Bellwright just released its biggest update yet, which adds a brand-new character creator, new weapons, caravans, a trading system, fortifications, and, of course, the most significant addition: the new Halmare Isles map.

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Bellwright is a survival RPG that combines settlement building and medieval warfare. In the game, you take on the role of a commoner who’s been falsely accused of murdering a noble. After many years in hiding, you return to your homeland to uncover a conspiracy and lead a rebellion against tyrannical rulers.

To give more personality to your character, the developers have introduced a new character creator, which offers plenty of customization options to make yourself look good. You can adjust your body type and make yourself look slim or muscular. Now, where the character creator truly shines is face customization, with numerous ways to shape your character down to the tiniest detail. Even though I’d love some tattoos and accessories to create a more Viking-style appearance, I think the character creator does its job.

Yet, no matter how pretty your character looks, the world of Bellwright is harsh. You have to survive and build yourself up from scraps to become a lord worthy of his name. So you pick up sticks, stones, and other basic resources to build a camp.

Eventually, after hours of dedication, your humble abode turns into a thriving settlement full of villagers, houses, and an army following your lead.

And of course, what is a good settlement without fortifications? In the Maiden Voyage update, the developers have introduced defensive fortifications, which allow you to build walls and gates to protect your village and fight invaders from above. That’s assuming you don’t miss your targets.

To expand your influence over the region, having a strong economy and good business ties with your allies is of crucial importance. The game now offers caravans and a trading system. The market is useful for buying and selling goods, while caravan stations allow you to build trade routes and construct carts. You can even pull a cart yourself.

However, it’s much more effective to assign villagers to a caravaneer position and make them transport goods for you between outposts or trade with other neighboring villages. Traveling caravans can be attacked, so it’s important to ensure that they’re well protected. Otherwise, the goods may end up stolen by bandits and need to be recovered. I think enemies being able to steal your stuff is an interesting mechanic and I’d like to see it used more in survival games.

Now, the biggest addition of this update is the introduction of the Halmare Isles map, which can be reached by sailing a ship. But before traveling to the new region, it’s worth preparing for the journey because it’s a high-level zone.

Good equipment is essential for surviving on Halmare Isles, and the developers added two new weapons: spear and crossbow.

The spear does the job when you want to keep your distance while fighting. However, it feels a bit underpowered compared to other weapons as it deals pretty low damage, and maybe it will have more use in future updates. I’ve heard cavalry could be introduced to the game later on and the spear would definitely have better use in mounted combat.

The crossbow is a powerful yet slow ranged weapon, which can make battles at closer range quite tricky. Due to its slow reload speed, it’s best to stay far from your target. I think it works well in base-defense sieges, where you can shoot safely from the walls.

The recently introduced fishing system features multiple mini-games and a variety of fish to catch. It’s not only a good source of food but also a relaxing activity after a long day of fighting.

When you are well-fed and prepared, it’s time to bring your army on board to conquer the new land.

Unlike the first map of Karvenia, where building a settlement is one of your main priorities, Halmare Isles is an expedition map focused on exploration and faction conflict. This new region is a breath of fresh air for those who want to get away from settlement management and just explore, enjoy the new storyline, and put your best gear to the test, as this is currently the most difficult region in the game.

On the new map, you will find larger settlements with distinct architecture and new places to explore. The biggest town in the region is Cragkeep castle, which is a highly populated area with a lot going on. As you run around the towns, you will find NPCs who share their story and give you quests to complete. This helps uncover more of the game’s story, the conflict between factions, and how you can be part of it.

While traversing the wilderness, you can run into new wildlife such as goats or foxes. However, there are also more hostile animals like feral dogs or bears who attack on sight, so be careful while exploring.

My favorite locations on the Halmare Isles are the beaches. You can find useful ingredients there such as lemons and olives. I think Bellwright has some of the most impressive beaches I’ve seen in survival games.

However, the area next to the sea is not always calm and you can run into bandit camps, especially as you explore the northern side of the island. The army you arrived with will be of good use when clearing these camps.

So the big question still stands: is Bellwright worth playing now?

If you enjoy settlement-building games with a heavy focus on combat, Bellwright is definitely worth checking out. And of course, if you like a relaxing experience focused on building, you can customize settings to make the combat more forgiving. What I personally like about Bellwright is that it offers more than just managing your settlement, you can just go out on an adventure and explore a beautiful world.

These are my impressions of the new Maiden Voyage update for Bellwright, and I’m looking forward to what the developers are going to come up with next.

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