Blade of Darkness is a unique game. It has a superb fighting system that keeps being entertaining after many hours and is different for each of the four characters. Unfortunately, it has flaws. The game is unfinished - two of the characters have no non-weapon combos to speak of, while the two other ones have a wide variety. The enemies are also quite monotonous. Still, despite its quirks, the game is well worth trying out, if only because it's not your average TPP action game.
I had some misgivings about the game at first, but I learned to appreciated it. It's original in every possible way - the world, the mechanics, the strategy. It's unlike any other strategy game and I really wish more such games were made; games that are willing to go against expectations and try something new. The strategy required from this game is different from most other strategy games; the soul mechanics force the player to utilize different methods than other RTS games would make you used to. Even though the only resource are souls and there are only three types of buildings, the game possesses strategic depth; it's impossible to simply rush your enemy with creatures and hope for the best. Though the graphics are dated, the design of gods and creatures is original and fresh. Even classis monsters such as ents or dragons get a unique spin. Finally, the game doesn't take itself entirely seriously. The gods are infantile and quarrelsome and the creatures' voices are often quite humorous. All in all, a game worth recommending. A sequel would be appreciated, but that's unlikely.
I enjoyed the first two Gothic games, but not Gothic III. It's difficult to put a finger just on what's wrong with this game. At the first glance, it seems like it's a wholesome RPG experience. But as I played, I found that I was bored with the game. In part, it was due to lack of direction and the plot just being generally uncompelling - I didn't feel any particular incentive for involving myself in the conflict. There were also just plain annoying elements such as having to liberate a city by yourself, or weird things like mages complaining about how magic's gone even though I could throw lighting around right at the start of the game. Add to this various bugs and a general sense of the game being unfinished, and it ends up a much worse experience than it could be - because this game could have been great if only they had polished it more.
I played Might and Magic IX quite a while ago... it wasn't so bad as to turn me away from the computer but after a while I realized that there was nothing keeping me there either and that while I could keep playing, there're many better games out there to spend my time on. All in all, I can't recommend it.
