Nox Archaist

I paid significantly more than the current price to back the Nox Archaist Kickstarter project and it was well worth the money and the wait. At this price, there's no excuse not to give it a shot. As others have said, this game looks and feels like a classic Ultima game from the '80s and is better in many ways. Check out the screenshots. If you've ever played and enjoyed a game that looks similar to those, you'll enjoy this one while losing many hours adventuring. Most of the nox (err, knocks) on the game in other reviews have more to do with the Apple II environment rather than the game itself. Yes, Apple II color graphics are a bit quirky and limited, and it takes serious effort to get more than basic beeps and buzzes out of an Apple II speaker, but this game really pushes the limits. It's seriously amazing what the team managed to do given the ancient (uh, classic) 8-bit computer system they chose for the design. However, their choice also means you can run this game on a real Apple II computer for the full hit of nostalgia if you so desire. It IS an actual Apple II game, not just designed to look like one. The bundled emulator that allows this game to run on modern computers does a decent job of providing the look and feel of the real thing while also making it simple to start and play the game. However, I feel some of the control lag and sluggishness is due to the emulator itself. If it's enough to bother you, load the actual disk image (the HDV file) into your Apple II emulator of choice and play the game that way. (I recommend AppleWin with the video mode set to Color TV. Bump up the emulation speed a bit if it still seems sluggish. Very nice.) Although not essential, the recently released official Nox Archaist Book of Hints is also well-designed and worthy of adding to your collection. I would recommend the printed book version over the PDF just for the experience, but the content is the same either way. "Such A Deal!"

At first this game was a bit strange to me but after I played it longer I ended up getting more and more into it and enjoying it greatly. Additionally, I was able to collaborate directly with the developer about a few Issues I ran into and both they and the community were friendly and welcoming. Can't ask for much more than that and I hope they have great success with their future endeavors.

I was a teen in the 80's and this brings back great memories of the original Ultima III and IV titles. The graphics and sound are much better then those titles as it takes advantage of 128K of RAM, Mockingboard/Phasor sound support are included. Love the little details like flickering flames on candles. It is not an easy game but so far not impossible either. Probably the best part is the NPC interaction. There are appearances from Apple II super starts like Woz, Burger Becky from Bards Tale 3 (and others) fame as well to references to pop culture through the years. Supper fun to find those references.

I'll keep it short and sweet, this game is a beauty. It's a retro game developed with the knowledge of modern games. Once you understand the controls and have gotten used to them, there's quite a few great systems at work creating an interesting adventure. The graphics have their charm and I enjoy how they (and games like the early Ultimas) leave a bit more for your imagination to fill in. Some people, like me, enjoy that, others less so. Plenty of land to explore, monsters to kill and quests to undertake. The DLC is well worth picking up if you enjoy the base game. I picked up thegame bundle and it fit seamlessly into the base game. I can't comment on the "ultimate bundle" but can say that the game is easy enough to follow and play without the book of hints provided in it. My main gripe with this game is the input lag. I understand it was coded on an Apple II/e, but man, I really wish movement was a bit snappier. I feel like this is something that could've been achieved with the emulators they've used for digital release and is the main reason for my 4 star rating. If you've tried the older Ultima games and didn't enjoy them I would give it a miss. If you enjoyed them, and don't mind taking your time (mainly to account for the lag) it's a great title with plenty to explore.

This is an unapologetically old school experience where you create your main character and go on what looks to be a simple adventure, but it's so much more! The graphics look they're like straight out of the 1980s, because, well, it was written on an old Apple IIe computer, so of course they're going to be limited! But, if you can get past the graphics and accept it for what it is, an old school game with some additions that make it superior to some of them, then you're in for a treat. The quality of life improvements that add *just enough* without making it too easy. For one, you don't have to save at the King's castle. Nor do you save when you log off. That may be a pro or a con for you, but for me it's the Goldilocks of gaming: not too much, not too little. Yes, I've died more times than I can count at this point, but I don't lose hours of time and with it my drive to play the game. Auto battles! Playing old Ultima games like Ultima Quest of the Avatar on the NES you had to fight everything! On the battle map. Even on easy mobs that you should be able to mop the floor with quickly. But, noooo! You have to slog through a map to beat the low level mobs. Not so with Nox Archaist! You get the option to quickly dispatch easy mobs in maybe 15 seconds. Even better, the game tells you if a group of monsters should be taken on quickly or tactically so there's not much guessing on what you should do! This has been a game changer for me! There really aren't any cons I can think of. Yes, it's hard. It won't hold your hand, and if you *do* want that, you can fork over some cash to get the book of hints. There you go. Mommy can hold your hand now there, shnookums! For the rest of you that know how to pull yourself up by the bootstraps, this is definitely a love letter to the old CRPGs of the 1980s and it shows. There's even options to copy the game to old floppies and play on an Apple IIe. That's pretty rad, if you ask me. But, I'm good with emulation, thanks!