Ruinarch Review: Master of Mayhem, Victim of Its Own Limitations

by Luis April 27, 2025

When it comes to video games, nothing is more exciting than a fresh and innovative idea. It’s what keeps us coming back for more, eagerly anticipating the next big thing. However, sometimes, these unique concepts fail to deliver on their potential, leaving us feeling disappointed and let down. This appears to be the case with Ruinarch, a game that has been on our radar for a while and that we’ve finally sat down to play on Xbox.

Ruinarch Review: Master of Mayhem, Victim of Its Own Limitations

Many players have accused Ruinarch of being “abandoned” or released too early, but regardless of the reasons, the overall sentiment remains the same: disappointment. As much as I would love to declare that everyone is wrong and that Ruinarch is a misunderstood masterpiece, I must admit that it falls short of its potential. While it may have some redeeming qualities, its loose design fails to justify its promising ideas.

The concept of being an evil overlord, wreaking havoc and causing chaos, is not new in the gaming world. We’ve seen it before in games like Dungeon Keeper, where it was executed flawlessly. However, Ruinarch takes a slightly different approach, allowing players to manipulate and control the actions of both heroes and villains. It’s a unique and intriguing concept that has the potential to be a game-changer. Unfortunately, its execution fell short.

One of the main issues with Ruinarch is its lack of clear direction. The game provides players with a sandbox-style experience, allowing them to do whatever they want. While this may appeal to some, it can also lead to a lack of purpose and direction, leaving players feeling lost and unsure of what to do next. This lack of structure ultimately hinders the gameplay and prevents players from fully immersing themselves in the game.

On Xbox, this is even more challenging as the game is not console or controller friendly. There’s no UI scaling for text, making playing on the couch incredibly difficult, as the game includes a lot of text and stats to read. Worse, the controls mimic a mouse with a controller instead of creating a true console-friendly experience, making it very challenging to engage with the actual game itself.

Despite its flaws, Ruinarch does have its strengths. Its graphics are visually appealing, and manipulating opposing forces is undeniably intriguing. However, these strengths are insufficient to save the game from its disappointment. The game’s loose design and lack of direction ultimately undermine its potential and leave players feeling underwhelmed.

Ruinarch may have some redeeming qualities, but its loose design and lack of direction prevent it from reaching its full potential. It’s a shame that such a unique and promising concept fell short in its execution. In the end, Ruinarch may not have lived up to its potential, but it still holds a spark of creativity that we can only hope will be fully realized someday.