GOG Patron
When I was a tyke I saw this game advertised in a magazine and it looked amazing. I couldn't afford the game let alone the computer to run it so until now it's just been a dream to play. I am VERY PLEASED that I wasn't the least bit disappointed. It looks great, sounds great (music and effects are crisp and familiar), and more so over plays smooth and consistently! It's basically Commandos with Star Trek characters which at first seems a bit odd, but this isn't just JJ Abrams 'kill em all' Star Trek Wars thankfully so you tend to be able to choose whether to employ non-lethal or lethal options...although sometimes in war the choice is made for you. You've got your squad, they've got their skills, and thankfully you CAN pause the entire game and issue commands when things get hectic even though the game is generally in real time. This is a game for fans clearly made by fans in the best of ways. Original voice actors are in abundance, technology is on point, and there's little touches like Borgs behaving in a borg-like manner and the interface itself looking like classic Trek. This game is challenging but appropriately. You will not get screwed by RNG or bad controls, just by a lack of forethought or underestimating the enemy. It will make the kid in you smile if you're anything like me.
This is a game from the future mystically transported backwards into the era of isometric RPGs. The amount of things you can do, discover, and accomplish in this gigantic game is ridiculous, especially for the era. You're going to be gauging attacks on villages by checking the day and night cycle for draining civilians while they're sleeping but avoiding daytime guards, returning to places you've been with new powers to get beyond obstacles and obtain new optional abilities, platforming, collecting spells from dungeons, fighting bosses with their own levels and storylines, and all the while hearing TONS of top tier voice acting and music. It's a bit awkward to get into at first (attack is mapped to Alt and bloodsucking to Control) but when it does come together this is a journey as much as a hack and slash game. You are roleplaying a vampire so you need to hide from the rain that burns you, use disguises and mind control on mere mortals, and any and all methods are at your dispose to acquire your revenge regardless of how needlessly cruel. This is a DARK game, which only makes sense given how Kain (SPOILERS) becomes the villain in later Legacy of Kain games. Pick this up if you like Diablo, Fallout, and vampire lore and want a hefty serving of Zelda-esque obstacle puzzles!
With the new 'modern' controls, this is the way this game was meant to be played. This is not the most polished FPS (not surprisingly given how early it was in the Build engine's reign) but it's got some nice animation and fun creatures to fight, a surprising amount of spells and potions, and is certainly ambitious for being mostly melee combat in a genre usually all about shooting. This game is just fun to explore in and reminds me of Heretic: a grim dark fantasy world with little details to immerse you like bats flying across the sky, dingy bookcases, stained glass windows, and plenty of traps. There's something really satisfying about slaying monsters, dodging fireballs, and hopping platforms. Old school with rough edges but a lot of heart!
I love Spiders games (Greedfall, Mars War Logs...etc) and this game like those boasts fantastic characters, a fleshed out world, really fun voice actors, tons of options...and an almost broken combat system. I love the concept of this game more than the execution: a more 'shades of grey' tale of orcs and humans at war but also sometimes allied if needs be against common foes. Orcs are not saintly noble savages but brutish, grumpy, pragmatic warriors with their own convictions against not a cardboard 'evil empire' but a much more nuanced alliance of with religion thrown into the mix. A lot of fun (and sometimes funny) conversations abound and I followed the gameplay mostly just to see the relationships and factions evolve. But that's the problem I had: the gameplay is not very tight. Movement is floaty and weird, especially for the gigantic orc and the tiny goblin, both scooting along rather than feeling fully in control. Combat is done from a pause menu but although there is animation is feels more like rolling dice as 'hits' can be dodged if an enemy manages a save or you blew your attack roll and damage is almost at random. Stealth is finicky. You can't tell whose looking at you and you don't hold down 'sneak', you just apply the effect to the goblin and he can only assassinate enemies VERY close to them from behind. I loved the setting, the music, the progression was exciting, the atmosphere was fantastic, but the gameplay just continually felt like I was fighting the system more than the enemies. Definitely play this if you can negotiate the system better and won't let a few wonky design decisions stand in the way of an excellent yarn.
I'm one of those weirdos who liked the original Diablo over the later games. Reason being it felt more like a personal journey of a character learning new skills rather than just min-maxing a class build. That, and Diablo 1 had this sense of dread and isolation: nightmares plaguing citizens, evidence of a brewing biblical apocalypse. I've been looking for that feeling of wilderness and myth over flash and dash and a more customizable role-playing system for some time. Inquisitor answered all my prayers! I played it a good while and had no issues. Probably helps to play in the original resolution (which makes the text easier to read anyway). The blending of medieval piety and high fantasy tropes is original and gives a more gothic and weighty feel to magic and monsters. There's also a ton of roleplaying in this RPG, lots of NPCs to talk to and even interrogate: you are investigating heresy and murder after all. The atmosphere is THICK. Even the skill bar is a Gigeresque skeleton, the cursor a hand clutching a rosary, and spells and skills all fit into the concept of a world where faith is as important as a sword at your side (only game I can think of where you can level up in Flagellation) The creepy forests sway and music gives way often to sounds like distant woodpeckers and muffled voices. It is a genuinely unnerving atmosphere and I love it. Is it tough? YES. Inquisitor pulls no punches. This is stone age RPG rules where if you are out of mana as a spell caster you're toast, if your durability is gone your weapon breaks, enemies can permanently lower your stats, and even your skill set will effect how others perceive you. But I like that too. You are not The Doomslayer, you're a mere mortal in the midst of forces you cannot realistically confront without a lot of work and careful planning. If you can take some tough combat, poke around to find the rewards, and get immersed in the world this is a fine time!
