1348 Ex Voto: A Lady Knight’s Quest Hindered by Poor Performance
When I first learned about 1348 Ex Voto, I was immediately captivated by its premise: a medieval Italian backdrop, intense sword fights, and a dark, dramatic narrative centered around a female knight, Aeta. The game, developed by Sedleo and released on March 12, 2026, for both PlayStation 5 and PC, promised an engaging journey through lawlessness and moral dilemmas. However, the reality of its performance on PC left much to be desired.
1348 Ex Voto places players in the shoes of Aeta, a young noblewoman who has lost her father to pestilence. As she navigates through the aftermath of her village’s massacre and the kidnapping of her closest friend, Bianca, Aeta’s quest challenges her resolve as a knight-errant. Armed with her longsword, she must confront her fears and fight for what she holds dear.
While the narrative holds promise, the experience is marred by significant performance issues on PC. As a gamer with a mid-range setup—including an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, an AMD Ryzen 7 5700X CPU, and 16GB of RAM—I anticipated a smoother experience. However, the game struggled, particularly at higher settings, leading to frustrating stutters and frame rate drops.
A Compelling Story Lacks Depth
At its core, the tale of Ex Voto revolves around themes of selflessness and moral conflict, common to chivalric stories. The narrative unfolds over nine relatively short chapters set against the rocky landscapes and lush woodlands of medieval Italy. Despite its compelling premise, the execution lacks emotional depth, leaving players wanting more from Aeta’s character development and her relationship with Bianca.
Although Aeta’s unwavering commitment to saving Bianca is central to the plot, the brief nature of the game means opportunities for deeper character exploration are limited. Players often identify Aeta’s vocal reflections on her quest to be more distracting than insightful, detracting from the immersive storytelling experience.
Performance Woes and Optimization Struggles
Upon launching 1348 Ex Voto, it became clear that performance issues plagued the game. Running at high settings resulted in frame rates plummeting to between 20 and 30 fps, while even medium settings produced noticeable stuttering. The only remedy was to reduce graphics to low settings, which, while boosting performance to around 60 fps, compromised the game’s visual fidelity, making characters appear less realistic.
These technical shortcomings not only hindered gameplay but also diminished the overall aesthetic experience that the developers aimed to deliver. Players seeking a visually stunning adventure may find themselves disappointed, as the game’s environment and character models lose their intended emotional weight when forced into low settings.
Combat Mechanics Shine Amidst Flaws
Despite its performance issues, Ex Voto‘s sword-fighting mechanics stand out as one of its strongest features. The combat system offers players two stances for the longsword, allowing for a range of tactical options. Players can engage in stylish, rewarding one-on-one battles that sense gratifying, especially when executing perfect parries.
The skill tree, which allows for various upgrades, adds depth to the combat, encouraging players to explore different fighting styles. However, the absence of power scaling means that by the time players reach the final boss, the challenge can feel diminished, and the mechanics may grow repetitive.
Final Thoughts
1348 Ex Voto presents an intriguing narrative set in a richly detailed world, but its poor optimization on PC significantly detracts from the overall experience. While the sword-fighting mechanics offer a redeeming quality, the lack of accessibility options and technical flaws may depart potential players hesitant. The PlayStation 5 version’s performance remains to be seen, and many are curious if it provides a more stable gaming experience.
As the gaming community continues to discuss Ex Voto, players are encouraged to share their experiences and thoughts on this medieval journey. Will the developers address these performance issues in future updates? Only time will tell.
