One of Spiderweb software's latest and newest entries to the series. Following a more "bioware" type model where you have an avatar and a small party of two fleshed out companions (which you can switch freely from a pool of five), you enter into the troubled world surrounding Avadon as a Hand of the Black Fortress. Like all Spiderweb titles, the strength is in writing and the world. Things never feel certain, and at times it is hard to tell if you are part of the problem or the solution. The simple UI allows for smooth gameplay and massive amounts of exploration. I found the story compelling as we ask ourselves how much power would we give to an agency to make us feel safe? When does the enforcement of law and order cross over into evil? Overall, a great experience, and I highly recommend this as an entry point into PC RPGs and Spiderweb Software.
If you haven't met Spiderweb Software, this is a great introduction. This venerable series of old school games is now on it's third remake, and does not disappoint. You will find hours and hours of game play here for a very reasonable price. There is plenty to explore, battle, laugh about, feel challenged by, and ultimately overcome here. It has all the best parts of the old school computer rpg, with a nice smooth ride. Easy inventory management, skill trees, regenerating hit points post-battle help you focus on the world and story of Avernum. This series has a long pedigree of satisfied fans, and I encourage you to experience it for yourself.
This is more than a JRPG. It is a JRPG that has been lovingly polished, perfected, and carefully localized for your enjoyment. It is not about the battle system or awesome cutscenes. Instead, it is about a well developed lengthy story of two young bracers and their journey across an entire continent as they discover the lands and people for the first time. If you relax and enjoy it as the extended holiday that it is, there is much to enjoy here.
Metroidvania is not my cup of tea, but as a veteran gamer, I can appreciate well polished art. This is well polished art, that also happens to be a video game. Music, graphics, gameplay, controls, narrative, voice acting, and lots and lots of small polished details that are just amazing. It does everything right. This is not meant to be played, as much as it is meant to be enjoyed. This reminds me of why I enjoyed games as a kid, and still enjoy them today.
Awesome premise! An RPG in Space! Yes! Executed horribly: boo!!!!! Second mission: enemy missile carrier shows up. I order my squad to engage it, while my carrier uses it's guns on the lesser ships. Then the pilots.....do none of those things. They fly in wide, pointless arcs, firing on the escorts as the missile carrier, untouched, blows my carrier to kingdom come. I reload, this time, they just ignore my orders and fly in circles doing nothing. Add little things, like the inability to make the fps counter go away, nonsensical cut scenes, and painful to listen to music, and you end up with a pile of disappointment.
It's special when you can experience the love that a design staff has poured into a game. Driftmoon, very much feels like a love letter to old school adventure. Cute humor, an interesting plot, and engaging gameplay make for a fun experience. Length is appropriate (not everything needs to be a 100 hour padded epic). Controls, are clunky at times, and the graphics are serviceable, but not the best in the wolrd. It reminds me of fantasy tales like the "Never ending story" and Chronicles of Narnia. I highly recommend adding this to your collection.
