anxiety, the system doesn't always deliver. Sometimes cards refuse to play nice with each other, and there's no preview system to show what combinations will do. Want to know if that wind spell will spread fire or just embarrass you? Better memorize the combination chart or keep pulling it up like a tourist with a map.
THE TALENT CONUNDRUM
The progression system is more unbalanced than a seesaw with a giant on one end. Early talents can turn you from a threatening dragon into an apocalyptic force of nature faster than you can say "game balance." Trading 200 attack for reduced elemental card costs? Congratulations, you've just broken the game's economy harder than a dragon crashing through a bank vault.
Some builds are so overwhelmingly powerful that they make you feel less like a fearsome raid boss and more like you've discovered an exploit. The wind-based builds, in particular, can turn the game into a breezy walk through a park rather than the challenging power fantasy it aims to be.
TECHNICAL TRIBULATIONS
For a game about being an unstoppable force of nature, None Shall Intrude sure trips over its own tail a lot. The bug list is longer than a dragon's shopping list:
Music that randomly decides to take unscheduled breaks
Missing sound effects that make your mighty roar feel more like a whisper
Cards that sometimes vanish into the digital void
Animations that stutter more than a nervous knight
UI elements that play hide and seek when they should be front and center
THE CONTENT CANYON
Here's where the game's fire really starts to sputter. The entire experience can be completed in about three hours - shorter than most dragons' afternoon naps. The map teases vast territories to conquer, but much of it feels like window dressing. Optional bosses appear more frequently than reasonable excuses for burning down villages, and the variety in encounters wouldn't fill a peasant's coin purse.
BOSS MECHANICS: ALMOST GREATNESS
The three-phase boss system is genuinely clever. As you take damage, you unlock new powers that make you more threatening - a brilliant representation of the "boss gets stronger as the fight goes on" trope from the other side. With 24 unique powers to unlock and the ability to combine up to four of them, there's real potential for creating your perfect raid boss persona.
But like a dragon's first attempt at cooking, it's not quite fully baked. The powers vary wildly in usefulness, and some combinations can trivialize challenges while others leave you feeling about as threatening as a sleepy lizard.
RELIC HUNTING
The relic system adds another layer of customization, but it's as unbalanced as a dragon trying to tiptoe. Some relics turn you into an unstoppable force of destruction, while others feel about as useful as fireproof matches. Stack the right tornado relics, and suddenly you're not so much playing the game as watching it play itself.
THE BOTTOM LINE
None Shall Intrude is like a dragon egg that hatched too early - all the parts for greatness are there, but it needed more time to develop. The core concept of being the raid boss is brilliant, and when the systems work together, it delivers moments of genuine "bow before me, mortals" satisfaction. But the technical issues, severe balance problems, and limited content make it feel more like a promising Early Access title than a fully released game.
If the developers keep working on it, this could evolve into something truly special. But right now, it's hard to recommend at full price unless you're really keen on living out your dragon raid boss fantasies and can tolerate some serious rough edges.
Score: 6/10 - Like a dragon that skipped finishing school: great potential, questionable execution, needs more polish than a knight's armor collection.