Much like with "Tyranny", I've decided to leave a review after spending some time with this game to let all you, RPG fans an opinion which might help you with the decision whether to buy this game or not. I have not been involved in beta-testing nor Kickstarter, so I believe I speak the truth saying that my review isn't "tainted" with either false love nor hater smithe. Instead, what I'm about to write, is the impression the game leaves on someone who has played a lot of RPG in his life and is VERY demanding of games in this genre. Lets start with a fact that I've always considered "Planescape: Torment" one of the best cRPGies ever made, even to this day; the game was truly ahead of its time, where your dialogue option depended on how you shaped your character, the story progressed different in response to your choices and both the world and characters were unique and memorable. Certainly by claiming to be its "spiritual successor", Numenera had A LOT to live up to in my eyes. All the more reason that I am pleased to say the title does seem to deliver from what I saw thus far, at least for the most part. I'll break down the most important sections, so that you'll have a better idea on what to expect, if you decide to buy it. Lets start with one of the more important aspects of an RPG for me - the story and setting. As most of you probably know, Numenera takes place in the Ninth World... which is, supposedly, Earth millions of years in the future, where knowledge of "worlds past" has been, for the most part, completely forgotten. Due to this, the characters living in it are pretty much fantasy characters, that have to deal with inventions of very advanced technology. Magic and technology both exists here, but the line between them is blurred and artifacts can be part of either of these categories. Such a setting, that mixed sci-fi and fantasy elements is rare in fiction, even less so to make the setting be both believable and entertaining, yet Numenera manages to achieve this, as far as I'm concerned. The story is intriguing, though those that played Planescape may find it somewhat distasteful as it uses THE SAME core elements in its plot: again you're an amnesiac who (technically, because that's not entirely true) can't die, dealing with your past lives (so to speak), trying to find the truth while escaping a powerful force that's out to get you, moving through a world alien and unique to the point you can expect pretty much anything. Yeah, sound familiar? Still, the story manages to interest me - the familiar points have been messed with to give them a sense of originality and the spin on those is inspired. Basically, from what you know, yo're a "castoff" - a body that has been used by the Changing God. This God has moved on to the next one, thus throwing you onto the world with no memories of your existance up till now. The body itself is occupied by another consious (you) and you are but the newest in the long line of such castoffs. To make matters worse, you are being hunted down by THE Sorrow and the only clue you have is a Resonance Chamber that is supposed to help you. If you wanna survive, you certainly need to do something about this hunter, so for now the mentioned Chamber is as good a place as any to start your search. Much like with Planescape, Numenera's strength is that you unravel the story yourself in a way you desire, so I'm not gonna say more about it. For now, I can acknowledge that it seems entertaining... as are NPC, two of which you can recruit early on. Those who played Planescape won't be disappointed - your party members are unique, even by Numenera standards and have rich backstories, so rest assured that the exploration of this alien world will be littered with secrets and twists that should keep you interested. It helps that graphics are nicely down - they are kept in the spirit of old RPGies (using "Pillars of Eternity" engine); the backgrounds are marvelous in my opnion, easily making you fall in love with the Ninth World as you admire the landscape. The characters themselves, sadly, come a little short in that regard, particularly their animations. These are not bad, mind you, but I have found them distracting at the start; for the lack of a better word, I would call them clumsy and since the resolution is set high from the "get-go", these characters being faceless feels a tad annoying, especially considering the details of their surroundings. Still, I would put the graphics in the "pros" column - certainly as a whole they made a far better impression on me than "Tyranny" did in that same regard. Numenera starts, like most RPGies, with character creation, but it has various mechanics that differ it from regular RPGies in that regard; at the beginning, you are presented with an interactive intro that provides you with several choices. These choices, at the end of the prologue, are used to initially prepare your character. Mind you, you can change pretty much anything the game chooses for you through that process, but for those who aren't patient enough to get through character creation, that may be a good way to shorten the experience. There are no races to choose from, though you can pick the gender of your character (as far as I could tell, their portrait is set too, so again - same as Planescape). Once you complete the intro, you get to character creation proper and this is were differences with other RPGies are evident. Lets start with the fact that your character doesn't have any attributes like Strength, Dexterity or Charisma. Instead, you are given three "pools", each providing you with a certain number of units. These pools are Might, Speed and Intellect and can be used to help you pass some of the tests you encounter during your travels. For example: if you're trying to move something heavy, the game provides you with a certain procentage of success. If you wish to up your chances, you need to spend units from a certain pool (in this case - Might), with each unit being worth +20% commonly. Once you drain these pools dry, you'll need to rest to refill them (though "critical successes" help sustain these pools longer... be adviced though that a 100% success rate doesn't equal Critical). It's a simple mechanism, that helps you lower the "luck factor" on tests - if you believe a certain check is important, you can always buff it up by 60% in stead of counting on a "lucky roll". Classes also determine the pools somewhat; in Numenera you get to choose one of three, which correspond to typical classes in RPGies - you have Glaive, who is a warrior-type and gets more health and Might than the other two, Nano, which is an equivalent of mages (least health and bonus to Intellect) and Jack - in many aspects similar to a rogue as he's supposed to be more diverse in abilities than the other two, but being an expert in nothing (in that aspect, he's probably closer to D&D's Bard class). Once you choose the above, you move forward to pick your abilities; these work most like feats from D&D or abilities from "Dragon Age" - they grant passive (meaning constant) or active bonuses (like a spell for Nanos). Dependable on your class, you'll have access to different abilities, of course, though some are accessible to more than one profession. After that you choose skills, which in turn work similarly to abilities from D%D - generally you can train yourself in skills such as Persuasion, Lore, Concentration etc. Numenera actually uses a simple system here: there are "only" 4 levels of knowledge within any skill - inability (you're hindered in these tests), novice (no bonus nor hindrance), trained (you get a buff) and expert. Dependable on your level in each skill, whenever you try to perform an action requiring knowledge in that area (like "Quick Fingers" for reflex or "Deception" when trying to lie) your success rate is adjusted by the score you have in them. Finally, at the end, you choose a character type (like "Charming", "Observant" and the sort), which can be considered perks/quirks from early "Fallout" games (haven't played the newest installments of the franchise yet) - basically, when you pick it, you get a bonus to something (commonly some skills), but in exchange you're hindered somewhere else (again - commonly a different skill). This really forces you to THINK what sort of character you wish to be and helps determine your playstyle for the upcoming playthrough. Once you complete the process of character creation (again you don't receive a name like in Planescape nor Mass Effect - you are simply "The Castoff"), you start the game proper. The gameplay is nothing out of the ordinary when compared to "old school" cRPGies nor their latest incantations such as "Pillars..." or "Tyranny", but be warned: there's A LOT of reading involved and I can't stress "A LOT" enough. Basically, if you think Planescape gave you a lot of text to read, I assure you - Numenera is no "better" in that regard; about 90%, if not more, of the narrative is done through text, which sometimes tend to be a tad too poetic. For the most part, I appreciate it, the read is enjoyable and if you liked the way Planescape presented things, I don't think you'll mind Numenera following its example... I do, however, think that at times it tries too hard to make deep descriptions. Either way, if you wish to follow the story, be adviced that you'll HAVE to read a lot and, due to this, the game may move a tad slow at certain times. You can interact with a lot of things in the world of Numenera, either by reading the description or ACTUALLY interacting with the enviroment and I must say that some of these interaction lead to surprising results - from just the first few, starting locations these actions may literally kill you, bring you experience or equipment. Your curiosity can be both a blessing and your own downful in these instances, so you need to make your decisions carefully. Dialogues are done in a manner that is somewhere in between Planescape and the latter "Pillars..." or "Tyranny" - your responses are determined by a number of factors and just having access to one doesn't mean you'll automatically succeed in it. However, the oposite is also true - even if you didn't train a certain skill, you can still succesfully pass the test by using up your pools for it. This certainly allows the gamers to sigh in relief that there isn't a situation which will be unsolvable just because they neglected a certain skill. An even bigger plus is that failure in a test doesn't necessary means you fail whatever it is you're doing; commonly it only means you'll need another way and there ALWAYS is another way... heck, sporadically, failure opens up an even better way to resolve certain issues than what you originally planned! This brings me to one of the games biggest strengths - your choice MATTER and in a very visible way. You may not always see the consequences of your actions immediately, but these consequences are there and not in the way "Mass Effect" series does them, when they're often just cosmetic as you'll always reach the same spot; here your experience will differ if you've done something differently. This will certainly help with the game's replay value - I can admit that even though I played Planescape many times, there are STILL some instances when I stumble upon something that I have never experienced in that game before and not for the lack of searching. I believe Numenera strives for the same kind of experience and that is a HUGE plus in my book. The choices are aplicapable to combat as well - much like with Planescape, Numenera allows you to avoid most fights, if only you're able find a way out of it. Heck, even when the fight begins, you can STILL try to talk your enemy down. I certainly don't recall any cRPG that allowed diplomacy once the battle began. And from my own experience I can tell you - the first instance where you CAN try yourself in combat, you can diffuse the situation in AT LEAST three different way, not all leading to the confrontation! The idea of "Player's choice" is given a very literally meaning here. And, to top that off, depending on which way you decide to handle that "skirmish", the consequences will be different too. But, if you already start combat and wish to see it through, than Numenera offers a system that is something of a mix between the recent "old school RPGies" (Pillars and Tyranny) and what "Temple of Elemental Evil" provided: round is composed of characters going one after another in sussesion, depending on their initiative. On your turn, you can move your character AND perform an action (moving a second time is an action too). Actions can mean interacting with the enviroment (because, yes, you CAN do that), talking, attacking etc. Furthermore, some characters have abilities that, in D%D terms, constitute a "quick action" - meaning performing them doesn't cost the character their move nor action. It's beneficial to look out for these things. The reputation system within the game is also different from most; here, dependable on your choices, you get attuned to one of five tides, each represented by a color. These tides show what kind of personality you have an wary from being selfish, through curious, emotional, just and the like and the fact with which Tide you're attuned to at the moment is NOT without meaning within the game either, furthering the importance of shaping your character into the one you want him/her to be. The inventory is done nicely - anyone who played Baldur's Gate, Planescape or Pillars should feel right at home. As a plus, Numenera keeps "quest objects" separate from the rest, so you needn't worry about losing some, crucial item. Generally, party management is done well in my opinion and doesn't take long to adjust, especially if you're familiar with the titles I mentioned in this paragraph. Overall, I'd say that fan of so-called "old school RPGies" should be pleased with Numenera - the graphics (particularly backgrounds) are beautiful, the story seems strong, NPCs are well thoughtout and game mechanics are good - unique and technically simplified, yet allow for a variety of character shaping and tactics. The biggest plus though is the fact that your choice DO influence your experience in a manner Planescape worked - there are many ways to resolve a problem and test failure is not equivalent to failure overall, which makes the gaming experience more realistic and helps to draw you into the game, feeling like you're really there on a journey in sted of sitting before your PC and reviewing statistics. There are some "hickups", as with most games: those that get tired of reading will have a HUGE problem with this game, because it's incredibly text-heavy. Those that had trouble with Planescape, Pillars or Tyranny shouldn't expect to handle Numenera any better; possibly this game is the "worst" of the bunch in that regard. Also character creation is a bit underdeveloped - while not a big issue, the descriptions in it use game terminology which isn't always self-explanatory (for example at the time of character creation, you still don't know what Cyphers or esotecy are, unless you looked it up on the net or in a manual), which in certain cases can be pretty hindering when you're playing for the first time. Luckily, this problem is not very spread in character creation and it mostly affects the players who wish to try Nanos as their first PC. Furthermore, those accustomed to terminologies from other games may find this part confusing as what Numenera calls "skills" their equivalents elsehwere are called "abilities", while "abilities" have different designation in other games still. However, regardless to that, character creation in Numenera takes time, so don't expect for the process to be quick like in "Mass Effect" or "Witcher"... this is really old school level of time consuming... which, for me, is not a problem, but can be bothersome to less patient players. Also characters themselves could use improvement in terms of their animation and graphics in my opinion. Despite this, from the hours I've played so far, I'm happy to say that Numenera hasn't let me down thus far. I imagine I'm nowhere NEAR completing it (side quests and exploration consumes much time and I am certainly gonna try to discover as much as I can in my playthroughs). I expect to be dazzled by this title for weeks, if not months of the nearest future. Numenera claimed to be the spiritual successor of "Planescape: Torment" and while I was deeply skeptical that ANY game could fill those shoes, I have a hunch that this title may actually pull it of... it certainly has throughout the time I've spent with it thua far. Hope this helps you get a clearer idea as to what you're paying for, if you're considering buying this game. As usual, if you have any question, feel free to send me a note and I'll try to reply you in a timely manner.
