I remember the first time I played this game around 1996 - my friend brought it over to my place for us to play. It was a fun Friday evening. After that I owned The Dig many times and still have it on CD-ROM. When I saw it on GOG, I just had to get it again. I liked the intro with the interview that sets the theme. (I did not then know it was a Spielberg creation) but it very much reminded me of the movie Deep Impact. 'So exciting,' I thought and you get to play as the astronauts! Yes, it is pixel hunting at times, but I enjoyed every minute of the game. I liked the story and the atmosphere (almost like an old Star Trek series with captain Kirk adventure feel). The mystery or secrets this world holds - what could it be? Once you get the feel for the puzzles, it becomes even more enjoyable. (Got stuck early on trying to unlock doors) A game should be enjoyable and fun. If you like to go on an adventure and like click adventure games like: Indiana Jones, then you should certainly play this title.
I picked up Dark Sun in CNA (Mostly a book and stationary shop in South Africa) many years ago and was one of the few games I could not put down. I remember having a hard time with the Mind Flayers in the beginning. This game brought me hours of fun even though I prefer playing games like this in a LAN/Multi-player setting - I made an exception for this one. This was around the time I read Lord Of The Rings by JRR Tolkien, the Lone Wolf books from Joe Dever and started to play Dungeons and Dragons with friends. I remember how excited I was finding this title and it did not disappoint. I could not wait to get home from work to carry on playing or simply upgrading my party. The freedom of choice, the story that grabbed me, danger around every corner, amazing equipment and the reward of clever thinking. The Psionic class was pretty new to me at that stage and I think new to the 3rd edition rule set and you can play it in this game. This game will be worth playing if you are into D&D. A game should be fun no matter the graphics, else why play it? This game is a lot of fun.
Great story, great space flight sim and an unique experience. (Keeping in mind when the game was made) This is NOT an arcade shoot-it-up and kill 50,000 aircraft with one massive missile game. I am sure Freelancer (from Microsoft) ripped this game off as it is very similar in concept. The later Wing Commander titles is nothing like Privateer and concentrate more on graphics and video clips than actual game-play or story. Even Privateer 2 (with better graphics) was not as well thought out as this game and took great features away that made it more an arcade feel than simulation. From all the Wing Commander titles - this will be the one I will pick time and again. I would have loved it even more if it included LAN play which it sadly does not. You really get immersed in the role of your character trying to make a living from jobs offered that takes you across space and other worlds. There are three ships you can purchase apart from the Tarsus you start with. Each one can be upgraded: Weapons, Armor, Engine, Shield generators, missiles, mines, torpedo's, extras like tractor beams, afterburners, turrets and so forth. I have played many versions of this game including Vega Strike, but all of them just have something else missing from the original game. The one will for instance not have the same menu or method for buying/upgrading like the original had , the other will miss a merchants guild or ship yard on a planet where one is supposed to be. I cannot recall if there were any shortcoming with the GOG version but here is what attributed to a great experience for me overall: The fact that your ship is standing on the floor when you upgrade/repair it, a compartment that opens for you to fit a scanner or dragging your new bought weapon to the where you want to install it. Studying the equipment and manage your money to get the most out of your equipment so it makes optimal use of the energy produced/generated. The fact that you needed a jump drive to warp to other sectors and you needed fuel to jump. You therefore need to plan and be careful as you can only refuel again on a planet. The fact that you can switch your craft on autopilot and climb in a turret. The fact that the cockpits are different for different ships. There were two guilds you could belong to for better jobs, a mission computer for handing out meager jobs, commodity trading, get good tips from the bartender or missions from someone sitting in the bar. You can be a good guy or bad and smuggle some contraband for big bucks. If an asteroid hit you, you will know about it - if the engine still worked! Different shield generator types you got was unique in function, pros and cons. You had an escape pod (more like a space suit with something a bit more than a jet pack) Felt scary when you float like that in space with limited maneuverability and a laser. You could self destruct. The many, many views you had. (Inside the cockpit seeing all the lights and flickering monitors and then looking right/left out the cockpit window, seeing stars float by or even looking to the back of the ship) I think the creators of older games understood that these added small effects are what draws you into the whole feeling of the game and creates the atmosphere. To complete the main story you will need the Righteous Fire expansion though. Be a bounty hunter or a humble merchant - it is up to you. A 2D game with a very clever way of making it look 3D and give it a true open world feeling. A marvel for it's time.
Upon the release of Neverwinter Nights (Still my all time favourite D&D game), I grabbed it with both hands as well as its expansions. When the prospect of Neverwinter Nights 2 came to light, I literally counted the days for its release. I struggled to find Mask of The Betrayer in South Africa when it came out t but finally I had the complete set. The single player campaign is good and I like the story and the new elements that was brought in: (Overland travel, your party members can chip into a conversation providing the best answer based on skill, A castle defend strategy game-play later on, some new characters/classes) If you played D&D before with pen and paper and if you enjoyed Baldur's Gate, this is definitely worth a play. The drawback for me: I prefer playing LAN above all else (especially titles like this) and you can certainly do that in NWN 2, but the campaign is not made for more than one human player in the sense that with the start of the campaign there is nothing for the joining human to do. The host will go through the trails and everything while the joining person waits. It does get more suited for 2 players later on in the game. The game is also much more restrictive in where you can go. (More linear than Neverwinter Nights) Not that NWN 1 was a open world. That is why there is no game for me so close to the real pen and paper experience than the first Neverwinter Nights and the many MODs it has. You can also play as the dungeon master. How cool is that! Non the less - this game is a blast and will not dissapoint.
This is my first review ever but I truly believe this game deserves it: With any game I play, the most important factor is having fun. No fun, no point in playing for me. I also tend on playing games that can be enjoyed with others and adventure games is a favorite. (Neverwinter Nights is one of my favorites.) For me Two Worlds ticks all the boxes: I love the freedom of customizing my character exactly the way I want him/her. Two Worlds have loads of skills that can be learned and very interesting and practical ones at that like dismounting someone from a horse and dirty fighting. There are plenty of enemies I have encountered: Flesh and steel Golems, Groms, giant scorpion creatures, zombies, orcs, Cyclops, dragons, giant spiders, Ogres and many more... To me there is not a shortage in enemies and in an adventure game to me, you should not encounter enemies around every corner. I like the combat system that is a bit more than just point and click. I do not find the menu's difficult but in fact one of the easiest interfaces I know. Traveling is made easy and believable by teleporters, magic is super easy to use, anyone can brew potions with over 100 ingredients. The environment is pretty enough. Not too many bugs I found. I do not have a problem with the dialogue. There is a wild life with rabbits, beavers, deer, bears, wolfs, snakes, dodo's... (Bonus) It is an open world. You can enter some buildings and interact with things like lanterns to turn them on or off. The lighting system to me is good. There are weather effects and day and night cycles. The best part - Me and my wife are having a blast playing together for hours on end. I think the armor and weapons are epic. There is little I do not like about this game. 4 stars since it is not perfect and there were one or two bugs I found. (One was a quest unable to finish) If you like adventure games to the likes of D&D and to take on a quest with friends then this will be a blast.
