This is one of those games where you are railroaded from one cutscene to another. The gameplay looks promising at first, but you soon discover that it consists of set-pieces where you are hand-held until you find the obvious solution. There's not much more than slinging stones at enemies with auto-aim, lighting/extinguishing torches and sneaking past enemies. On the other hand, the characters are excellent, the story intriguing, and the graphics gorgeously grim. Buy it for the story if you can stomach the poor gameplay.
Other reviewers have described the game aptly. I'll just add that the puzzles could have been a tad more difficult. Oftentimes I caught myself overthinking a puzzle, when the solution was actually quite simple. In fact, the clues you find are more often the complete solution than puzzle pieces that you need to combine in creative ways. One level of difficulty deeper would have been perfect So this game is easier than Myst: Riven, for example, which may suit some players. Otherwise, enjoy the beautiful artwork, relaxing background music and the serene island landscape. Just like in the timeless world of Quern, you won't even notice the time passing in real world.
[EARLY REVIEW] I'm barely a quarter into the game, so just to give a heads-up to potential buyers. This instalment is quite different from the first two titles. While the First Chapter was about a dynamic duo going on a trip around their country, a sort of coming-of-age road story, the Second Chapter using the same concept but with a more epic plot, the third game takes place in a huge dungeon. Think alternate-dimension Tetracyclic Towers and you'll get the idea. Dotted around the many levels of the dungeon are doors that specific characters can enter, which show lengthy story sequences – great for character development, but bad for gameplay. Some of the city assets have been reused, but turned into dungeons full of enemies. Gone are shopping sprees in the big mall (now handled by vending stones), fishing, talking to unique characters, exploring the countryside and helping people in need. The game is just a dungeon crawl now. And it's a phantasmal dungeon to boot. That doesn't mean the game is bad – on the contrary, the mechanics and writing are as strong as ever – merely that the game dispensed with what I liked the best about the first two games. So, buyer beware!
A forgettable story with pretentious prose, bad itemisation, average graphics, lacklustre voice acting, character development that offers nothing new, lack of dungeon variety, and repetitive combat encounters. Yet this game was a joy to play throughout my 70 hours until the ending sequence. The best that this game has going for it is the vibe of classical RPGs such as Might & Magic, Nox, Wizardry, Eschalon etc. It's the simplicity of the system, but with some great charm and love thrown into the game. Even though the progression suffers from a very steep difficulty at the beginning and too much enemy HP bloat towards the end, clearing zone by zone and purging temple by temple is a real treat. There are plenty of secrets to find for curious explorers, and plenty of encounters for turn-based combat aficionados. Traps can be annoying, as can some types of enemies, but those are smaller flaws. Upgrading to the Deluxe Edition is worthwhile, but only if it comes with a discount. The Talisman of Golot makes the game somewhat easier with extra skill points every few levels and in-game hints. Pick this title up if you like old-school RPGs, it will grow on you.
This game needs more exposure. I'm seeing reviews here claiming that the developers are biased. Whether that's true or not, but the issue takes a backseat to the fact that we have a narrative-heavy game that puts the player right in the middle of a very dramatic period in the history of a country that we hear about often in the news, but otherwise know little about. The story might be fictionalised, but the backdrop is an educational experience, further enhanced by the commentary unlocked when you pick up relevant objects and take pictures. Technically, the game can be described as a "poor man's Telltale game". All the elements are here, to the point of being a blatant copy: long cutscenes with little direct control over the character, QTEs, exploration of an area with hotspots, dialogues and decisions. The decisions are the weak part, since I've found that few of them, if any, have an actual impact on the plot. Maybe they will in the next episode. It's a shame that, while copying Telltale, the developers did not use the opportunity to improve on some of its flaws. The voice acting is very good and authentic. The graphics, especially models, could use some improvement. So while the technical side would get no more than 3 stars, the story / subject matter deserve praise, so I am giving this game 4/5 stars.
The underlying idea shows lots of promise: explore the strange planet, survive its harsh atmosphere and deep caves, learn as much as you can about the alien culture, and find a way to phone home. The graphics are beautiful, and the basic physical needs meter makes sure you are never totally relaxed. It's the execution that ruins this game somewhat. For starters, survival is rarely a problem. From time to time you might find yourself wet with a freezing night approaching, or a meteor shower might catch you out in the open, but supplies are always plentiful. There's an abundance of water and food, more than you can even carry. This takes away much of the suspense. The exploratory part is rather nice, although I wish the infrastructure were a bit more "alien". As it stands, the puzzles are too simple, and are in most cases reduced to just weighing down a pressure plate or finding a key to open a lock. There is also a quest compass pointing the way to the next waypoint, which, along with the sheer linearity of the caves, makes for quite a railroaded experience. All in all, I find no serious fault in the engine, crafting, survival mechanics and other gameplay elements. The game world just needs to be changed in order to be more indecipherable, harsher, without direction. Then The Solus Project will be a walking simulator for the ages!
