Very fun game, easy to learn. Much like the original Wizardry, though I haven't played any Ultima yet. For 1979 this game is pretty awesome in a sense, being one of the first computer rpgs.
I love this game... incredible writing, great voice acting, good humor. The world has a nice depth to it that you'd want in a medieval-like/Tolkien fantasy story. Gameplay is extremely enjoyable, fluid and accessible to anyone, even if you're trying RPGs for the first time. This was the original aim of the developers, truly innovative. Honestly when I first played it I was pleasantly surprised, and wondered how I had never come across or played it before. It is like Skyrim (yes Skyrim had some nicer improvements from Oblivion) went back in time and had a child with Diablo I/II in the 90s. Might seem visually a bit like Baldur's Gate, but I could never get deep into that game, something about the gameplay was a hassle to deal with every time I tried to, considering its legacy. So this game is more liberating in that aspect, and you have only one character not a party. One thing that blew my mind is the inventory management, and the fact that you can move around and destroy almost anything in the world, it is out of its time. Other than that it's quite thoroughly an RPG. You choose a class, name, attributes, skills, all that jazz. Your character has a voice actor which is pretty cool, though they don't speak in conversations which is good in my opinion. The gameplay is pretty much similar to Diablo with the action and the equipment. Otherwise you explore the world, unravel its story, troubles, and whatnot, and decide to do whatever you want, decide to take a quest, let someone die, it's up to you, much like Elder Scrolls. If you love Diablo 1 or 2 and are fond of the Elder Scrolls, or perhaps even Dragon Age, you will enjoy this game. I encourage you to get it, even when it's not on sale. I haven't played much of the new Divinity games, but from what I've seen they don't look in the same vein or pursuit of this first game in the franchise, which is truly a shame. Though I am probably pissing off some hardcore fan of the new games with this, I hope you forgive me.
Do not read or listen to the low reviews of this game; if you are looking for a true Lovecraftian horror experience, this is what you long for. If you do not care about the works of Lovecraft but just want a regular ol' shooter of the horror variety, then I would suggest to look elsewhere. This game went through a shaky development, so despite its flaws and occasional bugs near the end (I have not played through the GOG version yet so I don't know if they fixed them, but had to get it, glad they've released it with Win 10 support) it still remains one of the best adaptations of the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, of which there is scarcely out there sadly (the new game is especially bad in this aspect), the legendary author inspired hundreds of movies, games and other horror authors, but never got the justice he deserved. The occultic horror master himself aside, this game is primarily a survival-horror adventure game. You do have guns, it is a first person shooter gameplay-wise, but a very sparing eerie one that builds up the atmosphere and fear as you go through it, you never know what will happen next. It has a very impressive & innovative horror gameplay mechanic; when you/the protagonist sees something disturbing he gets affected, for example if you stand over and stare directly at a corpse for a while, he will start to become gradually dizzy as his sanity drops, his heart will beat faster, his breathing louder and wheezing, his eyesight blurry and head shaking, it is really well-done and immersive when the game gets you at the same time just as well. Personally I like the voice of Jack, he sounds right out of the 1910s-30s and gives the game its own flavor. Same with the other characters. The Innsmouthian dwellers sound pleasantly disgusting, especially if you're wearing headphones. While it does have its minor flaws here and there, overall a great experience and story. In the name of all that is insane and out of this world, I encourage you to buy it but beware!
