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General discussionCelebrate the 20th anniversary of Nox with some of our favorite action RPG games(59 posts)(59 posts)
(59 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted January 31, 2020
Ready to feel old? It’s been 20 years since the action roleplaying game Nox released on computers. Yes, two decades!

Think about how much has changed in that time. We didn’t have iPhones, people were actually nice to each other on the internet (for the most part), and only about 360 million of us had internet.

Even so, Nox holds up today as a classic action/RPG hybrid with an engaging story and fun gameplay. If action RPGs are your style, definitely keep reading to learn more about Nox and other similar games that have released throughout the years.



Looking back at Nox
Developed by Westwood Pacific, Nox introduced players to a high fantasy parallel universe where you could choose between three unique classes and, in turn, stories. Its three different stories helped the title stand out, as did the title’s unique fog-of-war system called TrueSight. To this day, games are still using variations of the same system!

Framed as one of the most anticipated games at E3 in 1999, it was well-received by critics and gamers alike. It even got a free update in August 2000 that introduced multiplayer.

Nox helped define 20 years of hack’n'slash action RPGs
Even today, we still see elements that were introduced or improved upon in games like Nox and the original Diablo. To this day, these games have stood the test of time and continue to evolve and become bigger in scope than ever before. People love action RPGs and hack’n'slash titles so we thought it would be fun to look at some of the great offerings in the genre to help celebrate Nox’s 20th anniversary.

Check them out below!



Grim Dawn
One of the newer titles on the list, Grim Dawn is a heavily atmospheric action RPG (ARPG) with six classes to choose from. While six may not seem like a lot, Grim Dawn does something interesting by allowing you to multiclass into two different ones to create unique builds that are perfect for you.



Transistor
If you are looking for something with an amazing art style and fun gameplay, then Transistor should definitely be on your radar. Unlike many on the list that deals with doom and gloom and medieval-style fantasy, Transistor is set in a sci-fi universe and features a rich story and unique gameplay.



The Bard’s Tale IV
If you are looking for something a little less action, a little more RPG, then The Bard’s Tale IV: Director's Cut might be worth looking into. While previous games in the series were more focused on the dungeon crawling, the fourth brings more story and gives players the option to create parties with NPCs that fit your play style.



Soldak Entertainment
In case you didn’t realize, is not a game, but a game studio. Why include it on the list? For the team’s dedication to the genre! If zombies are your style, then definitely take the time to check out . If fantasy and strategy are more your speed, then [url=https://www.gog.com/game/depths_of_peril]Depths of Peril, Din’s Curse, and Din's Legacy definitely deserve your attention.



Gauntlet
Looking for a four-player action RPG game to enjoy? Enjoy battling darkness and building the perfect class? Gauntlet Slayer Edition is sure to impress! Gauntlet combines both fully-built levels and randomly-generated dungeons to create a unique game world to explore by yourself or with your friends.



Victor Vran
Another pretty deep title on the list, Victor Vran takes place in an atmospheric medieval world and allows players to play the game exactly how they want. Players build out their characters through powerful weapons, outfits that change your stats, demonic powers that are at your disposal, and destiny cards that can change the flow of battle in an instance.



Titan Quest
Titan Quest Anniversary Edition is a game about the battle of good versus evil and if Greek mythology is something you enjoy, this action RPG is definitely worth checking out. It allows you to explore the ancient world, including places like the Parthenon, Great Pyramids, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and more.



Sacred Gold
What do you do when Orcish hordes and Undead legions are running wild and must be stopped? Well, in Sacred Gold, you choose from one of eight classes (included Dwarf, Gladiator, Wood Elf, and more) to combat the evil forces that have fallen on the kingdom. With hundreds of weapons, items, and more to collect, there is plenty here to keep you busy.

If you are looking for a new action RPG to enjoy and don’t know where to start - together with Nox, these 10 titles are all solid choices. Whether it is medieval, sci-fi, or mythology, there is something here for everyone.

What are your favorite action RPGs? Let us know in the comments below!
Posted February 01, 2020
Played Nox more than a decade ago, it was from there iirc and still want to try other classes beside basic warrior.
Guess it's time..

Grim Dawn + addons is perfect, testing Reign of Terror and it's incredible, had more fun than D2 provided for me.
Posted February 01, 2020
Ya'll need to seriously through some love at The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing: Final Cut If anything GOG listed above make you happy look into this game... it has everything and then some.

Its one of the few games to hold my attention longer then a few days, i spent the time to actually beat the game. And i still want to go back and do it again. Fantastic title!
Posted February 01, 2020
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djoxyk: I don't know what is good about Pillars of Eternity (if that's what you meant). That Unity garbage can't even get controls properly, not to mention it is fake turn based in fights.
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teceem: Maybe... because... it's RTwP, and not turn based at all.

