WBC2 is extremely fun. You basically play as an RPG hero in a RTS gameworld. This solves one of my biggest problems with classic roleplaying games like Baldur's Gate, the fact that you invest so much time and energy in your character only to have it taken away forever when you finish the game. In WBC2 the game never ends so you never lose your awesome hero. Unfortunately WBC2 does crash to desktop occassionally, erasing all unsaved progress. This can be incredibly frustrating. However, I discovered that SHIFT+RIGHTCLICK is what causes the crash (or at least a crash), and since I started paying attention and avoiding that combination I haven't had a single crash in days and days of gameplay. My 5-star rating ignores the crash problem. If I factored that in, I'd have to give this game 0 stars for being unplayable. But like I said, if you avoid SHIFT+RIGHTCLICK, the game doesn't seem to crash. Hope this helps.
Warlords 3 is a great game. I wish I could play it.
I wanted to like this game. I spent over 250 hours on it. Ultimately I uninstalled feeling very dissatisfied with the experience. This is one of those games that starts out fun and interesting...but the longer you play, the worse everything gets. Combat goes from rewarding to frustrating. The story is intriguing at first but rapidly spirals out of control, becoming tedious and hard to follow. The world seems huge and full of interesting places to explore when you begin the game...but before long, you find yourself slaving away at mandatory chores that eliminate all sense of freedom. Companions are all 1-dimensional stereotypes. Each one has a specific gimmick and it's the only thing they ever talk about. (For example, there is a nihilistic dwarf cleric who babbles nonstop about how everything in life is pointless. Listening to it is pure torture.) That's the problem with this game. The writing is very low quality. It's like they hired a 15-year-old kid to write his first epic novel. You're constantly presented with huge walls of exposition and reading them feels like homework. To illustrate my point, here's an example of how the writing goes wrong. After your first major victory in the game, your allies throw a banquet to celebrate your success. It's an exciting moment. You think the occasion is going to be a fun reward for all your hard work. Then the party starts and you discover that the only thing there is to do is listen to people ramble about politics and history. Some reward. I don't recommend this game. If you're looking for a good CRPG with excellent writing, try Baldur's Gate 1+2 or Planescape Torment. Cheaper and far superior.
This game is pretty forgettable. It's got a nonsensical story that seems built around game mechanics rather than an intelligently planned narrative. The main characters are annoying. They quarrel and bicker for no reason. I quickly grew to despise them. The gameplay is extremely linear and scripted. You go from point A to point B, solve a puzzle, then move on from point B to C. There are a few lame jump scares along the way. The horror elements are laughable. For example: A "scary" zombie girl pulls you through the floor and disappears, leaving you scratching your head over what happened. Your character says "I think she was trying to pull me down the hell!" This line made me cringe so hard. A lot of the game is written like that. It's really cheesy. But there are a few positives. The game held my attention despite its flaws. It's like a "B movie" you can enjoy with a bucket of popcorn. The graphics are nice. There's an interesting quantum gadget that lets you see into the past by revealing particle clouds. It's kind of fun to play with. Emma (the annoying protonist's wife) is cute. Um... There are tons of documents to collect and read, if you wish to pause your playthrough and do homework assignments. I had fun looking for ways to spy on Emma while she was in the shower. Unfortunately that proved to be a futile endeavor. 2/5 Stars (Not recommended.)
If you enjoy mowing the lawn but find that there's not enough grass to cut outdoors, buy this game and enjoy the serene satisfaction of cleaning up giant landscapes full of trivially weak monsters. Healthy substitute for sleeping pills. 3/5
