The time has come to roll for evolution. Critical Role Campaign 4 has arrived, and it’s Critical Role like you’ve never seen it before. There are new cast, new rules, and yes, a new Dungeon Master at the helm of the campaign. In 10 years of Critical Role, the series’ core campaigns have always been DM-ed by Matt Mercer, whose presence has become synonymous with the franchise. But in Critical Role Campaign 4, a change arrives at the table. Brennan Lee Mulligan officially takes the reins of this new adventure and will lead the party through the fantastical world of Aramán. And so, fans are no doubt wondering, what will the world of Critical Role look like as the page turns? Will this story live up to the moniker Critical Role? Well, we are happy to report that Critical Role Campaign 4 remains every bit as epic an adventure as ever before.
Here’s our review of Critical Role Campaign 4 episode one.
Critical Role Campaign 4 Sucks Us in with a Brand New Story
For those worried that a new world and new players will mean any dip in the quality of Critical Role Campaign 4‘s story, fear not. Even from just one episode of the new campaign, we already feel pulled into the story, riveted by its naunaced characters, eager to know what the world is hiding, teased by certain names and settings dropped but not explained, and overall on the edge of our seats at the conclusion of episode one.
Critical Role is always a four-hour-a-week commitment, after all, so we feel fairly certain that if the parts weren’t coming together, we’d know very quickly. And a first episode, as with any pilot, is always the hardest nut of all to crack. Can it balance introductions, world-building, exposition, and everything else that’s on its shoulders and STILL maintain a compelling plot that pulls its viewers deep into its world? The answer here is a resounding yes.
We’ll talk about it more in a little bit, but the new Critical Role Campaign 4 DM, Brennan Lee Mulligan, expertly manages to weave all the exposition necessary to kick the adventure off with really compelling character moments that blend from one to the next. Mulligan also skillfully encourages the story to ramp up, step by step, so that before we know it, we’ve been lured into its clutches, pondering at least five different mysteries that have been set up in front of us, almost without our awareness.
The Death of Thjazi Fang Kicks Off Critical Role Campaign 4
Critical Role Campaign 4 greatly benefits from having an incredibly strong story center. We don’t have to question how or why these 13 characters we meet connect to one another. Immediately, we know that every single character has an important relationship with a revolutionary hero known as Thjazi Fang. As Critical Role Campaign 4 opens, we learn that Thjazi Fang is set for execution by the noble families of the city of Dol-Makyar of Aramán, known as the Sundered Houses. But, around him, a slew of activity is in place to save his life. As we begin our tale, it seems like Thjazi Fang might succeed in cheating death. But despite the best efforts of those who know and love the warrior (a rogue/fighter orc), his execution happens as planned.
It’s at Thjazi Fang’s funeral that the main characters of Critical Role Campaign 4 first come together, all of them sensically drawn to one another by their connection to the now-dead man. Many of them, of course, are wondering the same thing: What went wrong in their plans? How was it that Thjazi Fang died despite all their best efforts? And this is what the audience is wondering too, leading everyone very naturally down the same path and into the heart of the story. It will be a long time before we know the truth of Thjazi Fang’s execution, but we are all ready to begin to uncover the mystery.
The Stone of Night Song Will Spur the Action of This Campaign
While the mystery of Thjazi Fang’s death looks at events that have already come to pass, “What went wrong in everyone’s plans?” Critical Role Campaign 4 also very quickly sets up a forward-looking story. An important artifact is introduced in the first episode of the new campaign, the Stone of Night Song. We don’t learn too much about this new artifact yet, but we come to understand that it was created by the Goddess of Life, Selendry, to ease the passing of her immortal children, the elves. At some point, Thjazi Fang stole this artifact from the Mourn Veil, ostensibly a realm of elves and fairies, alongside his pixie Thimble.
In Critical Role Campaign 4 episode one, we come to understand that this theft seems to have precipitated Thjazi Fang’s death in some way, and that there is more than one party interested in whatever power the Stone of Night Song holds. What Fang wanted from the Stone of Night Song, who has it now, and what powers it holds exactly, we’ll have to wait for more episodes of Critical Role Campaign 4 to explain to us. But… we feel intrigued.