Much like with "Tyranny", I've decided to leave a review after spending some time with this game to let all you, RPG fans an opinion which might help you with the decision whether to buy this game or not. I have not been involved in beta-testing nor Kickstarter, so I believe I speak the truth saying that my review isn't "tainted" with either false love nor hater smithe. Instead, what I'm about to write, is the impression the game leaves on someone who has played a lot of RPG in his life and is VERY demanding of games in this genre. Lets start with a fact that I've always considered "Planescape: Torment" one of the best cRPGies ever made, even to this day; the game was truly ahead of its time, where your dialogue option depended on how you shaped your character, the story progressed different in response to your choices and both the world and characters were unique and memorable. Certainly by claiming to be its "spiritual successor", Numenera had A LOT to live up to in my eyes. All the more reason that I am pleased to say the title does seem to deliver from what I saw thus far, at least for the most part. I'll break down the most important sections, so that you'll have a better idea on what to expect, if you decide to buy it. Lets start with one of the more important aspects of an RPG for me - the story and setting. As most of you probably know, Numenera takes place in the Ninth World... which is, supposedly, Earth millions of years in the future, where knowledge of "worlds past" has been, for the most part, completely forgotten. Due to this, the characters living in it are pretty much fantasy characters, that have to deal with inventions of very advanced technology. Magic and technology both exists here, but the line between them is blurred and artifacts can be part of either of these categories. Such a setting, that mixed sci-fi and fantasy elements is rare in fiction, even less so to make the setting be both believable and entertaining, yet Numenera manages to achieve this, as far as I'm concerned. The story is intriguing, though those that played Planescape may find it somewhat distasteful as it uses THE SAME core elements in its plot: again you're an amnesiac who (technically, because that's not entirely true) can't die, dealing with your past lives (so to speak), trying to find the truth while escaping a powerful force that's out to get you, moving through a world alien and unique to the point you can expect pretty much anything. Yeah, sound familiar? Still, the story manages to interest me - the familiar points have been messed with to give them a sense of originality and the spin on those is inspired. Basically, from what you know, yo're a "castoff" - a body that has been used by the Changing God. This God has moved on to the next one, thus throwing you onto the world with no memories of your existance up till now. The body itself is occupied by another consious (you) and you are but the newest in the long line of such castoffs. To make matters worse, you are being hunted down by THE Sorrow and the only clue you have is a Resonance Chamber that is supposed to help you. If you wanna survive, you certainly need to do something about this hunter, so for now the mentioned Chamber is as good a place as any to start your search. Much like with Planescape, Numenera's strength is that you unravel the story yourself in a way you desire, so I'm not gonna say more about it. For now, I can acknowledge that it seems entertaining... as are NPC, two of which you can recruit early on. Those who played Planescape won't be disappointed - your party members are unique, even by Numenera standards and have rich backstories, so rest assured that the exploration of this alien world will be littered with secrets and twists that should keep you interested. It helps that graphics are nicely down - they are kept in the spirit of old RPGies (using "Pillars of Eternity" engine); the backgrounds are marvelous in my opnion, easily making you fall in love with the Ninth World as you admire the landscape. The characters themselves, sadly, come a little short in that regard, particularly their animations. These are not bad, mind you, but I have found them distracting at the start; for the lack of a better word, I would call them clumsy and since the resolution is set high from the "get-go", these characters being faceless feels a tad annoying, especially considering the details of their surroundings. Still, I would put the graphics in the "pros" column - certainly as a whole they made a far better impression on me than "Tyranny" did in that same regard. Numenera starts, like most RPGies, with character creation, but it has various mechanics that differ it from regular RPGies in that regard; at the beginning, you are presented with an interactive intro that provides you with several choices. These choices, at the end of the prologue, are used to initially prepare your character. Mind you, you can change pretty much anything the game chooses for you through that process, but for those who aren't patient enough to get through character creation, that may be a good way to shorten the experience. There are no races to choose from, though you can pick the gender of your character (as far as I could tell, their portrait is set too, so again - same as Planescape). Once you complete the intro, you get to character creation proper and this is were differences with other RPGies are evident. Lets start with the fact that your character doesn't have any attributes like Strength, Dexterity or Charisma. Instead, you are given three "pools", each providing you with a certain number of units. These pools are Might, Speed and Intellect and can be used to help you pass some of the tests you encounter during your travels. For example: if you're trying to move something heavy, the game provides you with a certain procentage of success. If you wish to up your chances, you need to spend units from a certain pool (in this case - Might), with each unit being worth +20% commonly. Once you drain these pools dry, you'll need to rest to refill them (though "critical successes" help sustain these pools longer... be adviced though that a 100% success rate doesn't equal Critical). It's a simple mechanism, that helps you lower the "luck factor" on tests - if you believe a certain check is important, you can always buff it up by 60% in stead of counting on a "lucky roll". Classes also determine the pools somewhat; in Numenera you get to choose one of three, which correspond to typical classes in RPGies - you have Glaive, who is a warrior-type and gets more health and Might than the other two, Nano, which is an equivalent of mages (least health and bonus to Intellect) and Jack - in many aspects similar to a rogue as he's supposed to be more diverse in abilities than the other two, but being an expert in nothing (in that aspect, he's probably closer to D&D's Bard class). Once you choose the above, you move forward to pick your abilities; these work most like feats from D&D or abilities from "Dragon Age" - they grant passive (meaning constant) or active bonuses (like a spell for Nanos). Dependable on your class, you'll have access to different abilities, of course, though some are accessible to more than one profession. After that you choose skills, which in turn work similarly to abilities from D%D - generally you can train yourself in skills such as Persuasion, Lore, Concentration etc. Numenera actually uses a simple system here: there are "only" 4 levels of knowledge within any skill - inability (you're hindered in these tests), novice (no bonus nor hindrance), trained (you get a buff) and expert. Dependable on your level in each skill, whenever you try to perform an action requiring knowledge in that area (like "Quick Fingers" for reflex or "Deception" when trying to lie) your success rate is adjusted by the score you have in them. Finally, at the end, you choose a character type (like "Charming", "Observant" and the sort), which can be considered perks/quirks from early "Fallout" games (haven't played the newest installments of the franchise yet) - basically, when you pick it, you get a bonus to something (commonly some skills), but in exchange you're hindered somewhere else (again - commonly a different skill). This really forces you to THINK what sort of character you wish to be and helps determine your playstyle for the upcoming playthrough. Once you complete the process of character creation (again you don't receive a name like in Planescape nor Mass Effect - you are simply "The Castoff"), you start the game proper. The gameplay is nothing out of the ordinary when compared to "old school" cRPGies nor their latest incantations such as "Pillars..." or "Tyranny", but be warned: there's A LOT of reading involved and I can't stress "A LOT" enough. Basically, if you think Planescape gave you a lot of text to read, I assure you - Numenera is no "better" in that regard; about 90%, if not more, of the narrative is done through text, which sometimes tend to be a tad too poetic. For the most part, I appreciate it, the read is enjoyable and if you liked the way Planescape presented things, I don't think you'll mind Numenera following its example... I do, however, think that at times it tries too hard to make deep descriptions. Either way, if you wish to follow the story, be adviced that you'll HAVE to read a lot and, due to this, the game may move a tad slow at certain times. You can interact with a lot of things in the world of Numenera, either by reading the description or ACTUALLY interacting with the enviroment and I must say that some of these interaction lead to surprising results - from just the first few, starting locations these actions may literally kill you, bring you experience or equipment. Your curiosity can be both a blessing and your own downful in these instances, so you need to make your decisions carefully. Dialogues are done in a manner that is somewhere in between Planescape and the latter "Pillars..." or "Tyranny" - your responses are determined by a number of factors and just having access to one doesn't mean you'll automatically succeed in it. However, the oposite is also true - even if you didn't train a certain skill, you can still succesfully pass the test by using up your pools for it. This certainly allows the gamers to sigh in relief that there isn't a situation which will be unsolvable just because they neglected a certain skill. An even bigger plus is that failure in a test doesn't necessary means you fail whatever it is you're doing; commonly it only means you'll need another way and there ALWAYS is another way... heck, sporadically, failure opens up an even better way to resolve certain issues than what you originally planned! This brings me to one of the games biggest strengths - your choice MATTER and in a very visible way. You may not always see the consequences of your actions immediately, but these consequences are there and not in the way "Mass Effect" series does them, when they're often just cosmetic as you'll always reach the same spot; here your experience will differ if you've done something differently. This will certainly help with the game's replay value - I can admit that even though I played Planescape many times, there are STILL some instances when I stumble upon something that I have never experienced in that game before and not for the lack of searching. I believe Numenera strives for the same kind of experience and that is a HUGE plus in my book. The choices are aplicapable to combat as well - much like with Planescape, Numenera allows you to avoid most fights, if only you're able find a way out of it. Heck, even when the fight begins, you can STILL try to talk your enemy down. I certainly don't recall any cRPG that allowed diplomacy once the battle began. And from my own experience I can tell you - the first instance where you CAN try yourself in combat, you can diffuse the situation in AT LEAST three different way, not all leading to the confrontation! The idea of "Player's choice" is given a very literally meaning here. And, to top that off, depending on which way you decide to handle that "skirmish", the consequences will be different too. But, if you already start combat and wish to see it through, than Numenera offers a system that is something of a mix between the recent "old school RPGies" (Pillars and Tyranny) and what "Temple of Elemental Evil" provided: round is composed of characters going one after another in sussesion, depending on their initiative. On your turn, you can move your character AND perform an action (moving a second time is an action too). Actions can mean interacting with the enviroment (because, yes, you CAN do that), talking, attacking etc. Furthermore, some characters have abilities that, in D%D terms, constitute a "quick action" - meaning performing them doesn't cost the character their move nor action. It's beneficial to look out for these things. The reputation system within the game is also different from most; here, dependable on your choices, you get attuned to one of five tides, each represented by a color. These tides show what kind of personality you have an wary from being selfish, through curious, emotional, just and the like and the fact with which Tide you're attuned to at the moment is NOT without meaning within the game either, furthering the importance of shaping your character into the one you want him/her to be. The inventory is done nicely - anyone who played Baldur's Gate, Planescape or Pillars should feel right at home. As a plus, Numenera keeps "quest objects" separate from the rest, so you needn't worry about losing some, crucial item. Generally, party management is done well in my opinion and doesn't take long to adjust, especially if you're familiar with the titles I mentioned in this paragraph. Overall, I'd say that fan of so-called "old school RPGies" should be pleased with Numenera - the graphics (particularly backgrounds) are beautiful, the story seems strong, NPCs are well thoughtout and game mechanics are good - unique and technically simplified, yet allow for a variety of character shaping and tactics. The biggest plus though is the fact that your choice DO influence your experience in a manner Planescape worked - there are many ways to resolve a problem and test failure is not equivalent to failure overall, which makes the gaming experience more realistic and helps to draw you into the game, feeling like you're really there on a journey in sted of sitting before your PC and reviewing statistics. There are some "hickups", as with most games: those that get tired of reading will have a HUGE problem with this game, because it's incredibly text-heavy. Those that had trouble with Planescape, Pillars or Tyranny shouldn't expect to handle Numenera any better; possibly this game is the "worst" of the bunch in that regard. Also character creation is a bit underdeveloped - while not a big issue, the descriptions in it use game terminology which isn't always self-explanatory (for example at the time of character creation, you still don't know what Cyphers or esotecy are, unless you looked it up on the net or in a manual), which in certain cases can be pretty hindering when you're playing for the first time. Luckily, this problem is not very spread in character creation and it mostly affects the players who wish to try Nanos as their first PC. Furthermore, those accustomed to terminologies from other games may find this part confusing as what Numenera calls "skills" their equivalents elsehwere are called "abilities", while "abilities" have different designation in other games still. However, regardless to that, character creation in Numenera takes time, so don't expect for the process to be quick like in "Mass Effect" or "Witcher"... this is really old school level of time consuming... which, for me, is not a problem, but can be bothersome to less patient players. Also characters themselves could use improvement in terms of their animation and graphics in my opinion. Despite this, from the hours I've played so far, I'm happy to say that Numenera hasn't let me down thus far. I imagine I'm nowhere NEAR completing it (side quests and exploration consumes much time and I am certainly gonna try to discover as much as I can in my playthroughs). I expect to be dazzled by this title for weeks, if not months of the nearest future. Numenera claimed to be the spiritual successor of "Planescape: Torment" and while I was deeply skeptical that ANY game could fill those shoes, I have a hunch that this title may actually pull it of... it certainly has throughout the time I've spent with it thua far. Hope this helps you get a clearer idea as to what you're paying for, if you're considering buying this game. As usual, if you have any question, feel free to send me a note and I'll try to reply you in a timely manner.
