I loved it when it came out, and actually beat it at the time. Which, we all honestly know, is rare. Stil holds up, but the renewal mod is a necessity
I've played this a bunch ever since it's release. Definitely the best thing in the entire WOT franchise.
I adore this game. I remember playing it as a kid and getting stuck in Shambala and never finishing it. The biggest problem then was the controls, which are still a sticking point today. However, you can make a pretty comforable bind for ps/xbox controllers now and it plays great. (I recommend playing with run defaulted off, else you'll fly off legdes way to often). The thing this game nails that almost no recent adventure game does is balance puzzles and combat. Tomb Raider has turned into a survival sluaghter fest with very occasional puzzles. Uncharted is likewise 80%+ shooting or platforming. If you like Indiana Jones, want a game with less action and more exploration (without excessive platforming) and oodles of environmental puzzles, then this game is perfect for you. Just time the time to get comfortable with the controls and it'll be well worth it.
Since Soma's release, I've never not been in the middle of a play through. The is disturbing and somehow delightful at the same time. Every inch of space and every second of play is finely crafted, with impeccable attention to detail and game design. The sound is incredible, a feature often under-appreciated or underdeveloped in gaming. The design of the world is subtly unique and entirely believable. It's familiar enough to be accessible but conveys a place totally captivating and unique in gaming, and indeed storytelling at large. The story is simply the darkest, grimmest notion possible. It affected me profoundly and is the most compelling reason why I consistently replay this game. It takes the final moments of mankind and life on earth and plunges them into the darkest depths of the planet where no light can reach them, suffocating at the bottom of the ocean. It's an idea so twisted, but executed with stunning clarity, subtly, grace and even, profound beauty. There's no experience like it. This is the game I'd recommend above all others.
The design of this is quite solid, save for the sidekicks. The level design is great and well paced and the combat is very, very satisfying and fun. Truely, if there were some way to just turn off your sidekicks, or if they behaved better, this game would have been remembered as a true classic.
