Overall most helpful review

Posted on: September 24, 2009

Siannah

Games: 1670 Reviews: 2

RPG pure, not for the novice players

Realms of Arkania is a complex RPG. It comes with a steep learning curve and daunting complexity which scares away probably all but the most dedicated RPGers. It's based on the "Das schwarze Auge" pen & pencil system which was / is a strong competitor of D&D in Germany. If you hate number-crunching, rolling 10 minutes to get just your first character as you want him to be or shy away of reading and understanding the manual throughly before you start, you might want to skip this. Try Drakensang instead, a newer title with the same system, but with the rulesystem hidden in the background of the game. You're still reading? This means you might have found a gem that will grow to your heart... RoA uses a unusual character system where you don't just get 7 positive stats (strength, dexterity, wisdom etc.), but also 7 negative stats (superstition, claustrophobia, curiosity, acrophobia, avarice, necrophobia, violent temper), all with direct effects on gameplay. It's just one of the factors which makes the game more intriguing. These games are also noted for their realism. This includes the partys hunger and thirst, as well as the effects of weather and terrain on movement. It's probably the most accurate CRPG ever in terms of adventurers health problems. Your characters will become sick if they aren't dressed properly for the climate they pass through. They will get sick if they sleep on the ground. They will get sick if they get wet. They will get sick if they don't get enough sleep. They will get sick if attacked by undead. Their wounds will get infected if they don't stop and take care of them after each combat. Realms of Arkania games are as much RPG as you can get. It's not your standard run of the mill action-RPG, it's RPG pure. There's a reason why they've gotten published by Sir Tech, who are responsible for the Wizardry games. They require patience and commitment, much like all great games of its kind. But it rewards you with that special experience, that keeps lingering in the back of your head years after you played it.

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Posted on: October 4, 2009

robobrien

Verified owner

Games: 37 Reviews: 7

Not Sure Whether To Purchase?

If you're like me, and i know i am, no matter how much praise is heaped onto these old RPG's i have a hard time getting my head round horrible graphics, midi sound and clicking icons on a user interface that leaves me wondering what the hell i have just done. I figured that anyone who loved these games was either wearing big rose tinted glasses or just insane. Until i played Wizardry 7: Crusaders Of The Dark Savant. I hated it for all the above reasons but i kept coming back trying to figure out how to play. I sat down and actually read the manual, i checked online for help on party creation and a walkthrough that guided me along the early stages of the game and helped me understand not only how the game world worked but more importanly what i could do within it. And i got it. People love these games because they are still FUN. Realms Of Arkania is a fantasy world full of humor, dungeons, taverns, quests and orcs. You can head out into the wilderness, get sick, get drunk, play tunes for your supper. fight. loot and even find yourself deep in a dank dungeon before you realise your slowly dimming torch is actually your last one... The more you play Realms the less you notice that the graphics and sound are bad but rather just how the game world looks if that makes sense and if you dont at some point start humming that annoying tune as you trudge the streets of Thorwal i will personally send you a nice fruit basket. Realms Of Arkania is a rich fantasy world for anyone who takes the time to find it. It is unforgiving and it can be just plain mean and the combat interface is awkward until you get used it, but like every aspect of the game..you do get used it and once you understand the mechanics of the game you will see the real quality shine through. Freedom, rewarding character progression and with genuine atmosphere...Realms is an excellent RPG regardless of it's age.

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Posted on: October 17, 2009

lolplatypus

Verified owner

Games: Reviews: 1

So you like spreadsheets, huh?

Ever wondered how The Lord of the Rings would have turned out, had Mr Tolkien used Microsoft Excel instead of good old ink and paper to compose his fantasy milestone? Cue Realms of Arkania for the answer, just go play it now, seriously, this is what you've been looking for. Now with that crowd out of the picture I can hear the rest of you moaning: „So my character status screens have seven pages instead of one, the game gives me basically no directions whatsoever and if my Knight forgets to wipe his ass after taking a dump, he's guaranteed to die of an infection with no apparent way to be brought back into the realm of goblin-asskicking again. That doesn't exactly sound like fun, so why should I give this massive amagalmation of tables and dicerolls pretending to be a game a chance?“ To which I respond: „You forgot to mention that one third of the mechanics aren't even implemented in the first game, some skills never see any ingame use, at all, buildings in town basically look the same, which is a problem considering the sheer number of them and the game is actually slightly imbalanced in a way that a newcommer might choose a party that quite frankly laughs at his efforts to, you know, beat the game. Chances are, you should still give it a try.“ The truth is, Realms of Arkania has one thing going for it that could very well elevate it above all those problems: the sheer scope of its world and its attention to detail. It's not so much that it would take you 2 days of real time to travel from one end of the game world to another, quite the contrary, but that within those boundaries pretty much everything can happen. You might travel via ship and get attacked by a giant kraken. You roam through the wilderness, discover some tracks and decide to hunt some game. You might even discover new stuff on your fourth playthrough, because your leading character has a high enough stat in perception (those numbers aren't just there for decoration – most of them, at least). The vast majority of all the things that may or may not happen have no relevance whatsoever to your main quest, but that's exactly where Realms of Arkania has so much of its appeal: Aventuria (which is the place your party goes questing around in, in case you wondered) is a living, breathing environment, that couldn't care less about you. There are no tents on the roadside with desperate peasants, who need you to constantly get back a bunch of cupcakes, that a pesky band of orcs, who live in an empty cave for no apparent reason, stole from them. Instead you might occasionally see another group of adventurers rafting along a river – with no relevance to you or even much chance of interaction, it just happens. The same attention to detail has been granted to the way you actually interact with this vast world. Need some money? Gather herbs and sell them at the local market. Mix some potions out of those herbs beforehand and make a bit more dough through the wonderful art of alchemy. Or go to the next bar and dance on the tables, it's up to you.You could even look for the next best random battle and summon massive demons. It's not like that'll solve your money problem, but c'mon, massive demons! If you still don't get what the fuzz is about, you should look elsewhere for your next slice of electronic entertainment. However, if you want to explore a diverse, captivating and unpredictable fantasy world that actually lets you, you know, roleplay and don't mind a steep (although usually more overwhelming than really punishing) learning curve, you might just feel right at home in Aventuria.

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Posted on: September 24, 2009

Pardoz

Verified owner

Games: 373 Reviews: 1

Hardcore, old-school fun

These two sucked up far too many hours of my life, and I'm thrilled to see them here so I can finally finish 2 (my discs died, and I was unable to get them replaced). How hardcore are they? Hardcore enough your characters can get the flu if you're travelling in the mountains and don't have a blanket in your inventory.

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Posted on: September 24, 2009

hamish72

Verified owner

Games: 186 Reviews: 1

A magnificent and ultra-hard series

This is the real RPG experience, if you enjoy spending hours creating your characters, rolling for that extra additional point and the joy of micro management. It's been ten years since I last played the series. Spent hours trying to get Shadows of Riva (part 3) to run on an XP machine. If you have the stamina and patience, this gives a great experience to savour and enjoy.

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