Much like with "Tyranny", I've decided to leave a review after spending some time with this game to let all you, RPG fans an opinion which might help you with the decision whether to buy this game or not. I have not been involved in beta-testing nor Kickstarter, so I believe I speak the truth saying that my review isn't "tainted" with either false love nor hater smithe. Instead, what I'm about to write, is the impression the game leaves on someone who has played a lot of RPG in his life and is VERY demanding of games in this genre. Lets start with a fact that I've always considered "Planescape: Torment" one of the best cRPGies ever made, even to this day; the game was truly ahead of its time, where your dialogue option depended on how you shaped your character, the story progressed different in response to your choices and both the world and characters were unique and memorable. Certainly by claiming to be its "spiritual successor", Numenera had A LOT to live up to in my eyes. All the more reason that I am pleased to say the title does seem to deliver from what I saw thus far, at least for the most part. I'll break down the most important sections, so that you'll have a better idea on what to expect, if you decide to buy it. Lets start with one of the more important aspects of an RPG for me - the story and setting. As most of you probably know, Numenera takes place in the Ninth World... which is, supposedly, Earth millions of years in the future, where knowledge of "worlds past" has been, for the most part, completely forgotten. Due to this, the characters living in it are pretty much fantasy characters, that have to deal with inventions of very advanced technology. Magic and technology both exists here, but the line between them is blurred and artifacts can be part of either of these categories. Such a setting, that mixed sci-fi and fantasy elements is rare in fiction, even less so to make the setting be both believable and entertaining, yet Numenera manages to achieve this, as far as I'm concerned. The story is intriguing, though those that played Planescape may find it somewhat distasteful as it uses THE SAME core elements in its plot: again you're an amnesiac who (technically, because that's not entirely true) can't die, dealing with your past lives (so to speak), trying to find the truth while escaping a powerful force that's out to get you, moving through a world alien and unique to the point you can expect pretty much anything. Yeah, sound familiar? Still, the story manages to interest me - the familiar points have been messed with to give them a sense of originality and the spin on those is inspired. Basically, from what you know, yo're a "castoff" - a body that has been used by the Changing God. This God has moved on to the next one, thus throwing you onto the world with no memories of your existance up till now. The body itself is occupied by another consious (you) and you are but the newest in the long line of such castoffs. To make matters worse, you are being hunted down by THE Sorrow and the only clue you have is a Resonance Chamber that is supposed to help you. If you wanna survive, you certainly need to do something about this hunter, so for now the mentioned Chamber is as good a place as any to start your search. Much like with Planescape, Numenera's strength is that you unravel the story yourself in a way you desire, so I'm not gonna say more about it. For now, I can acknowledge that it seems entertaining... as are NPC, two of which you can recruit early on. Those who played Planescape won't be disappointed - your party members are unique, even by Numenera standards and have rich backstories, so rest assured that the exploration of this alien world will be littered with secrets and twists that should keep you interested. It helps that graphics are nicely down - they are kept in the spirit of old RPGies (using "Pillars of Eternity" engine); the backgrounds are marvelous in my opnion, easily making you fall in love with the Ninth World as you admire the landscape. The characters themselves, sadly, come a little short in that regard, particularly their animations. These are not bad, mind you, but I have found them distracting at the start; for the lack of a better word, I would call them clumsy and since the resolution is set high from the "get-go", these characters being faceless feels a tad annoying, especially considering the details of their surroundings. Still, I would put the graphics in the "pros" column - certainly as a whole they made a far better impression on me than "Tyranny" did in that same regard. Numenera starts, like most RPGies, with character creation, but it has various mechanics that differ it from regular RPGies in that regard; at the beginning, you are presented with an interactive intro that provides you with several choices. These choices, at the end of the prologue, are used to initially prepare your character. Mind you, you can change pretty much anything the game chooses for you through that process, but for those who aren't patient enough to get through character creation, that may be a good way to shorten the experience. There are no races to choose from, though you can pick the gender of your character (as far as I could tell, their portrait is set too, so again - same as Planescape). Once you complete the intro, you get to character creation proper and this is were differences with other RPGies are evident. Lets start with the fact that your character doesn't have any attributes like Strength, Dexterity or Charisma. Instead, you are given three "pools", each providing you with a certain number of units. These pools are Might, Speed and Intellect and can be used to help you pass some of the tests you encounter during your travels. For example: if you're trying to move something heavy, the game provides you with a certain procentage of success. If you wish to up your chances, you need to spend units from a certain pool (in this case - Might), with each unit being worth +20% commonly. Once you drain these pools dry, you'll need to rest to refill them (though "critical successes" help sustain these pools longer... be adviced though that a 100% success rate doesn't equal Critical). It's a simple mechanism, that helps you lower the "luck factor" on tests - if you believe a certain check is important, you can always buff it up by 60% in stead of counting on a "lucky roll". Classes also determine the pools somewhat; in Numenera you get to choose one of three, which correspond to typical classes in RPGies - you have Glaive, who is a warrior-type and gets more health and Might than the other two, Nano, which is an equivalent of mages (least health and bonus to Intellect) and Jack - in many aspects similar to a rogue as he's supposed to be more diverse in abilities than the other two, but being an expert in nothing (in that aspect, he's probably closer to D&D's Bard class). Once you choose the above, you move forward to pick your abilities; these work most like feats from D&D or abilities from "Dragon Age" - they grant passive (meaning constant) or active bonuses (like a spell for Nanos). Dependable on your class, you'll have access to different abilities, of course, though some are accessible to more than one profession. After that you choose skills, which in turn work similarly to abilities from D%D - generally you can train yourself in skills such as Persuasion, Lore, Concentration etc. Numenera actually uses a simple system here: there are "only" 4 levels of knowledge within any skill - inability (you're hindered in these tests), novice (no bonus nor hindrance), trained (you get a buff) and expert. Dependable on your level in each skill, whenever you try to perform an action requiring knowledge in that area (like "Quick Fingers" for reflex or "Deception" when trying to lie) your success rate is adjusted by the score you have in them. Finally, at the end, you choose a character type (like "Charming", "Observant" and the sort), which can be considered perks/quirks from early "Fallout" games (haven't played the newest installments of the franchise yet) - basically, when you pick it, you get a bonus to something (commonly some skills), but in exchange you're hindered somewhere else (again - commonly a different skill). This really forces you to THINK what sort of character you wish to be and helps determine your playstyle for the upcoming playthrough. Once you complete the process of character creation (again you don't receive a name like in Planescape nor Mass Effect - you are simply "The Castoff"), you start the game proper. The gameplay is nothing out of the ordinary when compared to "old school" cRPGies nor their latest incantations such as "Pillars..." or "Tyranny", but be warned: there's A LOT of reading involved and I can't stress "A LOT" enough. Basically, if you think Planescape gave you a lot of text to read, I assure you - Numenera is no "better" in that regard; about 90%, if not more, of the narrative is done through text, which sometimes tend to be a tad too poetic. For the most part, I appreciate it, the read is enjoyable and if you liked the way Planescape presented things, I don't think you'll mind Numenera following its example... I do, however, think that at times it tries too hard to make deep descriptions. Either way, if you wish to follow the story, be adviced that you'll HAVE to read a lot and, due to this, the game may move a tad slow at certain times. You can interact with a lot of things in the world of Numenera, either by reading the description or ACTUALLY interacting with the enviroment and I must say that some of these interaction lead to surprising results - from just the first few, starting locations these actions may literally kill you, bring you experience or equipment. Your curiosity can be both a blessing and your own downful in these instances, so you need to make your decisions carefully. Dialogues are done in a manner that is somewhere in between Planescape and the latter "Pillars..." or "Tyranny" - your responses are determined by a number of factors and just having access to one doesn't mean you'll automatically succeed in it. However, the oposite is also true - even if you didn't train a certain skill, you can still succesfully pass the test by using up your pools for it. This certainly allows the gamers to sigh in relief that there isn't a situation which will be unsolvable just because they neglected a certain skill. An even bigger plus is that failure in a test doesn't necessary means you fail whatever it is you're doing; commonly it only means you'll need another way and there ALWAYS is another way... heck, sporadically, failure opens up an even better way to resolve certain issues than what you originally planned! This brings me to one of the games biggest strengths - your choice MATTER and in a very visible way. You may not always see the consequences of your actions immediately, but these consequences are there and not in the way "Mass Effect" series does them, when they're often just cosmetic as you'll always reach the same spot; here your experience will differ if you've done something differently. This will certainly help with the game's replay value - I can admit that even though I played Planescape many times, there are STILL some instances when I stumble upon something that I have never experienced in that game before and not for the lack of searching. I believe Numenera strives for the same kind of experience and that is a HUGE plus in my book. The choices are aplicapable to combat as well - much like with Planescape, Numenera allows you to avoid most fights, if only you're able find a way out of it. Heck, even when the fight begins, you can STILL try to talk your enemy down. I certainly don't recall any cRPG that allowed diplomacy once the battle began. And from my own experience I can tell you - the first instance where you CAN try yourself in combat, you can diffuse the situation in AT LEAST three different way, not all leading to the confrontation! The idea of "Player's choice" is given a very literally meaning here. And, to top that off, depending on which way you decide to handle that "skirmish", the consequences will be different too. But, if you already start combat and wish to see it through, than Numenera offers a system that is something of a mix between the recent "old school RPGies" (Pillars and Tyranny) and what "Temple of Elemental Evil" provided: round is composed of characters going one after another in sussesion, depending on their initiative. On your turn, you can move your character AND perform an action (moving a second time is an action too). Actions can mean interacting with the enviroment (because, yes, you CAN do that), talking, attacking etc. Furthermore, some characters have abilities that, in D%D terms, constitute a "quick action" - meaning performing them doesn't cost the character their move nor action. It's beneficial to look out for these things. The reputation system within the game is also different from most; here, dependable on your choices, you get attuned to one of five tides, each represented by a color. These tides show what kind of personality you have an wary from being selfish, through curious, emotional, just and the like and the fact with which Tide you're attuned to at the moment is NOT without meaning within the game either, furthering the importance of shaping your character into the one you want him/her to be. The inventory is done nicely - anyone who played Baldur's Gate, Planescape or Pillars should feel right at home. As a plus, Numenera keeps "quest objects" separate from the rest, so you needn't worry about losing some, crucial item. Generally, party management is done well in my opinion and doesn't take long to adjust, especially if you're familiar with the titles I mentioned in this paragraph. Overall, I'd say that fan of so-called "old school RPGies" should be pleased with Numenera - the graphics (particularly backgrounds) are beautiful, the story seems strong, NPCs are well thoughtout and game mechanics are good - unique and technically simplified, yet allow for a variety of character shaping and tactics. The biggest plus though is the fact that your choice DO influence your experience in a manner Planescape worked - there are many ways to resolve a problem and test failure is not equivalent to failure overall, which makes the gaming experience more realistic and helps to draw you into the game, feeling like you're