Path of Exile is a stupid hack n slash with internet people in it.
right, "not turn based at all" :) tell it to someone who never played this garbage. you need to use pause every single move if you want to survive, it's even worse than turn based fight where game pauses for you. Obsidian can't even code this simple feature so we had to mash pause button every time.
Post edited February 01, 2020 by djoxyk
Posted February 01, 2020
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djoxyk: right, "not turn based at all" :) tell it to someone who never played this garbage. you need to use pause every single move if you want to survive, it's even worse than turn based fight where game pauses for you. Obsidian can't even code this simple feature so we had to mash pause button every time.
It's been a while that I played it, but I see many Auto-Pause options:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/uploads.forums.obsidian.net/monthly_01_2015/post-51479-0-18316700-1421880548.jpg
Posted February 01, 2020
So Grim Dawn or Victor Vran worth the money ?

Is this comparison true ?

[url=https://www.slant.co/versus/8472/19531/~grim-dawn_vs_victor-vran-arpg]https://www.slant.co/versus/8472/19531/~grim-dawn_vs_victor-vran-arpg[/url]
Post edited February 01, 2020 by i_hope_you_rot
Posted February 01, 2020
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djoxyk: right, "not turn based at all" :) tell it to someone who never played this garbage. you need to use pause every single move if you want to survive, it's even worse than turn based fight where game pauses for you. Obsidian can't even code this simple feature so we had to mash pause button every time.
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teceem: It's been a while that I played it, but I see many Auto-Pause options:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/uploads.forums.obsidian.net/monthly_01_2015/post-51479-0-18316700-1421880548.jpg
these settings are not about fight.
Posted February 01, 2020
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djoxyk: these settings are not about fight.
They're not? Why do I see quite a few combat related options then?

Auto-Pause
... Character Death
... Character Damage
... Low Health
... Enemy spotted
Etc. Etc.

Right, not about fight at all...
Posted February 01, 2020
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djoxyk: these settings are not about fight.
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teceem: They're not? Why do I see quite a few combat related options then?

Auto-Pause
... Character Death
... Character Damage
... Low Health
... Enemy spotted
Etc. Etc.

Right, not about fight at all...
how it will help you to command your party during the fight? you still need to manually pause every other second and give orders to your party, otherwise they will perform terribly and more likely will die. that's why I said this is fake turn based fights, you can't play it like action RPG (in real time) and you can't play it in proper turn-based setting, with turns, where everyone does 1 action and you have time for an action. nah, this is garbage and I'm not changing my opinion.
Posted February 01, 2020
Victorn Vran and Nox are standing out as different in the H'n'S genre, but still has the same feel as those more similar to Diablo. Each in their different way.

I disagree heavily that Transistor and Bard's Tale IV should be counted as similar though.
It's like putting NieR Automata or Devil May Cry in the list.
Then again, I can't remember if there was loot in Nox. It was 20 years since I played it so..
That simple exclusion could further distance it from H'n'S games like Diablo.

A forgotten H'n'S that has my praise is Harbinger.
I also enjoy Sacred 1&2, Dungeon Siege 1&2, Diablo 1&2, Torchlight 1&2, Titan Quest, and The Incredible Adventures of Helsing.

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i_hope_you_rot: So Grim Dawn or Victor Vran worth the money ?

Is this comparison true ?

[url=https://www.slant.co/versus/8472/19531/~grim-dawn_vs_victor-vran-arpg]https://www.slant.co/versus/8472/19531/~grim-dawn_vs_victor-vran-arpg[/url]
Grim Dawn is the most H'n'S of them. That is, similar to Diablo.
It also has modding, and a greater variety of classes and loot, not to mention larger maps.

Victor Vran is not your average H'n'S though. It's different enough that you can't adequately compare them.
Victor Vran's character is controlled with WASD instead of mouse-clicking. With some jumping acrobatics thrown in.
It also offers cards as items you can run through a Horadric cube to upgrade..on top of adding other spells or charms on it. The level maps themselves have extra goals/difficulties that you can replay again and again to get better loot.

If you can, you really should get both of them!
Post edited February 01, 2020 by Vendor-Lazarus
Posted February 01, 2020
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djoxyk: how it will help you to command your party during the fight? you still need to manually pause every other second and give orders to your party, otherwise they will perform terribly and more likely will die. that's why I said this is fake turn based fights, you can't play it like action RPG (in real time) and you can't play it in proper turn-based setting, with turns, where everyone does 1 action and you have time for an action. nah, this is garbage and I'm not changing my opinion.
I'm not trying to convince you to like it. I'm just trying to say that RTwP is a real game mechanic (an established one even). It's not bad real-time or fake turn based, it's its own thing. Many people don't like it, but many people do. You've heard of Baldur's Gate right?