I quite liked the Knights of Pen and Paper games and this is VERY similar but with enough additions to make it worth a look I think. Like the previous games this a meta experience but nothing pretentious, showing a roleplaying game from both the perspectives of the players AND the character they're playing. The type of person playing the character, their race and class all set up your first two heroes from their basic statistics to one-off abilities and proficiencies that play off each other. You'll get more characters as the game continues but even with just two characters you can make some fun combos like setting a de-buff with one character that the other can exploit. In addition to the main quest (which tends to boil down to speedy turn based encounters like a classic JRPG) there's not a ship you can travel around in to new planets with new places to explore. Again this is ALL very slight in mechanics (very simple nodes to explore, combat, leveling is automatic, you don't equip weapons or armor you just slightly adjust stats with loot...etc) but it does make the fights feel separated by where they take place and what type of local creature you are fighting. There's even ship combat, but this is basically just another turn based game of balancing shield recharging with attacks. But for me the adorable sprites and amusing dialogue with nice subtle obscure references rather than in-your-face pop culture or fourth wall breaking constantly really makes this an enjoyable entry in a fine series. The players themselves and the GM seem into the game so it does feel like a labor of love rather than just a sneering parody of roleplaying. For short sessions this is perfect. Set up a battle, a mission, follow the main quest, gather loot and money for supplies, test abilities. The grind is tough if you just use random encounters but the main quest, although challenging, provides plenty EXP. Simple, cute, fun!
This game feels like a classic but not in that it has deliberately de-made graphics or a bad UI. It's the sheer amount of stuff packed in, the amount of meaningful choices, and the clear attention to detail on display that made me feel like I'd cracked open a big box game from the glory days. This is turn-based combat perfected. Short and sweet, hard hitting, you always feel you're in control, it's challenging but RNG is never an issue. Archers troubling you from cover? Smoke them out. Use spear fighters to jab around your swordsmen and axemen. If you're failing it's usually because you ran into a tough challenge or YOU made a mistake in tactics, not because chance wasn't on your side. You've got the reigns of choice here. The first major decision has several shades of choices interlaced depending on what you decide counts as an honorable duel. It would be a meaty enough game without the manifold components opening up soon after the first few quests. You do indeed have expeditions, but you also manage a stable of warriors and allies you need to keep in the zone for when they're called upon, materials gathered for crafting and trading, and eventually a homestead to guide and upgrade. There's some scattered voice acting, but the amount of reading is thankfully offset by the interesting characters and a story that feels authentic and dependent on your pathway to leadership. The 'good' option isn't always the one your allies prefer because it could be a sign of weakness. If you suggest something typically viking-ish like a raiding party you might flat out be told to keep your head out of the clouds and your mind on the problems at home. The 'correct' path isn't the one that satisfies everyone or the one the game rewards karmatically, it's the one YOU decide based on your playthrough. If you like deep roleplaying, great turn based combat, AND tons of systems, check it out!
The AI in this game for your companion Pawns is fantastic. There's probably some tricks and goofs, but I've seldom played a game where the allies actually felt like companions, gathering things for you, targeting enemies you can't fight at the moment, buffing you, healing you, and leveling up and gathering new equipment on your journey. I'm also in the camp that I enjoy their banter and advice. As they travel and see you do things they will start to remark on nearby loot and even remind you of quest details if you're lost. This game is hack and slash fun with a deep layer of roleplaying adventure: lots of people to talk to, lots of side quests that need a surprising amount of thought on your part. There's even some parkour, allowing for scaling of cliffs and buildings for secrets and finding a vantage against enemies. Speaking of climbing, you can latch onto enemies and climb them too looking for weak spots. Tired of the poisonous tail of an enemy? Climb on and cut it off. The camera goes crazy during these sections and there's clipping galore, but I've never had any hard crashes or out of bound issues so I'm not too concerned. The game is fully voice acted, fully scored, with some meaty sound effects. It's very atmospheric too with day and night cycles with an actual rising and setting sun. The one thing you can't do is swim. There's an in-game explanation anyway for why and you never feel it's a great loss. Nothing feels at a loss here. The plot is a nice riff on classic fantasy concepts: everything slightly askew enough to be interesting, from goblins to dragons. You're in for the long haul, fair warning. Buying new gear, upgrading favored gear, outfitting pawns, traveling to an island labyrinth at higher levels. Great fun, very dynamic, a sometimes wonky camera doesn't sink this ship.
Awhile back there was some issues with saving but I haven't had that problem personally. As for the game it takes a good while to get into but that's because it's surprisingly deep! There's a bunch of auxiliary skills to train in addition to combat techniques, spells, and 'practical' abilities which I really appreciate. One of your team can train to harvest plants or animals, fast talk civilians, pick pocket, lock pick, or craft items in addition to filling fighting roles. The map is very forgiving (showing all landmarks and un-hidden quest locations as well as enemy markers) even if the turn-based combat is the right kind of challenging, juggling stamina and energy for fighters and wizards and allowing you to use any skill in combat so you can break off and bandage wounds or mix potions mid-battle with a paused menu. The story is generic but unapologetically so: no meta jokes or memes. There's so many little details I've come to appreciate in the journey like the party celebrating victorious quests, graphical niceties like fluttering feathers and warriors with drawn weapons adopting looks of determination. There's sporadic voice acting verging on ridiculous with some wonky but not deal-breaking translations. This is slow-paced, not action packed although there's a lot of methodical fighting. If you enjoy managing team members, planning out class/skill progression with experience you can spend at any time, and don't mind lots of walking through pretty surroundings and talking to people between encounters this is a very pleasant and highly customizable roleplaying experience.