really there on a journey in sted of sitting before your PC and reviewing statistics. There are some "hickups", as with most games: those that get tired of reading will have a HUGE problem with this game, because it's incredibly text-heavy. Those that had trouble with Planescape, Pillars or Tyranny shouldn't expect to handle Numenera any better; possibly this game is the "worst" of the bunch in that regard. Also character creation is a bit underdeveloped - while not a big issue, the descriptions in it use game terminology which isn't always self-explanatory (for example at the time of character creation, you still don't know what Cyphers or esotecy are, unless you looked it up on the net or in a manual), which in certain cases can be pretty hindering when you're playing for the first time. Luckily, this problem is not very spread in character creation and it mostly affects the players who wish to try Nanos as their first PC. Furthermore, those accustomed to terminologies from other games may find this part confusing as what Numenera calls "skills" their equivalents elsehwere are called "abilities", while "abilities" have different designation in other games still. However, regardless to that, character creation in Numenera takes time, so don't expect for the process to be quick like in "Mass Effect" or "Witcher"... this is really old school level of time consuming... which, for me, is not a problem, but can be bothersome to less patient players. Also characters themselves could use improvement in terms of their animation and graphics in my opinion. Despite this, from the hours I've played so far, I'm happy to say that Numenera hasn't let me down thus far. I imagine I'm nowhere NEAR completing it (side quests and exploration consumes much time and I am certainly gonna try to discover as much as I can in my playthroughs). I expect to be dazzled by this title for weeks, if not months of the nearest future. Numenera claimed to be the spiritual successor of "Planescape: Torment" and while I was deeply skeptical that ANY game could fill those shoes, I have a hunch that this title may actually pull it of... it certainly has throughout the time I've spent with it thua far. Hope this helps you get a clearer idea as to what you're paying for, if you're considering buying this game. As usual, if you have any question, feel free to send me a note and I'll try to reply you in a timely manner.
Much like with "Tyranny", I've decided to leave a review after spending some time with this game to let all you, RPG fans an opinion which might help you with the decision whether to buy this game or not. I have not been involved in beta-testing nor Kickstarter, so I believe I speak the truth saying that my review isn't "tainted" with either false love nor hater smithe. Instead, what I'm about to write, is the impression the game leaves on someone who has played a lot of RPG in his life and is VERY demanding of games in this genre. Lets start with a fact that I've always considered "Planescape: Torment" one of the best cRPGies ever made, even to this day; the game was truly ahead of its time, where your dialogue option depended on how you shaped your character, the story progressed different in response to your choices and both the world and characters were unique and memorable. Certainly by claiming to be its "spiritual successor", Numenera had A LOT to live up to in my eyes. All the more reason that I am pleased to say the title does seem to deliver from what I saw thus far, at least for the most part. I'll break down the most important sections, so that you'll have a better idea on what to expect, if you decide to buy it. Lets start with one of the more important aspects of an RPG for me - the story and setting. As most of you probably know, Numenera takes place in the Ninth World... which is, supposedly, Earth millions of years in the future, where knowledge of "worlds past" has been, for the most part, completely forgotten. Due to this, the characters living in it are pretty much fantasy characters, that have to deal with inventions of very advanced technology. Magic and technology both exists here, but the line between them is blurred and artifacts can be part of either of these categories. Such a setting, that mixed sci-fi and fantasy elements is rare in fiction, even less so to make the setting be both believable and entertaining, yet Numenera manages to achieve this, as far as I'm concerned. The story is intriguing, though those that played Planescape may find it somewhat distasteful as it uses THE SAME core elements in its plot: again you're an amnesiac who (technically, because that's not entirely true) can't die, dealing with your past lives (so to speak), trying to find the truth while escaping a powerful force that's out to get you, moving through a world alien and unique to the point you can expect pretty much anything. Yeah, sound familiar? Still, the story manages to interest me - the familiar points have been messed with to give them a sense of originality and the spin on those is inspired. Basically, from what you know, yo're a "castoff" - a body that has been used by the Changing God. This God has moved on to the next one, thus throwing you onto the world with no memories of your existance up till now. The body itself is occupied by another consious (you) and you are but the newest in the long line of such castoffs. To make matters worse, you are being hunted down by THE Sorrow and the only clue you have is a Resonance Chamber that is supposed to help you. If you wanna survive, you certainly need to do something about this hunter, so for now the mentioned Chamber is as good a place as any to start your search. Much like with Planescape, Numenera's strength is that you unravel the story yourself in a way you desire, so I'm not gonna say more about it. For now, I can acknowledge that it seems entertaining... as are NPC, two of which you can recruit early on. Those who played Planescape won't be disappointed - your party members are unique, even by Numenera standards and have rich backstories, so rest assured that the exploration of this alien world will be littered with secrets and twists that should keep you interested. It helps that graphics are nicely down - they are kept in the spirit of old RPGies (using "Pillars of Eternity" engine); the backgrounds are marvelous in my opnion, easily making you fall in love with the Ninth World as you admire the landscape. The characters themselves, sadly, come a little short in that regard, particularly their animations. These are not bad, mind you, but I have found them distracting at the start; for the lack of a better word, I would call them clumsy and since the resolution is set high from the "get-go", these characters being faceless feels a tad annoying, especially considering the details of their surroundings. Still, I would put the graphics in the "pros" column - certainly as a whole they made a far better impression on me than "Tyranny" did in that same regard. Numenera starts, like most RPGies, with character creation, but it has various mechanics that differ it from regular RPGies in that regard; at the beginning, you are presented with an interactive intro that provides you with several choices. These choices, at the end of the prologue, are used to initially prepare your character. Mind you, you can change pretty much anything the game chooses for you through that process, but for those who aren't patient enough to get through character creation, that may be a good way to shorten the experience. There are no races to choose from, though you can pick the gender of your character (as far as I could tell, their portrait is set too, so again - same as Planescape). Once you complete the intro, you get to character creation proper and this is were differences with other RPGies are evident. Lets start with the fact that your character doesn't have any attributes like Strength, Dexterity or Charisma. Instead, you are given three "pools", each providing you with a certain number of units. These pools are Might, Speed and Intellect and can be used to help you pass some of the tests you encounter during your travels. For example: if you're trying to move something heavy, the game provides you with a certain procentage of success. If you wish to up your chances, you need to spend units from a certain pool (in this case - Might), with each unit being worth +20% commonly. Once you drain these pools dry, you'll need to rest to refill them (though "critical successes" help sustain these pools longer... be adviced though that a 100% success rate doesn't equal Critical). It's a simple mechanism, that helps you lower the "luck factor" on tests - if you believe a certain check is important, you can always buff it up by 60% in stead of counting on a "lucky roll". Classes also determine the pools somewhat; in Numenera you get to choose one of three, which correspond to typical classes in RPGies - you have Glaive, who is a warrior-type and gets more health and Might than the other two, Nano, which is an equivalent of mages (least health and bonus to Intellect) and Jack - in many aspects similar to a rogue as he's supposed to be more diverse in abilities than the other two, but being an expert in nothing (in that aspect, he's probably closer to D&D's Bard class). Once you choose the above, you move forward to pick your abilities; these work most like feats from D&D or abilities from "Dragon Age" - they grant passive (meaning constant) or active bonuses (like a spell for Nanos). Dependable on your class, you'll have access to different abilities, of course, though some are accessible to more than one profession. After that you choose skills, which in turn work similarly to abilities from D%D - generally you can train yourself in skills such as Persuasion, Lore, Concentration etc. Numenera actually uses a simple system here: there are "only" 4 levels of knowledge within any skill - inability (you're hindered in these tests), novice (no bonus nor hindrance), trained (you get a buff) and expert. Dependable on your level in each skill, whenever you try to perform an action requiring knowledge in that area (like "Quick Fingers" for reflex or "Deception" when trying to lie) your success rate is adjusted by the score you have in them. Finally, at the end, you choose a character type (like "Charming", "Observant" and the sort), which can be considered perks/quirks from early "Fallout" games (haven't played the newest installments of the franchise yet) - basically, when you pick it, you get a bonus to something (commonly some skills), but in exchange you're hindered somewhere else (again - commonly a different skill). This really forces you to THINK what sort of character you wish to be and helps determine your playstyle for the upcoming playthrough. Once you complete the process of character creation (again you don't receive a name like in Planescape nor Mass Effect - you are simply "The Castoff"), you start the game proper. The gameplay is nothing out of the ordinary when compared to "old school" cRPGies nor their latest incantations such as "Pillars..." or "Tyranny", but be warned: there's A LOT of reading involved and I can't stress "A LOT" enough. Basically, if you think Planescape gave you a lot of text to read, I assure you - Numenera is no "better" in that regard; about 90%, if not more, of the narrative is done through text, which sometimes tend to be a tad too poetic. For the most part, I appreciate it, the read is enjoyable and if you liked the way Planescape presented things, I don't think you'll mind Numenera following its example... I do, however, think that at times it tries too hard to make deep descriptions. Either way, if you wish to follow the story, be adviced that you'll HAVE to read a lot and, due to this, the game may move a tad slow at certain times. You can interact with a lot of things in the world of Numenera, either by reading the description or ACTUALLY interacting with the enviroment and I must say that some of these interaction lead to surprising results - from just the first few, starting locations these actions may literally kill you, bring you experience or equipment. Your curiosity can be both a blessing and your own downful in these instances, so you need to make your decisions carefully. Dialogues are done in a manner that is somewhere in between Planescape and the latter "Pillars..." or "Tyranny" - your responses are determined by a number of factors and just having access to one doesn't mean you'll automatically succeed in it. However, the oposite is also true - even if you didn't train a certain skill, you can still succesfully pass the test by using up your pools for it. This certainly allows the gamers to sigh in relief that there isn't a situation which will be unsolvable just because they neglected a certain skill. An even bigger plus is that failure in a test doesn't necessary means you fail whatever it is you're doing; commonly it only means you'll need another way and there ALWAYS is another way... heck, sporadically, failure opens up an even better way to resolve certain issues than what you originally planned! This brings me to one of the games biggest strengths - your choice MATTER and in a very visible way. You may not always see the consequences of your actions immediately, but these consequences are there and not in the way "Mass Effect" series does them, when they're often just cosmetic as you'll always reach the same spot; here your experience will differ if you've done something differently. This will certainly help with the game's replay value - I can admit that even though I played Planescape many times, there are STILL some instances when I stumble upon something that I have never experienced in that game before and not for the lack of searching. I believe Numenera strives for the same kind of experience and that is a HUGE plus in my book. The choices are aplicapable to combat as well - much like with Planescape, Numenera allows you to avoid most fights, if only you're able find a way out of it. Heck, even when the fight begins, you can STILL try to talk your enemy down. I certainly don't recall any cRPG that allowed diplomacy once the battle began. And from my own experience I can tell you - the first instance where you CAN try yourself in combat, you can diffuse the situation in AT LEAST three different way, not all leading to the confrontation! The idea of "Player's choice" is given