This game just sucks. I don't care about hype, or misleading trailers or whatever, just talking about the game itself? It's bad. What makes the game bad? The world, at least for me and after the 1.3 patch released in August 2021, does NOT feel alive at all. Of course there are the repeated NPCs but the world and the characters that inhabit it simply don't feel real. Things are actually quite static, without too much dynamic stuff happening. In 2021 that's kind of crazy just how short it truly falls. Then there is the combat, which is generic AAA third person combat. I haven't played much with the hand to hand combat so maybe that's better but the shooting? Enemies feel like bullet sponges and you can tell level matters more than skill. I hate the leveling system, which is the drip feed you grind type of "increase X by 2.5%" which you have to pour points into rather than picking skills that actually impact how you are playing the game. The only thing RPG about this game is the numbers systems, which is like the absolute worst part of an RPG to rip out and shove into an open world action game like this. Because make no mistake, this is an action game, not a role playing game. Player agency seems very limited and the narrative... I don't know, early game it feels like the game is walking me through their story instead of me as my character creating the story. Maybe that's just another of saying it feels very linear. In any case this is literally one of the most disappointing games I've purchased.
OK, so Spore wasn't exactly the most well received game even at the time of its launch. That being said the game did manage to grab a piece of our collective conciousness, mostly on the strength of the creature creator and the player creativity it showcased. But going back to play the game and it is clear that the creature creator was the only redeeming part of this game. The idea of following a creature from the cellular stage to the civilization stage and beyond was well beyond the grasp of the game's creator. In fact an SNES game, E.V.O. Search for Eden, did a similar concept much better than Maxis! If you want to have fun with the creature creator go download that. Don't spend money on this half-baked game. I only give it two stars instead of one for the creature creator aspect.
I've played a good chunk of this game. I didn't play it when it was new, I've only played it this year. I've leveled up a couple characters to ~7th level. I've gotten to chapter 2. I've enjoyed building my characters, I've enjoyed the combat and items. All of that stuff is rewarding and enjoyable. Now when it comes to the story... well it's a very cliche and trite story, at least so far. Maybe it gets better, maybe some of the other campaigns are better. But I have found nothing worth caring about and I definitely am kind of sick of hearing about "Waterdhavian creatures." So if you are someone who plays CRPG's for their great narratives and quests only then I would recommend giving this a hard pass. The only other things I have to say is that the text can be difficult to read on high resolution screens. There is the enhanced edition out but for some reason it isn't available on GOG and at this point I don't know if it ever will be. That being said you really don't need the enhanced edition, I've downloaded it and played it and it's like they did the absolute bare minimum in order to resell a game we've already purchased.
Then go to settings. You'll see a list of all the DLC and other packs. You have to click on the box next to the entry for Rum Runner's Pack. It will then install. I know it's really stupid, I know GOG should change how that works, but it is what it is.
One can trace a direct lineage from a modern isometric CRPG like Pillars of Eternity all the way back to this game. You start off with a part that was either pre-generated or roll your own. As a slave you fight in the arena and then explore the slave pens, until you are ready to make your escape. But how do you escape? There are more ways than one, and different groups you can ally yourself with. Once you escape you are out in the wider world and can explore, engaging in combat, leveling up, finding new items, and of course completing quests for the people you meet along the way. I found it quite engaging as a kid, and still think there is a lot of good stuff going on in this game. The pixel art graphics are quite good for an early 90's release and are totally readable even today. The environments are interesting, and I enjoyed the characters and quests. It feels like you really are exploring an alien and hostile world. If you are into games like Baldur's Gate you should definitely give Darksun a try.
While Torchlight 2 is better there is still enough charm to Torchlight 1 that I still play here it and there. A very simple but well designed take on Diablo, it offers 3 classes, a primarily ranged class, a magic class, and a melee class. They can have multiple different builds and there is a lot of great gear to find. I've put hundreds of hours into this game, back before Torchlight 2, before Diablo III (which I ended up not caring for) before Path of Exile and Grim Dawn, Torchlight was the game to carry on the Diablo II lineage. It can be bought for a song when on sale and although it is quite sad that Runic has closed this game is still well worth the money and well worth your time to play it.
I love Pillars. It is a game with a rich world, great art (if only better than average graphics) and lots of options for character builds and tactical, real time with pause combat. I loved exploring the world, leveling up, finding new equipment, and learning about my companions. I love computer role playing games and it has been a while since I played one as meaty as this. Lots of content here to enjoy, you could easily top 100 hours or more. The game does have downsides. The companions, quests, factions, none of these are as developed quite as much as one might prefer. There is still a lot of good stuff there but you can tell the limitations of their kickstarter budget ran up against their ambitions for the game. I am hopeful a lot of that type of stuff will be improved in the sequel, Deadfire. If you have any kind of love for computer role playing games do yourself a favor and play this game. You owe it to yourself.
