I would maybe give this game 3 stars but I want the developers to get more money from it to be able to make the second part better. Such a great art style(10/10), writing, and so many unique amazing ideas buried under the mound of bugs(the game feels like an early beta), sometimes tedious gameplay(debuffs are fun, aren't they?), and loading screens(it may take up to ten loading screens just to visit a couple of stores to buy supplies). Also, I would give a suggestion to the developers - cliffhangers must happen after you've given the audience at least some feel of finality. If they keep the art style and fix the bugs and the loading screens for the next game, I'm definitely buying the sequel.
If you're looking for an immersion into a fantasy world, interesting quests, captivating dialogues, and non-linear story, don't play Avernum. The game is concentrated solely on two thing - fighting and properly training your party for fighting. And let's be honest, the fighting is not that varied and entertaining; and there aren't that many ways in which to develop your characters. There are defined tropes which you must follow or your party would be too weak to continue the game. Yes, there is a fantasy world with its story but it's quite primitive and it hasn't been given as mush attention as the fighting side of the game. Yes, there are plenty of quests, but once again, they are quite primitive, straightforward, and rarely have more than one way to solve them. Kill the bad guys, clear up that area from the bad guys, bring that thing to that guy. Yes, there is a main story but half way through I haven't noticed any choices you have to make that affect the game further down. It's just one area with weaker enemies you have to clean and gain levels. Then the main story sends you to a different location with stronger enemies you have to kill in order to gain more levels and move to another area. And yes, the world is technically open but it's separated by an invisible level cap. I should also mention the interface of the game is quite shabby. I know it's created by one guy but I wonder how much better this game could be if there was a team and there was a person responsible for creating a better interface, a person responsible for writing better dialogues, a person responsible of creating more attractive towns and so on. There are some amazing RPG games on this site that have much lower scores. A question arises - did those games receive their lower scores undeservedly or is Avernum that got its high score this way?
At first I was impressed! Such an atmosphere, interesting plot, captivating gameplay. Basically, you play as a chief of the police in a small, but largely corrupt, city. You send your officers and detectives to fight different types of crime, and you deal with more private problems after the shift is over. I really enjoyed that the game doesn't give you straight numbers so that you can simply count your way through. You have to read about every call and assess the danger level of the crime and send your officers accordingly without knowing 100% how it's going to turn out. It gives the game some sense of realism. Spoilers ahead. But why is it almost a gem? Because after the first half the game went downhill, and starts being very rushed. As though the developers ran our of money. At some point, the largest mafia family in the city simply disappears(you can topple that family using your detectives but apart from the money the outcome is the same). Plot-lines with your wife Laura, your public campaign, Lana and her rape tape, your Deputy's disappearance, the aforementioned mafia clan are completely unresolved. For a game that relies on plot, this too big of a mistake. That great feeling you have playing the first half of the game is completely destroyed in the second. And the horrible ending! You are given two very bland, similar, and boring endings(by the way, Eastern European game companies have a thing for anticlimactic endings) that totally destroy the possible glorious aftertaste of this could-be masterpiece. So many missed plot opportunities! Lana's tape gave a possibility of retaliation towards the mayor and another ending for example; PR campaign with the chief's wife could've given yet another ending. There could have been at least 5 or 6 more endings! Which could have made this game so much better! I am just amazed how the developers wasted so much great work! Sorry, I start to ramble too much. Anyway, a good game that could have been great. PS: There are some snaps at lesbians and animal rights activists. But it is understandable - writers are from Eastern Europe and sometimes their values are couple of decades behind.
Let me start with the good aspects. Music is great. Some pieces were truly powerful and memorable. But when you want to enjoy it more, it ends because you are leaving the location. Writing is good. Writers were able to create funny, enjoyable scenes that made laugh throughout the game. Plenty of pleasant allusions; even Monty Python was there! But once again, why bother writing several variants of response if the outcome is the same? Why have almost all of the quests linear? And why not create several endings while you have a team of good writers? Now let's talk about the most unpleasant thing - gameplay. It is TEDIOUS. It is just hack'n'slash in its most boring form. In the beginning of the game there were very few enemies and it was not noticeable. But the further I went, the the bigger hoardes of enemies I had to kill. And it was becoming boring... Then draconic form came and it turns out it is the same level of fun. Probably the devs thought their fighting system is good so at some point in the game you have fortresses filled with hundreds of practically identical enemies. And you click and click and click and they heal themselves and you click even more. Wow! And I mean, one flying fortress could take up hours. Hours of mouse That said, I was really trudging through the game at some point only because I wanted a sense of completion and was interested in the story. If you enjoy a good RPG where dialogues could be important and really do something, if you want your decisions to matter later in the game, if you want to have different endings, if you don't like mindles mouse clicking, this game is not for you. Better spend your money on other games from Larian.