a very literally meaning here. And, to top that off, depending on which way you decide to handle that "skirmish", the consequences will be different too. But, if you already start combat and wish to see it through, than Numenera offers a system that is something of a mix between the recent "old school RPGies" (Pillars and Tyranny) and what "Temple of Elemental Evil" provided: round is composed of characters going one after another in sussesion, depending on their initiative. On your turn, you can move your character AND perform an action (moving a second time is an action too). Actions can mean interacting with the enviroment (because, yes, you CAN do that), talking, attacking etc. Furthermore, some characters have abilities that, in D%D terms, constitute a "quick action" - meaning performing them doesn't cost the character their move nor action. It's beneficial to look out for these things. The reputation system within the game is also different from most; here, dependable on your choices, you get attuned to one of five tides, each represented by a color. These tides show what kind of personality you have an wary from being selfish, through curious, emotional, just and the like and the fact with which Tide you're attuned to at the moment is NOT without meaning within the game either, furthering the importance of shaping your character into the one you want him/her to be. The inventory is done nicely - anyone who played Baldur's Gate, Planescape or Pillars should feel right at home. As a plus, Numenera keeps "quest objects" separate from the rest, so you needn't worry about losing some, crucial item. Generally, party management is done well in my opinion and doesn't take long to adjust, especially if you're familiar with the titles I mentioned in this paragraph. Overall, I'd say that fan of so-called "old school RPGies" should be pleased with Numenera - the graphics (particularly backgrounds) are beautiful, the story seems strong, NPCs are well thoughtout and game mechanics are good - unique and technically simplified, yet allow for a variety of character shaping and tactics. The biggest plus though is the fact that your choice DO influence your experience in a manner Planescape worked - there are many ways to resolve a problem and test failure is not equivalent to failure overall, which makes the gaming experience more realistic and helps to draw you into the game, feeling like you're really there on a journey in sted of sitting before your PC and reviewing statistics. There are some "hickups", as with most games: those that get tired of reading will have a HUGE problem with this game, because it's incredibly text-heavy. Those that had trouble with Planescape, Pillars or Tyranny shouldn't expect to handle Numenera any better; possibly this game is the "worst" of the bunch in that regard. Also character creation is a bit underdeveloped - while not a big issue, the descriptions in it use game terminology which isn't always self-explanatory (for example at the time of character creation, you still don't know what Cyphers or esotecy are, unless you looked it up on the net or in a manual), which in certain cases can be pretty hindering when you're playing for the first time. Luckily, this problem is not very spread in character creation and it mostly affects the players who wish to try Nanos as their first PC. Furthermore, those accustomed to terminologies from other games may find this part confusing as what Numenera calls "skills" their equivalents elsehwere are called "abilities", while "abilities" have different designation in other games still. However, regardless to that, character creation in Numenera takes time, so don't expect for the process to be quick like in "Mass Effect" or "Witcher"... this is really old school level of time consuming... which, for me, is not a problem, but can be bothersome to less patient players. Also characters themselves could use improvement in terms of their animation and graphics in my opinion. Despite this, from the hours I've played so far, I'm happy to say that Numenera hasn't let me down thus far. I imagine I'm nowhere NEAR completing it (side quests and exploration consumes much time and I am certainly gonna try to discover as much as I can in my playthroughs). I expect to be dazzled by this title for weeks, if not months of the nearest future. Numenera claimed to be the spiritual successor of "Planescape: Torment" and while I was deeply skeptical that ANY game could fill those shoes, I have a hunch that this title may actually pull it of... it certainly has throughout the time I've spent with it thua far. Hope this helps you get a clearer idea as to what you're paying for, if you're considering buying this game. As usual, if you have any question, feel free to send me a note and I'll try to reply you in a timely manner.
I remember playing "Ignition" quite a few years back and back than this game was pretty adictive. Not so much from the multitude of tracks or vehicles (though it does okay in that department), but from the multiplayer, when me and my friends tended to race against each other before the monitor between some "heavier" multiplayer games like Worms or Heroes. Lets start with the basics - as game description tells you, the game has 7 tracks: farms, snowy mountains, cliffs at the coast, metropolis (I believe it's specifically designated as Tokyo), South-American ruins, vulcanic "wasteland" and wild west style desert. Additionally, upon completing a single player mode, each of these tracks can be raced in reverse (mirror league; a feature that was popular at the time the game was developed), which helps a bit with its replay value. Each track has its own little surprises - there are shortcuts that allows you to get ahead (sometimes hiddens, sometimes in the form where you choose which turn you take) and every race has at least two of those. Aside from that there are other traps that await the racers - falling rocks that flatten your cars (and, once you're "compacted", your controls work in reverse for a while), trains that go right through the track or cliffs that you need to jump over using your car's nitro to name just those most common. Generally each track is quite different from another and they look very nice (taking into account the graphics of its time). Another, string point are the vehicles, not all of them accessible from the start - they're wacky (school bus, a police car, monster truck, medical jeep to name just a few) and truly different, each having statistics different from others. A truck ("Smokey") for example doesn't have speed, but it certainly sticks to the road, the yellow car ("Banana") has good acceleration, while the black sports car ("Vegas") is quick, but certainly can easily fall off its course. Each car also has nitro that is slowly recharging itself. At any time you can punch it to give your vehicle an extra boost (often adviced when jumping over cliffs), but you should use it wisely. A bonus is that ANY of these vehicles is as good as the others in the right hands (this was tested by me and my friends) - even the slow ones can out-race the speedsters, if you handling them right. The multiplayer is probably the game's greatest strength - it allows for two players to go at it on the same PC via split-screen. I know that in the times of 4-player games this may seem like nothing, but as far as "hot seat" racing games go, "Ignition" does fairly well and it certainly kept me and my friends occupied longer than most other titles from its genre. Overall, if you like arcade racing with a twist (like Micro Machines or more recent Toybox Turbos), I think you'll enjoy "Ignition". It's NOT the best game of the genre, but it certainly does everything right and should entertain you, if only as a quick break between other games.
Since the game has just been released, I obviously haven't been able to get through it entirely thus far, but for all you RPG fans (myself being one) I figured it could be helpful to know what this game is about in making a decision whether you should buy it or not. Hopefully, what I'm about to write will prove sufficient for you to make a more "informed" decision. Lets start with the basics (You may skip these, two paragraphs, they're more to help you understand my judgement upon Tyranny and what I specifically took note on): I have a very specific definition of what an RPG is and not all computer games labelled as such fall into that category. To me, important aspects of an RPG are the ability to craft your own character (not necessary by character creation but by making ACTUAL choices in game), have at least SOME influence on the story that unfolds and AT LEAST decent writing (both storywise and while putting NPCs into the game). To that end, the so-called JRPGies (RPGies originating in Japan) are a separate genre for me, since for the most part (with some exceptions) they are linear and not heavy on character creation (doesn't mean they're bad game mind you - just not what I call RPG). Similarly, hack & slash type games (Diablo being the prime example) are also a different category. With that in mind, I'm pleased to say that, from what I saw, Tyranny DOES fall into my RPG category. You start the game as, basically, every other RPG - by creating your own character. There are no races nor classes per say, but you do get to choose your gender and origins (somewhat similarly to the first "Dragon Age" and "Mass Effect"). The origins are presented to you in written form and from the 8 you are given to choose from, EACH will affect your options in-game; for example - if you choose a Diplomat origin, you're more likely to implement diplomacy in your conversations (duh), while being a soldier gives you more knowledge of the battlefield. Often these new conversation options are more than cosmetic. The origins themselves also determine your playstyle somewhat (think of them as equivalent of classes). I would venture that there are two origins that correspond to the most wide-spread classes in "common" RPGies: fighter (meele warrior), ranger (ranged warrior), rogue (a stealthy individual) and a mage (for spells). After you choose your origins, you adjust your atributes and skills. There are 6 attributes overall and, much like in "Pillars of Eternity", the game advices you which ones are favorable to you, dependable on your previous choices. Skills, on the other hand, are mostly combat-oriented (like wielding two weapons, a blade and a shield or spells from specific domain). You pick two of the bunch and these choices provide you with certain talents (more on that later). Once you choose a name for your character, you can either get right into action or get through a "conquest" mode. The Conquest mode is, again, similar to origins from the first "Dragon Age", only it comes down to choices: at every step you are given two situations and in ONE of them you make a decision that will somehow influence the game later on (usually it comes down to siding with one of the armies in your master's legion). These influence may warry - for example if you shown an act of kindness to the people you were conquering, the rebels may look at you a bit more friendly... or, if you choose one side in a dispute between armies, you may gain favor or even a PHYSICAL reward from them, but likely the other side will not be so pleased. The Conquest is separated into three parts, each providing you with 3 choices still. Furthermore, after the first part (which describes you and your allies taking the first bastion of the Tiers), you have to choose where you go next and only the choices from that region will be given to you. Similarly, after the second part, you again choose the region to which you travel, so completing every, possible combination of the Conquest part of the game will that A LOT of time. And, since it DOES influence the gaming experience, it should help with replay value, if only by little. I suppose now would be a good time to present you with some backstory. A great evil has arisen... and don't bother arming yourself to stop it, because it's already too late; Kyros the Overlord has already conquered all of Terratus (the land the game takes place in). The only, small bastion of resistance being the Tiers - a small pennisula divided by various tribes and it is that very land that you HELP to subdue in Conquest part of character creation. So, basically: evil -1; good - 0. If you wonder how Kyros managed to take the entire world as his own, know that he is a powerful enchanter who can create Edicts; basically spells of immense power. He can, literally, summon city-destroying storms, bring plague to wide land... anything. In a way, he's a force of nature. Still, he has amassed a large legion of soldiers to do his biding, sperataed into various armies, each generaled by an Archon - beings of great power themselves. Two armies do stand out from the crowd: The Disfavored, how value loyalty and honor and spent much time training their elite few... and the Scarlet Chorus, who are made from prisoners - a huge horde of inexperienced and poorly-equipped warriors that flood their enemies with numbers. The proper game begins when you, a Fatebinder, servant under Tunon the Adjuster (basically a right-hand man to Kyros) are sent to the Tiers with an Edict that is meant to end the rebellion that has sparked in the region. Since the Disfavored and Chorus prefer to bicker with each other rather than defeat the rebels, once in effect, the Edict will KILL every being in the land (you included) if the insurection is not squashed in a timely manner. Have a nice day ^^' One way or the other, if you wanna survive, you do need to handle the situation. Whether you only aid the two armies of the Overlord or can side with the rebels I do not know (too early in the game), but be assured that, at least at the start, you're more likely to be forced choosing lesser evil rather than good, if you prefer to follow "righteous path". Lets get to the gameplay than; one of the basic statistics in game is your reputation (as GTA2 have put it: "respect is everything" :D). Generally, by your actions, conversations and even Conquest intro you can gain or lose favor or wrath of various factions within the Tiers. Commonly, your choices will be looked upon with favor from one, while displeasing another, so you will either need to pick sides or try remaining neutral, though the latter is not always possible. Besides, influencing how the