Tyranny - Standard Edition

I couldn't wait to finish playing Pillars of Eternity (PoE) so I could play Tyranny. Many reviewers have said that the story of PoE was amazing and Tyranny didn't quite measure up. My experience is that both are really great, but I'm enjoying the different perspective of Tyranny MUCH more. I'm still doing my first play-through, but unlike PoE, I'm actually excited to re-play Tyranny in different difficulties and, more importantly, role-playing as different factions and different party configurations. The greatest learning curve is allotment of experience. Figuring out how to allocate your attributes can be pretty challenging for newcomers.

I'll update this review if things change later on, but so far I'm very happy with this game. I'm shocked to see obsidian titles having such a love/hate relationship. I really don't get it... Now, the world seems to skirt the line between Dragon Age and literally every fantasy game ever, but it has a few unique touches that I can appreciate, from the Edicts (extremely powerful magic scrolls called upon by people like the main character) to the excellent execution of a new world. What I mean by that is that the dialogue is full of lore that you can hover your mouse over to learn more about. Even early on into the game I feel like I'm up to speed with all these previously unknown terms and can easily immerse myself into the events of the world. My favorite aspect is how you can handle situations in so many ways, from combat to civil conversations to tense exchanges, the games reputation system takes into account how people view you, not just as an invidivual, but as a part of that faction. It's very involved so far with characters constantly bringing up past actions, backstory, and dialogue choices. Now, the game isn't perfect. Already I have seen some bizarre choices with dialogue, for instance I had a character introduce me to someone, and then explain to that person 3 different ways, that they were joining my party. It was strange... "Meet this person, someone you are joining."... "Are you prepared to join this person!?"... "You are joining this person on their journeys" To sum up the odd exchange. It hasn't been the only flaw with the writing either. I find it odd how characters just drop modern swears and phrases as well. While I don't expect them to speaketh ye olde english the disregard for the time period and setting has been noticable a few times. I'm also not blown away by the combat, but it isn't bad. It's servicable and not much more. Id recommend this to people looking for an involved, choice driven RPG. That's where this game shines.

The best word I can think of to describe Tyranny is: petty. The story never rises above petty political machinations, whether it's a tyrant v. rebels, a stalwart fascist v. a mad anarchist, or a daughter's rebellion against her father. I just couldn't find a reason to care. The gameplay improved from PoE on the surface but introduced some deeper annoyances. I take issue first with the much hyped magic system. Yes, you can customize your spells to a degree unseen in other CRPGs. However, having to change my spells for small upgrades every time my lore increased enough annoyed me to no end. I also never created any cool spells because the system is so complex, I just stuck to the first thing that worked. All that freedom feels wasted. The talent tree also feels like both a step forward and a step back. Planning a build is much easier with the talent tree than in PoE. However, there are maybe a couple of relevant distinct builds for each character. Almost all are painfully conventional. Again, a beautiful new system without interesting uses. And why could I not issue orders to my towers through missives? Not everything disappoints. The random events as you travel on the world map can be fun. A couple of companion's stories are interesting, especially Lantry in Bastard's Wound. I wish Siren got a similar treatment. Increasing skills through usage is a nice touch. As said already, several of the new system sound nice on paper. If put to better use, they could be great. In the end, Tyranny is true to its name. Tyranny, the concept, is boring yet obsessive, or petty in my book. Narratively, Tyranny has none of the boldness of Obsidian's better games, despite its more provocative title. It introduces some novel gameplay mechanics, but Obsidian failed to create an interest RPG system to take full advantage of them. Maybe Obsidian was trying to make a point. Playing Tyranny is like playing KOTOR II, but instead of that "Wow!" moment at the end, the game just... ends.

Bad news: the villains have conquered the world. Good news: you’re on their side! Tyranny has a great concept for an RPG: it’s a tale that has brutes and psychos as main characters, heroic rebels as antagonists, and offers provoking thoughts on the nature of dictatorship, evil and power. The game fully embraces its dark and unconventional premise, putting you in the shoes of a high-ranking officer from the get-go and allowing you to shape the world around you through your words and actions. The wide variety of dialog options lets you take different story paths and interpret your hero as you see fit: while you can play as a “benevolent tyrant” of sorts, behaving as an evil jerk and sowing fear everywhere you go is a valid and often rewarding option! The story is great overall. The world of Terratus has distinctive aesthetics, is detailed and credible, and is populated with well-rounded and unique characters. Some of the most psychotic companions even manage to end being strangely likable, which should tell you something about the quality of the writing. I don’t have a lot of bad things to say about Tyranny. While it has been criticized for being short, it will last for a good 40-50 hours if you don’t rush through and is very replayable. At worst, it has a lot of content and fairly complex game mechanics, which can get overwhelming: you’ll need to keep an eye on a number of parameters including your party’s equipment, consumables, spells, skills and interpersonal relationships, as well as manage strongholds, oversee how each faction treats you… The combat system is also in-depth. It took me a little while to get comfortable with it all and learn to enjoy it, so it’s not a game I’d recommend to anyone. In the end, Tyranny’s mechanics are as deep as its writing, and it really delivers upon its simple yet great twist on roleplaying games. It’s not just a power fantasy where you get to be the bad guy; it’s a fantastic RPG that I would recommend to any fan of the genre.

The game was good overall but needs improvement in all angles, with the story being its biggest selling point and its most positive trait for me. I felt no real connection with the side characters and felt nothing for them unfortunately. Halfway through the game I felt it was rushed and the ending left much to be desired and too sudden. I like obsidian, always have but I hope the next game expands on the world.