Nox™

I'll try my best to write this without the nostalgia goggles on. While it may appear like a Diablo knock-off, Nox does more than one thing different. Unlike most ARPGs, Nox doesn't have skill-trees and the stats are increasing at a flat rate, rather than granting the player freely distribute-able stat points. There's no experimentation with builds and skills. While that's not exactly common for ARPGs of this type, it hardly makes Nox a bad game. The focus is simply shifted towards figuring out a use for the tools you are being given. There is no universal weapon/skill that you can plow through the game with. Different types of enemies require a different approach, especially since some of them pack a wallop and the equipment can indeed be shattered. You're not supposed to stand still and trade blows with a Mimic while chugging potions, not even as a warrior. Its visuals haven't aged all that well, but it doesn't look hideous either. The music and sound effects are doing better. There is one aspect of Nox that requires special attention. Something other ARPGs sorely lack. Balanced, fun, and addictive PvP multiplayer. It's sadly limited to LAN (or third-party LAN-emulating software), but should you get that working, there's a lot of fun to be had with Nox.

Nox is a fantastic hack-and-slash adventure game. A little bit fairy tale with specific sense of humour, a little bit spooky. When it was released, the game was a good alternative to Diablo and even Diablo II. The only disadvantage is very poor optimalization and stability issue, but what can I say? I love it!

Nox, to me, was the game that got me into Diablo-like games. Yes, it was a bit of a knock-off but the game did it with style! The humor was very well placed, the feel was so different and everything felt alive in this world. While Diablo 2 felt flat and 2-dimensional, Nox was alive with moveable objects, tough puzzles and exciting gameplay that really drilled home the action and adventure. Breakable objects felt breakable and the lighting effects, at the time, were beautifully done. Movement felt slick and navigation wasn't a chore when you moved. While the character development and customizing was fairly limited, the game didn't need an in depth system to highlight the finer points of the game. Warriors learned special skills on cooldown that made them ridiculously fun to play: Oh how I miss you "GET OVER HERE!" harpoon...so many games have ripped you off to ill-effect. Wizards learned ludicrously (Yes! Ludicrously!) powerful spells while conjurers were a mix of summoner and Wizard. While it was limiting in these fields, the game ensured every spell and skill was satisfying. You often found yourself experimenting with other abilities instead of replacing them quickly and forgetting about the others long gone. What did Nox do that made such a lasting impression? It set you in the shoes of a lone-wanderer cast into a fantasy world with the balance of life and death on the horizon. War was breaking out and you had to bring an end to evil in one of three ways: The Warrior, The Wizard or the Conjurer. The humor was rampant and tongue in cheek and kept the story moving quite quickly. The further you got, the less you wanted to quit. Each path brought a different light on the story. This was one of the first times I felt that my actions made a difference in a game. As a Warrior, you trained with a brotherhood and with Wizards and Conjurers you went to their appropriate areas as well. But what really made this game a blast that so many loved? The multi-player. If I could count the amount of hours I spent playing Capture the Flag or Team Death Match in this game I would easily dwarf my hours in Diablo 2 hands down. It was fast, ferocious and absolutely non-stop fun. When my friends talked about PvP in Diablo 2 I laughed at them and shook my head. THIS was competitive PvP. THIS was an adrenaline rush where everyone had a fair chance. I still hear the sounds of the Force of Nature spell bouncing about in my head like an echo of a time long past. Or the random spell words dancing about a little character as he cast Lightning Bolt. Or the cry of the Warrior harpooning and charging a foe into oblivion. Ah. Those were the days. When PvP meant fun and not frustration. There were the cheap moves that 1 shotted you, but that's what made it so fun. It took skill to use most of them and aiming. Everyone was on a level playing field and people who innovated succeeded! Nox will forever have a place in my heart. It was an absolute thrill of a game and, RIP Westwood, a throwback to times when a clone of a game actually rivaled the fun of its predecessor. I cannot express my love for this game anymore and I would pay 50 bucks for it today if the servers were still up :(

Nox must be regarded easily the best aRPG of all time! The first time i played it was back in 2001 when i was like 17 years old. Still intact to this day. Lots o' congratz to GOG/ CD Project. Ah the games of that era were special, for instance check the interface of Nox, Max Payne Series etc. were so magical. I'm just sad thinkin that this gem of game ended up in EA's garbages. If E.A. didn't buy Bioware Studios and they closed it shortly after, we might have seen like a Nox 2. A 12/10

A great thing about Nox is that it does not take itself too seriously: -The main character is an average guy called Jack. Jack, the Warrior. Jack, the Conjurer. Jack, the Wizard. -The dialogue is corny and satirical. I am sure it's on purpose. As for the game itself. The graphics still look great, sound is good to excellent, challenge level is good up until Chapter 9 where the game gets considerably more difficult. Spells are very interesting, the controls feel great. Expect to spend 10-14 hours per character completing the campaign. There is also multiplayer through alternate service providers, if that's your thing. All things considered, great value for the price.