I think the title says it best. For anyone thinking this is an actual port that has been improved to what our current society deems the standard when buying games, you will probably be surprised at best, and disappointed at worst - especially for the price they are asking for it. If you do not care that you are actually buying a PS1 version of 40 Winks, made to run on PC by the usual method, than you can see (and rate) the game by itself, which I will do. And, well, there is actually not too much to say. The game is great for an early 3D platformer. But keep in mind that it is - indeed - an early 3D platformer. That means stiff (and therefore unfair) controls, a difficulty that can be quite harsh even on easy based on said controls, as well as a cheap combat system... again, based on said controls. That being said, the game has fun levels and encounters to handle in order to collect (and free) the desired collectables like you would expect. Basically anything you would expect from a game like this is there, even the fancy, sometimes pointless, transformations of your character - as well as a nice told but overall not that important story. The only thing I can criticize is that it does indeed have frame drops in certain locations/situations, which seems to differ based on user's hardware. Which is a shame, as the rest of the emulation is actually decent (or for more experienced users at least sufficient I suppose) and is a bit of a let-down. That being said, for everyone who knows themselves around that stuff, can actually already think of an easy solution for this problem. ... Why should you even bother with this version, then? Well, the answer to this is a second question: Would you reply to "You can finally get 40 Winks for a modern system now!" with a "Yes". ... I guess that says it all. But yes, as mentioned, the price is indeed a bit outrageous. I would recommend getting it in a sale - and having a fun time with it.
Let me start by saying this: Objectively, I could never give this game 5 stars. It would get 4 at best for what there is. Like always however, I believe in looking at concepts of what a game tried to be at its time and how someone could actually love it for that. So, the subjective rating, basically. Let me continuing by saying: If I would be salty at how the game ticks me off every time I played it since its initial release, it would not gain 5 stars, either. There is just so much sticking to the game from the era of gaming, where no dev knew how to handle new technical and design gimmicks well, that it makes my head spin. The game suffers from that, as well as from not coming close to executing its ideas in a satisfying long-term fashion. To elaborate on that: Weird control scheme, no matter how you map it. Annoying, unflexible tutorials. Weird structured conversation system. Too systematic map and area design. Quick response windows that are always "that much" too short to feel good to execute in traversing and, especially, combat. Empty locations without that one single pickup you have to traverse mentioned map and areas multiple times, including backtracking. And if you have done it for one location, you already know the drill for the whole game. Despite all this: The art style and atmosphere is right out of an interactive tale. And the mechanics and features would make for such an amazing experience if executed better and further. It simply was too much for the era to handle and would have deserved a sequel or second try nowadays. Such a shame. Again, all of this can be regarded different based on taste, so I am sure what there is can be a great time on its own for some. So I will leave it at that. Technically, the game did what it was supposed to. So no complains there. Recommended - in theory. Try based on your own feeling. (And maybe look up some gameplay.)
Normally, this game is judged a lot by comparing it to its predecessor - and the developers games in general. If you do that, yes there are a lot of changes in game- design and gameplay - and looked at each one specifically, you can see why these changes are deemed inferior (giving the game a lower score). If you look at Risen 2 as a standalone entry in the RPG genre however, there is really not a lot it does actually bad, if at all for a game from a small development team. The combat can be criticised for being a button masher early on, lacking the tactical step-by-step movement of the first game. You will soon notice however, that the iconic learning system is still there for every kind of combat type you can acquire skills with to use. Still, it always stays a bit on the weaker side. Other than that though, not really anything is amiss. You have multiple good looking environments that reward exploration, good written quests and according dialogues, the story is engaging and, compared to the older games, set in scene quite nice actually. All this with expanded and refined mechanics/features create a really atmospheric adventure that gives you multiple options to solve a lot of occurring obstacles until you reach the somewhat sudden, but still satisfying end. The game has quite a sudden change of style (that being pirates in time of colonialization). Again, weird by comparison, but it does fit the bill of old sailor stories and (maybe not fully accurate) history very well. Technically, the game actually did install everything it needed by itself and ran without problems on my hardware. I didn't have any issues while playing and the technical foundation holds up good against today's standards. If you are looking for a solid RPG with pirate setting, you cannot do much wrong with Risen 2 in my book. Recommended!
Although being much smaller in scale compared to the devs last game, while that one was quite enjoyable because of its big world, you will not notice that much is missing most of the time. The reason is not because more was bad, but more made for a different experience altogether. Risen feels much more atmospheric and tight. Every step you do, everything you explore and interact with - it is less, but feels more detailed in the way it was implemented. There is also a heavier focus on following the main story this time, but you still have a lot of freedom on how you approach it and when. You can build your character however you want (mostly), as well. The combat is very solid, actually. Some may not like it, but I thought each attack is valued and playing a tad more tactical and with invested points in abilities is more rewarding than, again, the "predecessor". The presentation is a step up as well, and while Gothic 3 may had a bit of clunkiness to it because of its age, Risen still feels quite comfortable to control, look and hear. While the typical dialogue of the series has been tamed a little bit, the charme is definitively here, as well. The only downside (and maybe a reason for some to take one star off) is the second half of the game, where you'll notice that you've actually already seen and done most of it and you're being sent to rather short acts of solving quests and ending the story. It is okay for what it is, but probably a lot of people expected more when going into it, especially after the solid first two chapters where you can go and see everything and explore. Technically, the game is solid out of the box. I had an issue with the Physics SDK, but it was resolved by a quick google search. The game has widescreen support and is played with Keyboard and Mouse with a solid control layout. So, what could I add? Oh, there are console commands you can activate and mess around with. A fun experience on its own... Solid rpg - even for todays standards!
