The Age of Decadence

I like the romance of perfection. It doesn't often hit -- in new games like Pillars, Divinity, etc, or even old school cRPGs like Planescape & Fallout, a perfect character is simply there. They aren't much different from a lucky or intuitive player on their first run, and it's almost identical outside of some extra dialogue/quests from a veteran player. I don't modify KotOR in any way, but if I did, nothing would change in my normal runs. So where am I going with this? Well, I played a few runs and thought this game was good with grand ideas but I never saw much of that energy. The game then ends quickly and suddenly without me having seen much because of how rigid the skillchecks are while also making the game so very hard for players to traverse. So I gave myself perfect stats and tons of skill points to basically do everything I want to do. Why is this relevant, why is this somehow good? Because you end up doing so much. You get to see *everything* this game has to offer, and it creates some really intriguing worldbuilding. You have these Magi, these gods, these vessels of power and destruction and chaos. They're all interesting but they're relics of the past. Then you arrive, and you have no answer. Nothing stops in your way, nothing stops your pursuits, you craft great devices and armor, you become an aspect of Egyptian myth shielding yourself with impossible light (not embellishing) and crushing anything and everything into dust just for looking at you wrong. But then you have a silver tongue and inexplicably can talk your way out of anything as well. Every group and guild wants your input, your help, but they don't realize you are playing such a focal role because they don't communicate. This game crafts such a bizarre and unique world, and the protagonist despite having no set personality oozes character. Is this game for everyone? Maybe not. But it's definitely for me, even if the developers themselves may disagree.

Remember when you were 13 and "playing" Dungeons and Dragons with your older brother as the DM? And the entire "game" was just basically him tormenting you by abusing and humiliating your 2 hit point Thief in every way he could possibly imagine? Well, they made a game of that.

Great game: the atmosphere of the decline of civilization, the setting of late antiquity, which is unusual and rare, is perfectly conveyed. The disadvantage is that for a successful game you need intelligence significantly above average. P.S.: I myself have not passed the game since fool. P.P.S.: Sorry for the mistakes, I don't know English.

One star is harsh i know. But you know what is harsher ? Bad game design by bad Dungeon Masters/RPGs creators. This game has been created by people that have a very strang idea of a good campaign/game. Want to know why ? Because certain path, choices and options to resolve quests ARE so railroaded and STUPIDLY designed it is plainful. For exemple you would expect a character with 10/10 Int, 8/10 perception and dexterity to be able to pass two thiefs guards in the slums. Seeing/hearing them(Per), escape them quickly(dexterity). Being smart enought to just find another way or wait midnight for some more cover ? No... You have to pass a forced charisma/impersonation check 2 F*****G METERS from them. Worse, I passed succesfully 2 bands of thugs from the same faction with the same skill earlier in the SAME slums. Now because the forced UNIQUE(understand "lack of other option") skill check im in for s****y combat. That REEKS of bad-design and incompetence. Was it so difficult to add boxes of text with more skill checked ? It seems so. Too many encounter of this kind for at least a good 25% of the game I played. I want to use my stats, not look at a guid on the internet because you forget to add a simple skill check. The overall ruleset is 50/50 for me. For exemple the primary stats do not directly influence your skills score but sometimes you still needs them for a check with a skill in which you have heavily invested. What was the point ? But its more a question of bad encounter/quest design than a bad ruleset 0Graphics : Fonctionnal OST : Cant judge, I did not finished the game. Writing : Outside the lack of choices I thing it is good to passable. Their are two kind of people on this earth, normal people and masochiste. Are you the latter ? Go on, take it for 2€. If you are one of the former then even for 2€ you will feel wronged. AVOID. Or better, take UnderRail(For the lack of diplomatic way in this one, at least it did the combats and suvival far better).

Technically it is its own subgenre under tactical turnbased RPG. It has also great story and mythos around it, beautiful art and intimidating music. Story is created from actions character makes. You can play warrior or avoid combat almost complitely. Game is difficult, brutal and deadly. I would like to see Age of Decadence 2, with same unique roleplayer friendly concept!