Prince of Qin

For all that want to play in higher resolutions there is widescreen fix. You just download it, open the file and take poe.exe for desired resolution and copy it over the one in your game installation folder :) Game is still nice in fullHD resolution, it is not tiny, but everything above it is going to be pain to see text and everything else. https://www.gamepressure.com/download.asp?ID=69259 It would be great if GOG manages to add few more widescreen resolutions to this game.

Maybe it is just my ignorance talking but I cannot recall a decent RPG set in the regions currently known as China (Jade Empire is close but it is a fantasy setting). Wikipedia tells me that the story is set in China in the final years of the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) but despite having some historical references the plot in general is largely fictitious. I kind of assumed that myself since in the first hour of gameplay you can battle a tiger-fish (a cross between fish and a snake) and start mastering something resembling magic. However from what I have seen so far the setting consists of 10% fantasy and the rest is more or less grounded in reality. The maps are gorgeously drawn and with the addition of the great soundtrack it takes just a bit of effort and roleplaying to get yourself in the mindset of being part of an old kung-fu movie or Mulan if you will. It is nice to just explore the world. Of course it is a 2002 game and most likely a budget title so not all is great. The fog of war (in this case is more like shadow) is so obnoxious that you cannot even see the whole screen. The dialogue is written like a theatrical play so at times I had the feeling I am reading Hamlet. The voice acting is average - it is not great but it also could have been much worse. I don't consider this a hack and slash RPG because the fighting is a bit slow for that. The combat reminds me of Konung 2 but it is not as punishing and hard as Konung 2 which is a good thing. My rating is a bit deceiving because it is not a perfect game but I enjoy it and if you accept its drawbacks and imperfections and are a fan of the "old China" setting in movies then it might click with you too.

This game is very unique, been on my wishlist a lot of time. The game is a very special hybrid between Baldur's Gate and Divine Divinity setted on a wuxia china. The characters have combos and special skills like a HnS but is RTWP. Regarding story, well, the version i played had the common mistranslations and that way of writing of the chinese wuxias. The plot explores the idea of the son of the emperor, Fu Su, not obbeying the order to take his own life, instead seeks out adventure traveling south to figure out why his own father wants him dead. Now the store needs Blade&Sword and Seal of Evil!!

I got this at a bargain price (under 2€), and the main reason I actually installed it and played it was that it reminded me of Baldur's Gate and all the good ones. It is that and more. Fresh story, nice gameplay, cute dialogue. I loved it very much. The only reason this is not a 5-star game is because it's not that entertaining. It's long and with a winded story that gets a bit boring and a bit frustrating, and the enemies scale up with you so there's never a "wow I'm strong moment". At the beginning you kill things with a wooden club, in the middle you kill things with a golden spear. It feels the same. But the nostalgia is there, the graphics are awesome and the locales are just gorgeous. I love playing it from time to time, but I'm not sure I will invest the full 40 hours needed to actually finish it.