This game nails the foreboding atmosphere of the works of Lovecraft. The main character arrives to the sleepy New England town of Illsmouth to photograph the passing of Halley's Comet, and also to discover why the photographer who tried to document the previous passing went mad. It doesn't take him long to scratch the surface and discover not everything is what it seems. This is a plot device used by many cult works, from Shadow over Innsmouth to Twin Peaks, and this game is among the best-executed examples. From the very beginning you can explore the entire town and the surrounding forest, which gives you a clever illusion of freedom, even though the plot itself is fairly linear, refusing to advance until you've done and witnessed everything you must. The sunny and relaxed atmosphere gradually gives way to suspense and dread as you discover the dark secrets of the town. Not too difficult, but there are points at which you might get stuck. At least the game features the sight mechanic that effectively removes the need for pixel hunting. I'm deducting one star for the clumsy controls – they really require getting used to. All the dialogues are voiced, with varying degrees of success. And there are some frustrating sequences in which a wrong move leads to the game over screen – like navigating a cave in pitch black darkness while avoiding a monster that roams there. Or the catacomb maze where all rooms look almost the same. Still, along with Dark Corners of the Earth (at least the first third), this game deserves to be on the pedestal of the best Chtulhu mythos games. Finally, a friendly advice: skip the Prisoner of Ice, a sequel to this game.
Really, there are few RPGs set in an 1001-Arabian-Nights-style world. This one is a very light RPG, so veterans will be disappointed. There is a perfunctory character sheet, the main protagonist getting stronger with levels, and a few artifacts to pick up that boost your attack or defence rating. Apart from the name, there is nothing to customise. Rather, this game works more as an action-adventure game. And it's a magical adventure with surprisingly good writing in parts, one that will also challenge you. There are multiple resolutions of certain quests, and you can choose whether you are polite or impolite towards everyone you meet (though the former is always better). As for the gameplay, you have your trusty scimitar whose combat moves can be upgraded to add a second and third attack as you gain experience, and consumable artifacts that act as ranged spells. There are also potions to heal you and make you immune to certain enemies or attacks. Here I must criticise the gameplay because the controls are very clumsy. You can only hit your enemy if you are facing it directly, and sometimes your character will walk backwards, refusing to turn. There are also a few stealth sequences (with instant game over if you're discovered), which are horrible in this perspective because you can't see the enemy until he's several feet away from you. Other than those few moderate complaints, the game is quite a relaxed experience: no time limit, no monster respawns (except for one screen in the early part of your adventure), quite a few funny/lighthearted moments, and a chance to take a break from the standard medieval/fantasy setting. Heartily recommended!
I very much enjoyed the first CoC story set in Illsmouth, so I fully expected a similar adventure. The controls and graphics are improved here, but everything else is worse than in previous game. Where previously you had the entire town and forest to explore, in every chapter here you're confined to only a few screens. There are too many timed sequences where you have only a few seconds to do the one correct action (or even pixel hunt!) in order to avoid the game-over screen. Gone is also the slowly creeping dread of the peaceful town with a terrible secret. Instead, monsters appear at the very beginning, killing suspense. The Chtulhu mythos is underused, restricted to a few monsters and statues. Near the end a convoluted time travel plot is revealed which makes little sense; the game would've been better off without it. The game is also very short compared to its predecessor. Skip this title and play the Shadow of the Comet if you want a real Lovecraftian experience!
Forget the fact that this game belongs to the KQ series. Replace "Daventry" and "Graham" with generic fantasy names, and you'll enjoy this title as an action RPG in a dark fantasy setting. Even the primitive 3D engine, combined with excellent sounds and music, does a good job of depicting the bleak atmosphere. Most people didn't like the "ye olde English" language, but it fits the setting quite well, and Connor is a properly chivalric character despite his simple origins. The levels are varied, and the monsters' death animations add excitement the rather simplistic combat. There's leveling up and new equipment every now and then that keep things interesting. There are friendly NPCs to talk to and puzzles to solve, mostly of the lock & key and jumping variety. I'd give this game four stars were it not for the clunky controls. You use the keyboard for movement, but at the same time you must control the camera at all times with your mouse. This is, at best, awkward in outdoor combat situations and very annoying inside buildings. Also, maps are very big and important items are easy to miss because some of them blend into the environment. People complain of crashes and bugs, but I had only one crash to desktop in 10 hours of gameplay. Buy this game especially if you enjoyed Blade of Darkness. The combat may not be up to par, but the atmosphere is quite similar.
