The Temple of Elemental Evil

I still have my original disc copy of ToEE, which is a great game if you've been looking for a D&D game that is faithful to the pen and paper original. I really can't say much that hasn't already been covered in other reviews here, so I'll just list off a couple of essentials for playing ToEE. 1. Save often. This will be especially important if you engage the wrong enemy in a fight and you bite off more than you can chew. Combat (like in the original pen and paper game) can and will screw you at the most inopportune time, so get in the habit of saving so you can go back and fine tune your characters. 2. The original release of this game has a lot of bugs, so if GoG doesn't already include the patch fixes, check out co8.org for the patches (and also for enhanced content. trust me, it's worth it). 3. Build your characters carefully at the start-up, because a fighter with low strength or a sorcerer with low charisma will be of no use to you, I can guarantee that. 4. Don't be afraid to consult the help function (which acts as a mini players handbook that will definitely be helpful in the game).

Terribly frustrating game. It's so obviously great that you want to love it and have a baby with it, but it's so punishingly difficult that you soon want to hack your new love into the little pieces that that Beholder who's blocking your way should be in. I guess it can't be THAT tough since some people apparently whip right through it, but those people definitely aren't me. OTOH, I'm not an AD&D player, so maybe I'm just treading where I don't belong... Anyway, ToEE strikes me as a near-perfect example of its kind, although I'll likely never get far enough along in it to say for sure.

That game has the perfect combat system for d&d 3.5 rules, the history is very simple, you won't find here Baludur's Gate 2 or Planescape Torment, its more like Icewind Dale, but I have really enjoyed it, just be aware, install Co8 mod, as it improves a lot of bugs and add some new features. I recommend that game if you have enjoyed Baldur's Gate or Icewind Dale

You've probably heard it before. "THIS game is the most D&D game ever!" even for non-D&D licensed games like the Divinity or Pillars of Eternity series, or perhaps the Baldur's Gate and Pathfinder games alike and whilst it can be argued that they are; allow me to explain why ToEE is THE purest, truest D&D game ever. ToEE is a tactical turn-based CRPG based off the original self-titled module from the 70s, taking place in the most classic and original Greyhawk setting. Troika have remade the module so accurately that you can use the ORIGINAL handbook as a loose guide to get around and know what to expect. Speaking of accuracy, the combat in this game is God tier goodness, not only does it offer the absolutely most tactical choices of any D&D game, not only does it accurately and painstakingly recreate a lot of mechanics but it's also fun and still holds up in 2022. In fact, to my knowledge, this is the ONLY D&D game to have features such as bluff, sense motive, craft wonderous item, scroll scribing (outside of mandatory resting) and bard's having counterspell. Yes, ToEE has fully functioning counterspelling and it's glorious. You can also do things like cast defensively, ready for approach, hold action, 5 foot step... it's all here. There's also dialogue checks for skills like intimidation and having a high charisma score actually changes and removes dialogue from some NPCs - which is so cool. You create 5 party members from scratch (up to 8 with Temple+ mod) and can hire companions who act on their own will, so much in fact they'll only leave whenever they want to and will take half the loot you earned. You can even marry some NPCs! They'll also talk differently depending on what PC talks to them first. Yeah, really, ToEE is insane. There's only 2 towns but the combat is the meat. Lots of dungeon crawling here. But the bugs. Oh, the bugs... so many... there's also an overall jank to the game. Temple+ & Co8 mods fix most of these. ToEE is worth your money.

Where can I start? Let me start by admitting that I have never, ever beaten the final boss. That said, I have logged hours and hours on this game. I just can't get enough! As great fan of D&D since the 90s, I have never found a game that was as true to the real experience of playing the actual game on pen-and-paper. The complete list of character options, the TURN BASED gameplay, the ruthless difficulty... I love Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights, but always wondered, "Why did they all have to be played in real-time?" The turn-based combat scratches that peculiar itch when I really wish I was playing D&D with friends, but alas, it isn't Sunday, Monday, Wednesday or Saturday, so I need to wait. Another thing I wonder is when video games stopped treating me like an adulut. ToEE has something NWN could have used: consequences. Hard decisions. Real, nail-biting suspense when your fate is in the hands of the dice, and if things go sour before your next turn you'll have to roll a new character. On the downside, there are bugs. Lots of bugs. And a lot of unfair slights. For example, don't ever take any exotic weapon proficiencies, nor Weapon Focus: Dwarven Waraxe. Because you'll never find magic Dwarven Waraxes. Not even masterwork ones you can enchant. It seems weird giving 3 stars to a game I've spent so much time with. It could have been the perfect game, if it had received more care and time before being rushed to release.