For a more in-depth video review, check here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oZ9XZ_Wzfc Fair warning: if you use a numpadless keyboard you're in for a world of hurt, since its binds are all set to those and can't be rebinded. You can still use a mouse on what's essentially a virtual in-game keyboard, but in mini-games you're screwed. This is a remake of Sid Meier's original Pirates from the 80s. In that sense, it's a graphical update of the same game. You can raid ships, sell cargo, search for treasures, attack cities to plunder, and so on. Its corny artstyle is nice to look at, and it helped the game avoid looking dated even after more than 15 years. Unfortunately, this remake introduced a sort of a story. I mean, that's not the problem, it's the mechanics it introduces alongside it. You're portraying a character that needs to rescue his long-lost family who lost all their wealth and became imprisoned by an evil Marquis. This implies the same thing - find 4 pieces of a map and go rescue them, but they all imply attacking the same character over and over again. It's a bit ridiculous that the game pretends that you interrogate this guy for any scrap of information he has about your relatives' whereabouts, but in reality he knows the location of ALL your relatives from the start. It's just that the game requires you to perform the same thing for 16 times. The rest of the game tends to be repetitive as well, but to its credit, the game doesn't force you to do anything. You have absolute free reign, and quite a few activities to perform. Ironically, the only new addition, escaping from a city's prison, is also by far the weakest mini-game. But regardless, for 1-2 playthroughs it can be an enjoyable experience, before the feeling of repetitiveness settles.
For a more in-depth video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWRtLk2fWbI I love this and its sequel to bits, they are excellent installments of turn-based-tactics. But in all honesty, I can't give this more than 4 stars. For one, Jagged Alliance 2 exists and is superior in every conceivable way. JA's only plus is that the Deadly Games expansion comes with a random campaign generator, but otherwise it's a fairly simplistic version of what the sequel provides. It also has the quirks of a game released in 1994, such as very opaque information given to the player. For instance, weapons and equipment offer no information as to what they provide in terms of stats. It's impossible to compare two guns at a glance despite them having fixed mathematical values that the community compiled into comprehensive guides. This was more or less the norm in 1994, but in my 30s things like this lose their charm and turn into an annoyance. If you ever debate between getting this one or the version on Steam (why?), know that GOG's Gold edition has its latest official patch. In case you want some further improvements, the unofficial 1.15 patch can be found in GOG's forums.
A more in-depth video review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBozdYTg2kY Die by the Sword is a special game, but certainly not for everyone. Beyond VR titles, this is the only game that I am aware to have a fully controllable weapon swinging mechanic. Add to it things like momentum counting for the damage dealt, and having a complete dismemberment mechanic, and you can see that the skill ceiling is pretty high. A well-placed sword swing can easily decapitate an orc for instance, and it's something really enjoyable to pull off. Unfortunately, the execution is janky, very much so. If you use a keyboard and mouse, you won't have mouselook, and will be forced to use turn left/right for the all-important changes of character orientation. The camera itself is rather poor, not only because it gets stuck in the level geometry, but also due to not offering a clear view of where your weapon is. The game originally had a separate executable where you could record moves and save them as macros for the main game, but it doesn't work on modern system, and compatibility fixes such as HazardX's Die by the Sword Xtended don't seem to solve its issues. Speaking of Xtended, this is the only way to play the game. Not only it helps run the game on modern systems, but it brings some neat features, both technically and in terms of features. Overall, it's hard to recommend the game. It's not trash, it just has an overly ambitious idea that it couldn't sustain with its execution. If you can get over the issues mentioned above, you have a title with a bit of charm to it. But I can't give it more than 2 stars, even if I personally enjoyed it. Way too niche to give it more.