I like them all; they all have their positive and
negative sides:
Real-time: doesn't allow for more tactical play, focuses too much on reflexes, hard to control more than one character.
Turn based: can be really slow and push away the adventure / narrative.
RTwP: Easy to lose control in the chaos of the battle.
Posted February 02, 2020
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teceem: Turn based: can be really slow and push away the adventure / narrative.
But it doesn't have to be slow, and any sort of combat can push away the adventure/narrative.

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teceem: I'm not trying to convince you to like it. I'm just trying to say that RTwP is a real game mechanic (an established one even). It's not bad real-time or fake turn based, it's its own thing. Many people don't like it, but many people do. You've heard of Baldur's Gate right?
I've heard of Baldur's Gate, tried playing it, and didn't like it.
Post edited February 02, 2020 by dtgreene
Posted February 02, 2020
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dtgreene: But it doesn't have to be slow, and any sort of combat can push away the adventure/narrative.
It doesn't have to be; in some games it's slower than in others. The system is more inviting to slow tactical managing (depending on the player) than RTwP is.
Yes, every sort of combat can push away the adventure/narrative, but there are gradations. I once tried FF7 (not a fan) - that game felt like endless stretches of one (random) battle after the other until I stopped caring about the rest of the game.
But I like them all, and they all have their up and downsides (IMO!).

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dtgreene: I've heard of Baldur's Gate, tried playing it, and didn't like it.
I'm not surprised. :-P


Just wondering: HOMM... if you had to stick one genre to it - Strategy game or RPG?
Post edited February 02, 2020 by teceem
Posted February 02, 2020
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teceem: Just wondering: HOMM... if you had to stick one genre to it - Strategy game or RPG?
Haven't played it, but from what I know about it, I would classify it as strategy.

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teceem: I once tried FF7 (not a fan) - that game felt like endless stretches of one (random) battle after the other until I stopped caring about the rest of the game.
I also don't like FF7, but for entirely different reasons. The thing is, however, that I love earlier games in that series, particularly Final Fantasy 5.

By the way, other games that are popular in the series that I don't really like include Ultima 7 (bad game) and Dragon Quest 5 and 8 (not bad games, but not as good as other games in the series; also, when judged from a feminist perspective, DQ4 > DQ5, and it's not even close).
Post edited February 02, 2020 by dtgreene
Posted February 02, 2020
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dtgreene: Haven't played it...
I think you might like it a lot! (especially 1-3)
If you like the style of fantasy... it isn't very Japanese.

I don't dislike JRPGs at all... but some of that (later?) kawaii crap... neh!
Posted February 02, 2020
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dtgreene: Haven't played it...
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teceem: I think you might like it a lot! (especially 1-3)
If you like the style of fantasy... it isn't very Japanese.

I don't dislike JRPGs at all... but some of that (later?) kawaii crap... neh!
Honestly, I'm not really into strategy games or SRPGs; battles take too long for my tastes, and I actually don't like having to deal with positioning. I generally prefer non-tactical RPGs where you never have to issue movement orders or that sort of thing.

The main attraction of the Disgaea series to me wasn't the tactical combat with mechanics like throwing, or the anime cast and silly storyline, or even the Geopanel puzzles (though they were a good mechanic); it was the high numbers that appear in the post-game. It's not often that you see a game where it's possible to deal 6 or 7 digits of damage *without* killing the target.

As for what type of fantasy I like, I think I like some less conventional settings, such as:
* High-tech fantasy, where you have guns and futuristic weaponry as well as magic, and where there's no mechanic or in-game rule that would make them conflict. (Seen in early SaGa and SaGa Frontier, although robots don't get magic (except that the SaGa 2 remake added magical circuits that allow robots to cast spells effectively). On the other hand, I don't like Arcanum's "magic and technology confict" mechanic.)
* Common magic settings, where nearly everyone can use magic, and the use of magic is a part of daily life. (SaGa Frontier 2 is an example of this; there's only one playable character who can't use magic, and that character's inability to use magic, while it has the obvious gameplay effect, seems to have a bigger influence in the plot than in the gamepaly.)
* I prefer ancient or prehistoric fantasy to the more common medieval fantasy. (Example of ancient world fantasy would be Romancing SaGa 1 and its remake; while there is one kingdom modeled after medieval times, the world as a whole has an ancient world vibe, with the sort of things you'd expect to see in ancient mythology.)
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Community
General discussionCelebrate the 20th anniversary of Nox with some of our favorite action RPG games(59 posts)(59 posts)
(59 posts)