Brennan Lee Mulligan Is a Generous and Compelling DM
Brennan Lee Mulligan is no stranger to the world of Dungeons & Dragons, nor to being a Dungeon Master. But, of course, stepping behind Critical Role‘s Dungeon Master’s Screen, a role so long held by Matt Mercer, is no easy feat. However, Brennan Lee Mulligan handles making the DM seat his own wonderfully, leading the story with a steady hand and a captivating tone.
Mulligan’s take on DM-ing highlights the beauty of the necessary push and pull in weaving a compelling Dungeons & Dragons tale. He knows exactly when to lean in, guiding the story with more presence and gravitas, and unveiling important plot moments, and when to lean out, allowing his player characters to build the world around them and become more realized presences. At all times, Mulligan is hyper-aware of what is happening with all his players and the story ahead of him. For instance, as soon as Travis Willingham announces that his character Teor Pridesire is constantly scanning his surroundings, Mulligan is there asking him for an Insight Check. That’s the kind of reactive DM-ing we like to see.
We also took special note of how Brennan Lee Mulligan was able to subtly inform and guide his Player Characters throughout the first episode, reminding them of important details and feeding them critical story information without breaking the flow of the narrative. There was a great naunce to Mulligan’s turn as DM in this first episode, and we appreciate how his work as DM set strong foundations for the story, allowing the players to feel supported and their characters to shine, while still challenging them appropriately.
Of course, we’d be remiss not to mention that in the first episode of Critical Role Campaign 4, Brennan Lee Mulligan totally crushes the introduction of all manner of NPCs. Our favorite is Lowza Blade, an ancient Orcish woman that not even death will touch. A true boss.
Matt Mercer and all the Original Critical Role Cast Shine in This New Era
But don’t worry, all these changes to Critical Role in Campaign 4 don’t mean that your favorites are out of the limelight. If anything, they’re back and better than ever. The original seven Critical Role players and Matt Mercer, now also a player at the table, are back in the mix during Campaign 4, and their characters are fantastic. You can absolutely sense that this team of actors is comprised of seasoned professionals who love playing together, enjoy weaving a world, and specialize in creating fascinating characters who are dimensional and unique. Even though there are more personalities at the table in Campaign 4, the team and friendship dynamic that made the first campaigns so special remains alive and well.
Not to mention, we can already tell that letting Matt Mercer focus on creating just one character of his own will yield only exceptional results. Sir Julien Davinos, you are a hater and a doubter, but we love you!
13 Critical Role Campaign 4 Players Mean More Adventures and Relationships
If the original eight of Critical Role are a phenomenal team, then the original eight plus five is phenomenal PLUS. 13 players might seem like a lot… But thanks to the Critical Role Campaign 4 West Marches style of play, this adventure can hold all of them. Initially, as in episode one, the players will all play together, but they will later break off into three smaller groups: the Seekers, the Soldiers, and the Schemers. Don’t worry, though; even in episode one, no more than eight players sit at the table at a time.
Adding the fresh faces of Luis Carazo, Robbie Daymond, Aabria Iyengar, Whitney Moore, and Alex Ward brings a welcome infusion of life to the world of Critical Role. Their presence opens up new options for character interactions, play styles, and more. And, of course, all of the above are seasoned players who know the core Critical Role team well—and the result is a very sensical extension of the table.
In our opinion, Aabria Iyengar’s Thaisha Lloy simply steals the scene at every available opportunity.
Critical Role Campaign 4 Is Paving the Way for the Future of the Franchise
What we see more than anything in Critical Role Campaign 4 episode one is the future of Critical Role. The campaign seems to pose the question: Is Critical Role the sum of its parts, or is it greater than that? And episode one answers: Greater.
Critical Role is not about a specific seven players playing, or a particular person DM-ing. It is about a legacy, it is about the craft, and it is about the love of tabletop role-playing games. Critical Role is very smart to keep its entire original cast at the table as it evolves, and likely for many games more. But it also seems to promise us that even if a day comes when the whole table changes over—we’d still be watching Critical Role and it would still be everything we loved.
Critical Role Campaign 4 premieres Thursdays at 7 pm PT on Beacon.tv and is streamed to Critical Role’s YouTube and Twitch channels at that time, with the VOD available for everyone the following Monday and podcast episodes available in two parts: the first one week after the premiere, and the second on the following Tuesday. In the meantime, don’t forget to go back to the beginning and enjoy all of Critical Role so far.
The post CRITICAL ROLE CAMPAIGN 4 Remains Wholly Compelling as It Turns a New Page (Review) appeared first on Nerdist.
This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak
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