If you would want to be completely unbiased: Gothic 3 still has so many flaws that keep it from being perfect that it could only really get 4 stars. However I will, as always, give the fifth one for what I believe it can gain if someone really takes a personal liking to the game and sees how ahead of it's time the game actual was - and partly still is. I can't even describe how well designed the core mechanics to realize a virtual world actually are. Sure, they have aged a lot, never were too in-depth. But in the context of what you can do, how npcs behave and react in all their details - and how you can affect them and the world is actually quite well done even for todays standards. The game itself is... I think calling it a singleplayer mmo does fit a lot. You can explore, collect, quest, talk, fight very, very much - all to get that sweet progress and reward. It is pretty run-of-the-mill, but the world building and npc dialogues still make it charming and enjoyable. But of course that is a point that is quite a matter of taste. In the same vein a lot of the feature could be praised for existing in a well-served fashion, albeit being used fairly surface-level. There are also some things you may enjoy for what they are, but all in all will objectively be rather "meh" - like the battle system. Now, I guess every review has to mention how, yes, the game was a disaster back in 2006 (still somehow played through it), but has been patched to be a proper game with some neat qol even. If there are still bugs or more content you want, you can google for that, as well. Still, the game will always feel a bit rushed or unfinished at parts, the latter mostly in terms of scrapped locations - it can be improved as mentioned above, but you may always notice it at some points. That being said, I can't really praise enough how the game still manages to perform so good with what there is. Albeit being a bit aged by now, you certainly can have a lot of fun with it, still.
So... this game actually tries to do a thing: Combining the feel of parkour, combat and presentation from Sands of Time with the more... aggressive appearance and combat of Warrior Within. Notice how something got mentioned in both - and same as the combat, this mixture of two games shows even more what the problems with a departure from SoT actually are. While I think that the game in general feels more tighter than WW, it quickly becomes apparent that it is still neither as responsive nor enjoyable to trigger your combat moves. They at least reduced some of the attack possibilities. And added stealth. Yes, it is only repeated QTE, but it is alright. The game does give you a shove to actually use it while being Prince A. When playing as Prince B is where the WW part comes in, encountering hordes of damage sponges you have to eliminate with your weapon. While being on a constant timer during both combat and parkour. Doable, but, as the whole game, not presented to the player in full satisfying fashion. All these, the new mechanics, the parkour additions, new traps and what not, all feel like: "Hey remember stuff xyz from SoT and how it was good "for some reason"? Let's add zyx to that", without getting the same detailed feel. Having said all this, I guess it should not come as a surprise that I believe TT to be the superior game to WW - but only because of the gameplay callback to SoT. Which they actually try to add in a lot (for example the scene after getting the dagger - but even there you can get my drift about how it is not the same polish in design). The thing is: Being better because you try to reach your predecessor, but missing it by a longshot, actually says something. Again, as soon as you stop comparing, however, the game is still solid in all aspects. Nice story, atmosphere and parkour. Combat is fun after getting along with it. So despite some shortcomings, you can certainly have a great time with it. Recommended! 4 stars by comparison, 5 alone.
PoP: Warrior Within is a game that happens when the creative director steps away and the developers have to do a sequel without him. If you read this as critique, you are absolutely right to do so, as the game is filled with inconsistencies and design mistakes compared to Sands of Time. ...Still, it is a great game and would gain 4 stars. As a non-salty adult however, I will not compare it to SoT in that regard and will give it the full 5 deserving for a quality experience. Now, what is it that actually bothers me? SoT was a fine tuned work of art, where in almost every decision and detail, no matter if you liked it or not (i.e. the combat), you could clearly see what choices where made and why. This is what lifts a good game to a masterpiece in my book. To elaborate: Why are the loading screens artificially prolonged with long animations? Why can I not skip the intros and cutscenes anymore? Why do I constantly get spawned into a horde of enemies after them? There is a lot of things you will be able to notice which just don't click like before. There are some smart improvements, however, like menu controller support and subtitles. The greatest change is the combat. And by that I mean they basically tripled the prince's combat abilities while piling them on top the original system, while also encouraging hack' and slay the first minute you start the game. Calling it confusing would be understating and my problem isn't even the new moves, but rather how it got actually hindering to get the move triggered that you actually want compared to back in SoT. Speaking of which, as soon as you realize that it is the same system, the actual old tricks to cheese your enemy still work rather well. Which is...against the entire point of changing the slower system...I've thought? Anyway. Technically, the game works a bit better compatibility-wise. You still may want a fix for higher resolutions, though. Recommended. And yes, I've ignored the try-hard but still cool art change.
