Agree with the above, the itemization is cool and interesting and there are just so many layers of "building".
In Kingmaker, with the pressure to optimise every single little bit of time to get the best out of kingdom management the gameplay (for me) is very often:
1. Buff tank/pet for AC, other buffs for +AB/situational resistances
2. Send forward pet
3. charge in with others, fire with bows, and maybe throw a couple of encounter ending spells
4. on to the next one
For me kingmaker is all about rationing, which I feel is quite "DnD". A lot of the challenge with the encounters in Chapter 1+2 comes from that rationing and the desire for optimizing kingdom management via micro time-saves while adventuring "Can I push anothe encounter/ Can I do this while fatigued?" That sort of stuff.
Wrath on the other hand goes a bit like this:
1. Cast every damn buff you have
2. Summon 30+ monsters
3. Smash into the enemy like the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs, throwing spells up the wazoo like your life depends on it.
4. Hopefully you survived, channel some energy to heal up, resurrect anyone who needs to be brought back to life
5. Dash to next encounter, repeat
6. Rest when everything is out, start the cycle again
I feel in WotR very often you need to throw everything you have, and you can rest constantly, unlike kingmaker (yes there is corruption but you can still get 3-4+ rests in, even in the largest dungeons if you need.)
Sometimes in WotR I feel like one of those WHFB goblin fanatics, swinging a giant ball and chain around uncontrollably scattering enemies and allies alike all hopped up on fungus beer. I love both but I am reminded of someone who posted about the Siege of Drezen that hours later they were physically exausted by the end of it, like they had just gone 20 rounds with the DM equivilent of Mike Tyson.
thegameawards.com
. But Action RPGs are afaik so much more popular than any sort of isometric cRPG.