factions view you is beneficial - if you gain enough favor or wrath of one faction, you'll gain a special ability for you to use. Just remember that, by the looks of things, it is unlikely that you can gain enough favor of ALL factions to unlock these abilities in one playthrough, speficially since most factions detest one another. Similarly your companions (this is a party-based game, like "Baldur's Gate", "Planescape" or "Pillars...") have certainly loyalty towards you (which you can influence in the same manner as factions), also providing abilities if these statistics are high enough. The abilities mentioned above are generally called talents (told you I'll get back to this ;)) and work somewhat similar to their equivalents in "Dragon Age" or "Mass Effect" series: most seem combat oriented and after use have a certain cooldown time before you can implement them once more. Some are area of effect, others concentrate on a single target. Every now and than (when you gain a level most commonly) you can get a new one, but some have requirements you need to meet. In that regard, they work the same as skill trees in later entires of Diablo series. Some are passive, some enhanced a talent you already posses etc. Again, discovering them all (as some groups of talents are dependable on the skills you picked at the start) is something that will require much time. Conversations are also important part of the game and are done in a similar manner as those in "Pillars..."; your response option depend on various factors - your reputation with the factions, level of your skills and abilities, your origins. There's a lot of reading involved (think "Planescape: Torment" and "Pillars of Eternity" level), so if you generally prefer all-present voice acting (like in "Mass Effect" series for one), this will certainly NOT be to your liking. Your choices do take effect in the story - some immediately, others later on but from what I saw thus far, I dare say that most decisions you make will, eventually, come back to either aid you or bite you in the butt. This should be a fun fact that should also help the game's replay value. Experience is gain in a peciuliar manner - see, as your level in skills raise, so does your overall level. And how does your skill raise? By actually USING them. For example - every time your use your Athletics, your expertise in that area will go up. A similar idea, from cRPGies, was used in "Dungeon Siege". You can train is at least some of the skills (I imagine, at one point or the other, you'll find trainers for each of them), though that requires money to use and can only be done a certain number of times per overall level. The system itself, while vast, is decently described. Mind you, I prefer such system to be intuitive (D&D based cRPGies are best examples of such) where you don't need to dwell to much into the mechanics to enjoy the gaming experience. To that end, Tyranny has a downside as there's really no going around such informantion. I ravel in the fact that I'm given so many talents to choose from, allowing me to create a more unique character (Specializations in "Dragon Age", for example, barely gave me the feeling my character stood out in comparison), but I would wish there was less mechanics behind them. The inventory system could also use more work; you can get used to it in time, but to me it's very unintuitive and unnecessarily complex when often you have to make several clicks just to compare two sets of equipment and the first time visiting a merchant can be a VERY confusing experience. The battles are okay and those who played "Pillars" shouldn't have any trouble adjusting to it (the lack of proper tutorial for all the game mechanics is a bit of a downside here, considering how many mechanics there are... while you can just click on an enemy and leave things to fate, as in "Baldur's Gate", it is generally not advicable). Heck, I was immediately struck with realization that, when it comes to execution of that area of gameplay, they're essenatially the same game. The world is crafted in detail - not just the graphics, but backstory as well. Those that like learning of the setting will find Tyranny rich in lore. Sadly, learning of it isn't done as nicely as in "Mass Effect" and resembles reading a history book. An interesting history book, but a history book none the less and not everyone might enjoy "dry facts" approach. The graphics are an updated version of "old school" RPGies, much like "Pillars..." were; I imagine your opinion on that matter will be the same as it was in the previous, Obsidian title. The "cutscenes" are done in a cartoon-like graphic which may not fit the decisively dark setting of the game, but I do think they turned out marvelously and are a pleasure to watch. Overall I believe the fans of "old school" RPGies as defined by me in the second and third paragraph of this review won't be disappointed. While I'm still not sure about free-roaming the world nor if the game has a linear plot, you can definately influence the happening before you, so this is AT LEAST "Mass Effect" level of you making your hallmark on the story. The system is rich, if not particularly intuitive and if you like spending time in statistics, deciding what will work best for you, you'll deffinately enjoy that part of the game. Those of you that lean more towards hack&slash titles may get discouraged by this element on the other hand. The story itself and characters are intriguing and this is coming from a guy who generally DISLIKES playing an evil character (and in this game you really can't be all good), so I'd think that's saying something. I do expect to be entertained by these, two factors as I continue my experience with Tyranny. There are some, minor issues that held my hand from giving this game 5 stars: more than in most western RPGies I felt that this is a game (due to a massive chunk of mechanics behind the system and "dry facts" approach to lore) and had a harder time in "losing myself" in this world ("Mass Effect" series or "Planescape" presented me with no such problems). There's also a learning curve when playing for the first time... technically that should be expected in an RPG, but it felt too much, considering how much RPG I actually play (generally, I believe myself to be pretty familiar with the genre, both on PC AND pen&paper). RPG fans, who don't mind reading (if you got through "Plansecape" without getting tired by its chunks of text than you should be fine) should enjoy this title in my opinion. Those are lean more towards action RPGies or even hack&slash should take off AT LEAST one star from the score i gave as, while there are fights (turn-based, mind you) and the system itselfs puts large emphisis on it, there's much more to be done outside of battlefield than in common action-oriented titles. At least that's what it seems from the first, few hours I've played. Hope this review helps all you, RPG fans in making your decision. If you require extra data, you can feel free to write me; I'll try to respond in a timely manner.
Since the game has just been released, I obviously haven't been able to get through it entirely thus far, but for all you RPG fans (myself being one) I figured it could be helpful to know what this game is about in making a decision whether you should buy it or not. Hopefully, what I'm about to write will prove sufficient for you to make a more "informed" decision. Lets start with the basics (You may skip these, two paragraphs, they're more to help you understand my judgement upon Tyranny and what I specifically took note on): I have a very specific definition of what an RPG is and not all computer games labelled as such fall into that category. To me, important aspects of an RPG are the ability to craft your own character (not necessary by character creation but by making ACTUAL choices in game), have at least SOME influence on the story that unfolds and AT LEAST decent writing (both storywise and while putting NPCs into the game). To that end, the so-called JRPGies (RPGies originating in Japan) are a separate genre for me, since for the most part (with some exceptions) they are linear and not heavy on character creation (doesn't mean they're bad game mind you - just not what I call RPG). Similarly, hack & slash type games (Diablo being the prime example) are also a different category. With that in mind, I'm pleased to say that, from what I saw, Tyranny DOES fall into my RPG category. You start the game as, basically, every other RPG - by creating your own character. There are no races nor classes per say, but you do get to choose your gender and origins (somewhat similarly to the first "Dragon Age" and "Mass Effect"). The origins are presented to you in written form and from the 8 you are given to choose from, EACH will affect your options in-game; for example - if you choose a Diplomat origin, you're more likely to implement diplomacy in your conversations (duh), while being a soldier gives you more knowledge of the battlefield. Often these new conversation options are more than cosmetic. The origins themselves also determine your playstyle somewhat (think of them as equivalent of classes). I would venture that there are two origins that correspond to the most wide-spread classes in "common" RPGies: fighter (meele warrior), ranger (ranged warrior), rogue (a stealthy individual) and a mage (for spells). After you choose your origins, you adjust your atributes and skills. There are 6 attributes overall and, much like in "Pillars of Eternity", the game advices you which ones are favorable to you, dependable on your previous choices. Skills, on the other hand, are mostly combat-oriented (like wielding two weapons, a blade and a shield or spells from specific domain). You pick two of the bunch and these choices provide you with certain talents (more on that later). Once you choose a name for your character, you can either get right into action or get through a "conquest" mode. The Conquest mode is, again, similar to origins from the first "Dragon Age", only it comes down to choices: at every step you are given two situations and in ONE of them you make a decision that will somehow influence the game later on (usually it comes down to siding with one of the armies in your master's legion). These influence may warry - for example if you shown an act of kindness to the people you were conquering, the rebels may look at you a bit more friendly... or, if you choose one side in a dispute between armies, you may gain favor or even a PHYSICAL reward from them, but likely the other side will not be so pleased. The Conquest is separated into three parts, each providing you with 3 choices still. Furthermore, after the first part (which describes you and your allies taking the first bastion of the Tiers), you have to choose where you go next and only the choices from that region will be given to you. Similarly, after the second part, you again choose the region to which you travel, so completing every, possible combination of the Conquest part of the game will that A LOT of time. And, since it DOES influence the gaming experience, it should help with replay value, if only by little. I suppose now would be a good time to present you with some backstory. A great evil has arisen... and don't bother arming yourself to stop it, because it's already too late; Kyros the Overlord has already conquered all of Terratus (the land the game takes place in). The only, small bastion of resistance being the Tiers - a small pennisula divided by various tribes and it is that very land that you HELP to subdue in Conquest part of character creation. So, basically: evil -1; good - 0. If you wonder how Kyros managed to take the entire world as his own, know that he is a powerful enchanter who can create Edicts; basically spells of immense power. He can, literally, summon city-destroying storms, bring plague to wide land... anything. In a way, he's a force of nature. Still, he has amassed a large legion of soldiers to do his biding, sperataed into various armies, each generaled by an Archon - beings of great power themselves. Two armies do stand out from the crowd: The Disfavored, how value loyalty and honor and spent much time training their elite few... and the Scarlet Chorus, who are made from prisoners - a huge horde of inexperienced and poorly-equipped warriors that flood their enemies with numbers. The proper game begins when you, a Fatebinder, servant under Tunon the Adjuster (basically a right-hand man to Kyros) are sent to the Tiers with an Edict that is meant to end the rebellion that has sparked in the region. Since the Disfavored and Chorus prefer to bicker with each other rather than defeat the rebels, once in effect, the Edict will KILL every being in the land (you included) if the insurection is not squashed in a timely manner. Have a nice day ^^' One way or the other, if you wanna survive, you do need to handle the situation. Whether you only aid the two armies of the Overlord or can side with the rebels I do not know (too early in the game), but be assured that, at least at the start, you're more likely to be forced choosing lesser evil rather than good, if you prefer to follow "righteous path". Lets get to the gameplay than; one of the basic statistics in game is your reputation (as GTA2 have put it: "respect is everything" :D). Generally, by your actions, conversations and even Conquest intro you can gain or lose favor or wrath of various factions within the Tiers. Commonly, your choices will be looked upon with favor from one, while displeasing another, so you will either need to pick sides or try remaining neutral, though the latter is not always possible. Besides, influencing how the factions view you is beneficial - if you gain enough favor or wrath of one faction, you'll gain a special ability for you to use. Just remember that, by the looks of things, it is unlikely that you can gain enough favor of ALL factions to unlock these abilities in one playthrough, speficially since most factions detest one another. Similarly your companions (this is a party-based game, like "Baldur's Gate", "Planescape" or "Pillars...") have certainly loyalty towards you (which you can influence in the same manner as factions), also providing abilities if these statistics are high enough. The abilities mentioned above are generally called talents (told you I'll get back to this ;)) and work somewhat similar to their equivalents in "Dragon Age" or "Mass Effect" series: most seem combat oriented and after use have a certain cooldown time before you can implement them once more. Some are area of effect, others concentrate on a single target. Every now and than (when you gain a level most commonly) you can get a new one, but some have requirements you need to meet. In that regard, they work the same as skill trees in later entires of Diablo series. Some are passive, some enhanced a talent you already posses etc. Again, discovering them all (as some groups of talents are dependable on the skills you picked at the start) is something that will require much time. Conversations are also important part of the game and are done in a similar manner as those in "Pillars..."; your response option depend on various factors - your reputation with the factions, level of your skills and abilities, your origins. There's a lot of reading involved (think "Planescape: Torment" and "Pillars of Eternity" level), so if you generally prefer all-present voice acting (like in "Mass Effect" series for one), this will certainly NOT be to your liking. Your choices do take effect in the story - some immediately, others later on but from what I saw thus far, I dare say that most decisions you make will, eventually, come back to either aid you or bite you in the butt. This should be a fun fact that should also help the game's replay value. Experience is gain in a peciuliar manner - see, as your level in skills raise, so does your overall level. And how does your skill raise? By actually USING them. For example - every time your use your Athletics, your expertise in that area will go up. A similar idea, from cRPGies, was used in "Dungeon Siege". You can train is at least some of the skills (I imagine, at one point or the other, you'll find trainers for each of them), though that requires money to use and can only be done a certain number of times per overall level. The system itself, while vast, is decently described. Mind you, I prefer such system to be intuitive (D&D based cRPGies are best examples of such) where you don't need to dwell to much into the mechanics to enjoy the gaming experience. To that end, Tyranny has a downside as there's really no going around such informantion. I ravel in the fact that I'm given so many talents to choose from, allowing me to create a more unique character (Specializations in "Dragon Age", for example, barely gave me the feeling my character stood out in comparison), but I would wish there was less mechanics behind them. The inventory system could also use more work; you can get used to it in time, but to me it's very unintuitive and unnecessarily complex when often you have to make several clicks just to compare two sets of equipment and the first time visiting a merchant can be a VERY confusing experience. The battles are okay and those who played "Pillars" shouldn't have any trouble adjusting to it (the lack of proper tutorial for all the game mechanics is a bit of a downside here, considering how many mechanics there are... while you can just click on an enemy and leave things to fate, as in "Baldur's Gate", it is generally not advicable). Heck, I was immediately struck with realization that, when it comes to execution of that area of gameplay, they're essenatially the same game. The world is crafted in detail - not just the graphics, but backstory as well. Those that like learning of the setting will find Tyranny rich in lore. Sadly, learning of it isn't done as nicely as in "Mass Effect" and resembles reading a history book. An interesting history book, but a history book none the less and not everyone might enjoy "dry facts" approach. The graphics are an updated version of "old school" RPGies, much like "Pillars..." were; I imagine your opinion on that matter will be the same as it was in the previous, Obsidian title. The "cutscenes" are done in a cartoon-like graphic which may not fit the decisively dark setting of the game, but I do think they turned out marvelously and are a pleasure to watch. Overall I believe the fans of "old school" RPGies as defined by me in the second and third paragraph of this review won't be disappointed. While I'm still not sure about free-roaming the world nor if the game has a linear plot, you can definately influence the happening before you, so this is AT LEAST "Mass Effect" level of you making your hallmark on the story. The system is rich, if not particularly intuitive and if you like spending time in statistics, deciding what will work best for you, you'll deffinately enjoy that part of the game. Those of you that lean more towards hack&slash titles may get discouraged by this element on the other hand. The story itself and characters are intriguing and this is coming from a guy who generally DISLIKES playing an evil character (and in this game you really can't be all good), so I'd think that's saying something. I do expect to be entertained by these, two factors as I continue my experience with Tyranny. There are some, minor issues that held my hand from giving this game 5 stars: more than in most western RPGies I felt that this is a game (due to a massive chunk of mechanics behind the system and "dry facts" approach to lore) and had a harder time in "losing myself" in this world ("Mass Effect" series or "Planescape" presented me with no such problems). There's also a learning curve when playing for the first time... technically that should be expected in an RPG, but it felt too much, considering how much RPG I actually play (generally, I believe myself to be pretty familiar with the genre, both on PC AND pen&paper). RPG fans, who don't mind reading (if you got through "Plansecape" without getting tired by its chunks of text than you should be fine) should enjoy this title in my opinion. Those are lean more towards action RPGies or even hack&slash should take off AT LEAST one star from the score i gave as, while there are fights (turn-based, mind you) and the system itselfs puts large emphisis on it, there's much more to be done outside of battlefield than in common action-oriented titles. At least that's what it seems from the first, few hours I've played. Hope this review helps all you, RPG fans in making your decision. If you require extra data, you can feel free to write me; I'll try to respond in a timely manner.
Since the game has just been released, I obviously haven't been able to get through it entirely thus far, but for all you RPG fans (myself being one) I figured it could be helpful to know what this game is about in making a decision whether you should buy it or not. Hopefully, what I'm about to write will prove sufficient for you to make a more "informed" decision. Lets start with the basics (You may skip these, two paragraphs, they're more to help you understand my judgement upon Tyranny and what I specifically took note on): I have a very specific definition of what an RPG is and not all computer games labelled as such fall into that category. To me, important aspects of an RPG are the ability to craft your own character (not necessary by character creation but by making ACTUAL choices in game), have at least SOME influence on the story that unfolds and AT LEAST decent writing (both storywise and while putting NPCs into the game). To that end, the so-called JRPGies (RPGies originating in Japan) are a separate genre for me, since for the most part (with some exceptions) they are linear and not heavy on character creation (doesn't mean they're bad game mind you - just not what I call RPG). Similarly, hack & slash type games (Diablo being the prime example) are also a different category. With that in mind, I'm pleased to say that, from what I saw, Tyranny DOES fall into my RPG category. You start the game as, basically, every other RPG - by creating your own character. There are no races nor classes per say, but you do get to choose your gender and origins (somewhat similarly to the first "Dragon Age" and "Mass Effect"). The origins are presented to you in written form and from the 8 you are given to choose from, EACH will affect your options in-game; for example - if you choose a Diplomat origin, you're more likely to implement diplomacy in your conversations (duh), while being a soldier gives you more knowledge of the battlefield. Often these new conversation options are more than cosmetic. The origins themselves also determine your playstyle somewhat (think of them as equivalent of classes). I would venture that there are two origins that correspond to the most wide-spread classes in "common" RPGies: fighter (meele warrior), ranger (ranged warrior), rogue (a stealthy individual) and a mage (for spells). After you choose your origins, you adjust your atributes and skills. There are 6 attributes overall and, much like in "Pillars of Eternity", the game advices you which ones are favorable to you, dependable on your previous choices. Skills, on the other hand, are mostly combat-oriented (like wielding two weapons, a blade and a shield or spells from specific domain). You pick two of the bunch and these choices provide you with certain talents (more on that later). Once you choose a name for your character, you can either get right into action or get through a "conquest" mode. The Conquest mode is, again, similar to origins from the first "Dragon Age", only it comes down to choices: at every step you are given two situations and in ONE of them you make a decision that will somehow influence the game later on (usually it comes down to siding with one of the armies in your master's legion). These influence may warry - for example if you shown an act of kindness to the people you were conquering, the rebels may look at you a bit more friendly... or, if you choose one side in a dispute between armies, you may gain favor or even a PHYSICAL reward from them, but likely the other side will not be so pleased. The Conquest is separated into three parts, each providing you with 3 choices still. Furthermore, after the first part (which describes you and your allies taking the first bastion of the Tiers), you have to choose where you go next and only the choices from that region will be given to you. Similarly, after the second part, you again choose the region to which you travel, so completing every, possible combination of the Conquest part of the game will that A LOT of time. And, since it DOES influence the gaming experience, it should help with replay value, if only by little. I suppose now would be a good time to present you with some backstory. A great evil has arisen... and don't bother arming yourself to stop it, because it's already too late; Kyros the Overlord has already conquered all of Terratus (the land the game takes place in). The only, small bastion of resistance being the Tiers - a small pennisula divided by various tribes and it is that very land that you HELP to subdue in Conquest part of character creation. So, basically: evil -1; good - 0. If you wonder how Kyros managed to take the entire world as his own, know that he is a powerful enchanter who can create Edicts; basically spells of immense power. He can, literally, summon city-destroying storms, bring plague to wide land... anything. In a way, he's a force of nature. Still, he has amassed a large legion of soldiers to do his biding, sperataed into various armies, each generaled by an Archon - beings of great power themselves. Two armies do stand out from the crowd: The Disfavored, how value loyalty and honor and spent much time training their elite few... and the Scarlet Chorus, who are made from prisoners - a huge horde of inexperienced and poorly-equipped warriors that flood their enemies with numbers. The proper game begins when you, a Fatebinder, servant under Tunon the Adjuster (basically a right-hand man to Kyros) are sent to the Tiers with an Edict that is meant to end the rebellion that has sparked in the region. Since the Disfavored and Chorus prefer to bicker with each other rather than defeat the rebels, once in effect, the Edict will KILL every being in the land (you included) if the insurection is not squashed in a timely manner. Have a nice day ^^' One way or the other, if you wanna survive, you do need to handle the situation. Whether you only aid the two armies of the Overlord or can side with the rebels I do not know (too early in the game), but be assured that, at least at the start, you're more likely to be forced choosing lesser evil rather than good, if you prefer to follow "righteous path". Lets get to the gameplay than; one of the basic statistics in game is your reputation (as GTA2 have put it: "respect is everything" :D). Generally, by your actions, conversations and even Conquest intro you can gain or lose favor or wrath of various factions within the Tiers. Commonly, your choices will be looked upon with favor from one, while displeasing another, so you will either need to pick sides or try remaining neutral, though the latter is not always possible. Besides, influencing how the factions view you is beneficial - if you gain enough favor or wrath of one faction, you'll gain a special ability for you to use. Just remember that, by the looks of things, it is unlikely that you can gain enough favor of ALL factions to unlock these abilities in one playthrough, speficially since most factions detest one another. Similarly your companions (this is a party-based game, like "Baldur's Gate", "Planescape" or "Pillars...") have certainly loyalty towards you (which you can influence in the same manner as factions), also providing abilities if these statistics are high enough. The abilities mentioned above are generally called talents (told you I'll get back to this ;)) and work somewhat similar to their equivalents in "Dragon Age" or "Mass Effect" series: most seem combat oriented and after use have a certain cooldown time before you can implement them once more. Some are area of effect, others concentrate on a single target. Every now and than (when you gain a level most commonly) you can get a new one, but some have requirements you need to meet. In that regard, they work the same as skill trees in later entires of Diablo series. Some are passive, some enhanced a talent you already posses etc. Again, discovering them all (as some groups of talents are dependable on the skills you picked at the start) is something that will require much time. Conversations are also important part of the game and are done in a similar manner as those in "Pillars..."; your