Back when I grew up with games like these, I was always imagining how they would look in the future with less technical limitations. Well, seeing what kind of games we get nowadays, it is save to say that they don't have the kind of artistic fantasy anymore. Games like Beyond Good and Evil, strangely enough, felt so much more real in what you were capable of experiencing, than any of the high-res "genre-peaks" of today. And yes, I heard of BGE2. And no, it is not what I would have imagined. Contrary, in fact - it seems like the perfect presentation of our gaming world and is purest irony in relation to its predecessor. ...that, and it will probably not release anymore. Or maybe it will. Who knows anymore, at this point. All of that aside, what is Beyond Good and Evil? It is a 3D Adventure Game which takes this genre to heart by doing something unheard of: Mixing individual ideas of gameplay to make something that is on one side unique, but on the other rather fluently feeling. You play as Jade (and normally are accompanied by one partner) and explore the world. By feet, by sea. By climbing and jumping through mines and facilities. By fighting and sneaking (yeah, the great marketing point). And during all that, you actually also take photos, play mini games like races and ...table tennis? I guess. There is a lot - which makes the world, albeit quite small, feel rather alive and interesting to explore. The mechanics are solid as well. Never too complicated, but well executed, diverse and fun. Combat feels catchy, but so also does stealth. Sometimes the latter is required, but you can also cheese fights. Going around places and taking photos is also fun, as you always get something - rewards, dialogues, atmosphere. Technically, the game can have some issues depending on the device. You may have to fiddle around with the settings. It can also only be played with mouse and keyboard. For the price, try it out if it looks anywhere near interesting to you. Recommended!
I think I never had a game where "You either like it or not" did fit the most. I normally don't play strategy games. I appreciate the genre, but it is not for me. So here we have a game that I like a lot, which you can now take how you'd like. The thing is, the game is actually less in-depth than the counterparts of its time. So what long time investment you can actually get by the game depends on how challenging you make it for yourself - or how much you enjoy the charme of the game and how it plays. Seeing that the AI in this game sadly never reacts in any clever ways besides cheesing the terrain to gain advantage (you can do too, though), the game quickly becomes a run for resources and spamming your army. Yes, you can have formations, and use tactical map environments and units, but this probably matters at most on highest difficulties. Even than, the game starts to lose its technical depth quick. On the other hand: The different styles for countries, their units and music are great. The way upgrades work and you built your "towns" is always a highlight for me. And yes, spamming the enemy with ships and units is kind of amazing for a while. Oh, and yes, the game has naval fights, which are actually quite cool. Again, rather simple, but the foundation is solid to have fun for a round or two. If some stuff would be used more critical, and the enemy would be smarter, this foundation would shine so much more. Generally speaking. The game worked out of the box for me. It has higher resolution and some settings to adjust. Graphics are nice, music is great. Controls work as expected. The game has some minor bugs, but some of them I think even since its first release. Back to War is the last expansion by the way. I've also only played that one. There is a campaign that is... brutal. And free play mode which can be adjusted quite well. For the price, if it seems charming to you, give it a shot. It really has something going for it, even if it is a more simpler game.
Some people say this is a copy of Tomb Raider. So I've tried googling "3D Action Adventure" and the results told me that this genre doesn't exist - it's called Tomb Raider, apparently. Some people say this may be a good game, but not a good Indy game. So I took a closer look: Yep, I'm playing as Indy with all his wits and humour, there are side characters with the typical roles to fit, there is the big bad enemy represented by xyz, there are ancient sites with artefacts, puzzles, traps and fictional surprises. You're right, wrong game guys, this is no Indy. Joking aside, most people actually see this as the best Indy game, at least from the 3D ones (which isn't that difficult as there are only 2. No, 2. Don't look it up. There isn't another one). If I had to compare it with Tomb Raider, which is by all means a refined classic for a reason, then yes, the controls and some aspects in that are, as said, refined. But looking at the story, leaving the great intro of TR IV aside, I think Infernal Machine takes the cake with ease, as well as with the character writing. Puzzle design is also superb and the actual locations are interesting to traverse and most of all, recognizable to find yourself around. Things that I think got a bit out of hand after TR II. The combat... is serviceable. If a game gives you more than enough healing items because the devs knew you will constantly trade hits with your enemy, that should say enough. You can actually do a summersault and sidesteps, as well as using different weapons to your advantage - so there is that. Controls, as mentioned, not as good as in TR. Floaty but responsive. The "physics" can mess you up sometimes - and nowadays some things would be made more convenient. Still are good, though. Technically, it works. It has resolution and controller support. But not all worked as expected - and it crashed when fiddling around with it too much. (Don't load saves repeatedly.) To summarize: Quality game then and now. Recommended!
