This is smart, creepy fun. Multiple episodes with an interwoven narrative work well together, and the cheery theme song sets you up for each episode. If you're nostalgic for when computer keyboards clicked and TVs were a great^H^H^H^H^H^H way to display a screen of text, this will resonate with you even more. For the most part, the gameplay is engrossing and the puzzles make sense. This game blends warm nostalgia and horror - that is QUITE an accomplishment. Unfortunately, in a few spots, the puzzles are completely opaque. There are subtitles, except when you need to enter numbers that only have audio cues. Or - in one case - the command you have to type comes from incidental text on a previous screen. Since walkthroughs are readily available, I'm not taking off any stars. While the adult side of me appreciated the scares and story, I also feel like I just revisited my childhood. Absolutely worth the money.
DD:DA is an open-world action RPG where you complete quests and fight monsters. There is crafting, and a story, but you don't have to focus on them unless you want to. The levelling systems are just complex enough without being overwhelming. The game rewards you for paying attention to what options are available, but you don't have to study a massive game system to have fun. One thing that makes Dragon's Dogma unique is its class ("vocation") system. Your character can play as a mage for a while, shift to being a warrior, and then shift to something else. On the way, you pick up statistic boosts ("augments") you can still use after you switch vocations. Some skills also transfer. This improves the variety of play, and gives you a reason to try out different play styles. Of course, if you'd rather stick with one vocation and become a monster at one thing, you can do that too. Monsters are tough at first, but they do not level up with your character. That means you see the results of building a stronger character as you go. Monsters that were threatening early on become one-hit kills. But there's plenty of world to explore, and VERY tough monsters can be found if you go looking for them. You build a party with the pawn system, including one sidekick you can name, train, and keep with you for the whole game. Pawns are helpful without getting in the way. They make suggestions, but you can tell them to shut up if they get annoying. They learn how you play so they can assist you better. In practice, this is wonderful! The variety of body types available in this game means you can create a physically varied party, or narrow it down to one type if that works better for you. This helps greatly with immersion. My only real gripe so far: you'll travel and re-travel areas of the map repeatedly, no matter how carefully you place your portcrystals. This is the most fun I've had with a RPG since the Risen series. Highly recommended.
Risen 3 is absolutely beautiful, taking you from tropical islands to abandoned ancient ruins to a volcanic lava-spewing hellscape. The world is completely open right from the start. Each area has enemies in a range of difficulty. The world is stuffed from end to end with hidden areas, rewards, quests, monsters and loot. You can go where you want, when you want, and it's always worthwhile. In terms of world building, Piranha Bytes has done a great job! Character development works well. You have many choices for what skills to invest in, and different character builds play differently. The experience ("glory") system lets you train abilities at any time in a way that is fluid, fun, and engaging. You do have to choose a faction eventually: guardians/mages, demon hunters, or voodoo pirates. The spells from other factions are available as scrolls for use by anyone, so you don't miss out on much by choosing one over the other. Any of the three factions are viable. Combat is varied and generally fun. You can fight with swords, guns, thrown/shooting weapons, magic spells, or a mix. The options play differently and all _work_. This is quite an achievement! This game is a solid 4.5 stars. I'm rounding up because the game gets so much right. The downsides: There's not much customization for the main character's appearance. He looks how he looks, and you either like it or you don't. About halfway through the game, there is a lot of slogging through small combats and minor quests to progress. You keep earning glory points, and there's enough to invest them in to keep improving your character in interesting ways, but it's still a lot of effort. The two boss battles are downright painful to get through. Ultimately, this game stays true to its Piranha Bytes roots while smoothing over many rough edges of earlier titles. If you like any of the Gothic or Risen series, you'll probably like this.
Gothic 2 is a big, open-world RPG in the best sense. Other people have lives, different responses based on which faction you join, and _everything_ is scripted and voiced. This is a marked step up from other RPGs. The world itself is varied and interesting, with dangerous monsters lurking just off the beaten path and tons of things to do. Be as good (or as bad) as you want! Will you shake down farmers for their money? Will you be a virtuous paladin? Will you join the mages? The game lets you play your character, your way, for the most part. Vurt's Gothic II Graphics Overhaul makes this look great, especially for its age. Unfortunately, someone convinced the developers that a game must be punishingly hard to be fun. Not even cheating can save it. Load up your character up with weapons, armor, health, and abilities. Try to kill the off-path monsters in the first world. Some of them will be one-shot kills that get oddly strong hits in before they go. Others will stomp your fully-cheat-loaded butt into the ground. Unfortunately, this includes people/things you have to beat up for quests. To be blunt: if I put 20 hours into a game, I expect to gain enough power to beat stuff up. On that score, Gothic 2 doesn't deliver. And it's a pity, because the world looks amazing.