response option depend on various factors - your reputation with the factions, level of your skills and abilities, your origins. There's a lot of reading involved (think "Planescape: Torment" and "Pillars of Eternity" level), so if you generally prefer all-present voice acting (like in "Mass Effect" series for one), this will certainly NOT be to your liking. Your choices do take effect in the story - some immediately, others later on but from what I saw thus far, I dare say that most decisions you make will, eventually, come back to either aid you or bite you in the butt. This should be a fun fact that should also help the game's replay value. Experience is gain in a peciuliar manner - see, as your level in skills raise, so does your overall level. And how does your skill raise? By actually USING them. For example - every time your use your Athletics, your expertise in that area will go up. A similar idea, from cRPGies, was used in "Dungeon Siege". You can train is at least some of the skills (I imagine, at one point or the other, you'll find trainers for each of them), though that requires money to use and can only be done a certain number of times per overall level. The system itself, while vast, is decently described. Mind you, I prefer such system to be intuitive (D&D based cRPGies are best examples of such) where you don't need to dwell to much into the mechanics to enjoy the gaming experience. To that end, Tyranny has a downside as there's really no going around such informantion. I ravel in the fact that I'm given so many talents to choose from, allowing me to create a more unique character (Specializations in "Dragon Age", for example, barely gave me the feeling my character stood out in comparison), but I would wish there was less mechanics behind them. The inventory system could also use more work; you can get used to it in time, but to me it's very unintuitive and unnecessarily complex when often you have to make several clicks just to compare two sets of equipment and the first time visiting a merchant can be a VERY confusing experience. The battles are okay and those who played "Pillars" shouldn't have any trouble adjusting to it (the lack of proper tutorial for all the game mechanics is a bit of a downside here, considering how many mechanics there are... while you can just click on an enemy and leave things to fate, as in "Baldur's Gate", it is generally not advicable). Heck, I was immediately struck with realization that, when it comes to execution of that area of gameplay, they're essenatially the same game. The world is crafted in detail - not just the graphics, but backstory as well. Those that like learning of the setting will find Tyranny rich in lore. Sadly, learning of it isn't done as nicely as in "Mass Effect" and resembles reading a history book. An interesting history book, but a history book none the less and not everyone might enjoy "dry facts" approach. The graphics are an updated version of "old school" RPGies, much like "Pillars..." were; I imagine your opinion on that matter will be the same as it was in the previous, Obsidian title. The "cutscenes" are done in a cartoon-like graphic which may not fit the decisively dark setting of the game, but I do think they turned out marvelously and are a pleasure to watch. Overall I believe the fans of "old school" RPGies as defined by me in the second and third paragraph of this review won't be disappointed. While I'm still not sure about free-roaming the world nor if the game has a linear plot, you can definately influence the happening before you, so this is AT LEAST "Mass Effect" level of you making your hallmark on the story. The system is rich, if not particularly intuitive and if you like spending time in statistics, deciding what will work best for you, you'll deffinately enjoy that part of the game. Those of you that lean more towards hack&slash titles may get discouraged by this element on the other hand. The story itself and characters are intriguing and this is coming from a guy who generally DISLIKES playing an evil character (and in this game you really can't be all good), so I'd think that's saying something. I do expect to be entertained by these, two factors as I continue my experience with Tyranny. There are some, minor issues that held my hand from giving this game 5 stars: more than in most western RPGies I felt that this is a game (due to a massive chunk of mechanics behind the system and "dry facts" approach to lore) and had a harder time in "losing myself" in this world ("Mass Effect" series or "Planescape" presented me with no such problems). There's also a learning curve when playing for the first time... technically that should be expected in an RPG, but it felt too much, considering how much RPG I actually play (generally, I believe myself to be pretty familiar with the genre, both on PC AND pen&paper). RPG fans, who don't mind reading (if you got through "Plansecape" without getting tired by its chunks of text than you should be fine) should enjoy this title in my opinion. Those are lean more towards action RPGies or even hack&slash should take off AT LEAST one star from the score i gave as, while there are fights (turn-based, mind you) and the system itselfs puts large emphisis on it, there's much more to be done outside of battlefield than in common action-oriented titles. At least that's what it seems from the first, few hours I've played. Hope this review helps all you, RPG fans in making your decision. If you require extra data, you can feel free to write me; I'll try to respond in a timely manner.
I played "Age of Wonders" around the time when I was hyped (again) on "Heroes of Might and Magic 3" as I was searching for games in similar fashion. The most common opinion on the net was that AOW2 (along with "Disciples 2" and "King's Bounty") was the most similar experience to Heroes. So I gave it a go. Before going further I would like to point out that despite the above, AOW2 ISN'T the same as Heroes. Yes, it's a turn-based strategy set in a fantasy setting, but for the most part that is where the similarities end; in stead of stacks, you get single units, which can even travel through the world alone, without the need of a "hero". There are no, different "towns" and you are given, rather common, actual races to choose from (such as orcs, elves etc.). Unit statistics are also different. The gameplay of AOW2 is not that different from Heroes: you have a map and take turns to do whatever it is you feel like doing that will help you achieve victory (generally granted to the "last side standing"). Much like Heroes, battles between your armies take place on a battlefield, which is a separated map from the main one and pops up whenever your encounter enemies. During battle, each unit (specifically NOT a stack) has a limit to what it can do: move, attack etc. Because each unit is an individual, you can even encounter suicide bombers among the unit types that die upon attack, but cause decent chunks of splash damage. Another thing of note is that flying units are constantly in the air, so you'll need shooters to bring them down (or flyers of your own). Most of these things you learn pretty quickly, so it doesn't hinder you much during the game. In the base game you have 12 races to choose from (3 more are added in the expansion): elves, dwarves, halflings and archons (the good); humans, tigrian, frostling and draconian (neutral) plus orcs, goblins, dark elves and undead (evil). Most are common sides in fantasy conflicts. From the lesser known archons can be considered demigods or angels, tigrians are desert-dwelling cat people, frostlings live in the forzen wastes, draconian are humanoid dragons and YES: orcs and goblins are two, separate armies in this game. Each army has 4 tiers or units; some are unique to their race, but commonly each unit has its own counterpart in other armies. They look different and have different statistics, but most of this is cosmetic - where Halflings have "pony riders", orcs have "heavy cavalry", while humans have "cavalry". Units specific to an army are few (such as human flying galley or the mentioned suicide bombers in goblin lineup). Be warned however as after training them, each unit has a certain upkeep. The battles themselves are nice; can require some getting used to, but as a whole you can jump right in and won't have much trouble in knowing your way around. Magic is also an integral part of the game and can be cast during battle as well as outside of it. This is where towns come in handly - while your wizard is in one, he/she has a certain sphere of influence and can cast spells even on battlefields he/she isn't part of. Area management becomes helpful, so that is another thing to look out for. The graphics are decent - they may not be timeless like in Heroes 3, but they aren't ugly, so you'll either admire them or quit paying much attention quickly. The music isn't bad either, but it isn't particularly memorable. Generally AOW2 is a decent TBS - it may not be the pinnacle of such genre (like many, myself included, consider HoMM3), but it is certainly better than a great deal of other titles created in a similar vein. In some places it sports "quantity over quality" philosophy, but if you enjoy TBS, I believe you'll like AOW2 anyway. Just don't be surprised if it won't blow your mind.
After Worms Armageddon and World Party, I barely followed the series - it just felt that there was NOTHING left to improve and later titles seemed to prove that theory; going into 3D ruined the most valued aspect of the game - fun as the gameplay turned strainous to aim accordingly or view the battlefield... introduction of worm classes in "Clan Wars" was an interesting innovation, but again "the fun" was replaced with tactics and not on the high enough level for me to enjoy more strategy. I understand that can be personal preference, but coming from a guy you played the FIRST Worms and has been with the series since, I must say that it always had one strength - casual play with your friends. Its the type of game that doesn't grow old (the other being "Heroes of Might and Magic III" - also a must for turn-base strategy fans), so whenever they try to change its basic, it is a gamble whether you'll get the same kick out of it as you used to. All this and more made me hesistant towards "W.M.D."; the believe "what else is there to add that won't ruin the series" echoed in my mind as I gave the game a try. I was relieved to see that the game offers the "old school" experience with the series, but adding a few, previous unseen (in the series, of course) twists... but are they any good or just another miss? The gameplay remains exactly the same as it was for ages - up to 6 teams of 8 worms or less each can dish it out at once either online (though I heard GOG's version has some trouble with that) or via hot-seat on one PC. The players take turns in playing and the goal is to have your worms be the last ones standing. You achieve this by either dropping the enemy worms' health to zero or dropping them into the water. To do this, you have a variety of weapons at your disposal: bazookas, granades, mines, banana bombs... wait, what? :D Yes - Worms is a game you SHOULDN'T take too seriously; humor remains one of its greatest strengths; so long as you play with the right people, you'll get a laugh out of it regardless to who wins or how the match proceeds. To provide humor, worms are giving a pretty wacky arsenal consisting of Old Women, Flying Sheep, Concrete Donkeys and more, most of which explodes. I am sad to say, however, that some of the stample arsenal seems to be absent - for example, I could not see ant "Mad Cows" or the "Dragonball". "Kamikaze" also seems to be missing in action. As far as the weapons go however, the missing ones mentioned above, have been "replaced" with new ones such as a satellite that rains down lasers upon the battlefield, destroying worms and much of the terrain in the process. Sheeps has gained ninja ropes of their own (though normal Sheeps and the Super ones are still available), allowing you to dazzle opponents with your mad, swinging skills ;) The most curious feature, however, is crafting - between your turns you can actually use materials you collected (mostly through crates that are dropped during the round) to create "unique" arsenal ("unique", because your opponents have the same capabilities). These "crafted weapons" are generally variations of existing ones, commonly with a twist - a more powerful baseball bat, an even more destructive air strike etc. The feature gives you something to do when others are playing, but it is basically something for online matches. I played mostly hot-seat, so I cannot say much more about it other than it is an interesting concept that, I believe, adds to the "fun factor". The game also provides you with the possibility to enter vehicle to further the damage. I counted 4 vehicles so far - tanks that can fire like a bazooka, but multiple times (and somewhat weaker, by the looks of things); helicaopters, which give you quite a bit of grief when you're trying to control the preciously (still, they can transport you far and are fun); mechs that are movable and quite precise and Rocket League cars that launch worms to the air. Aside from those, the battlefield can also have neutral weapons which you can operate (like flamethrowers, mortars or lasers) to bring even more hurt on your enemies. These are stationary and have limitations, but help conserve your own ammo. These inclusions add more diversity to the game, but unlike some earlier ideas in the series do not make a drastic change and are kept in the spirit of the game, still playing the humorous part. Those that WON'T like these, new features, can still turn them off in the settings, so you're not FORCED to play the game with them. And speaking of customization - the game provides the level of it that is somewhere between Worms 2 and later instalments; you get to choose which weapons you have (INCLUDING the super ones, so you CAN finally start the match with a Concrete Donkey, if you want... heck, you can even have Armageddon on the get go ^^'), their delay etc. in more detail than previous games. The rules of the match are still customizable to the same extend - round and turn time, number of victories required (you STILL can't set the game to just a certain number of rounds, regardless you'll keep winning, which for me is annoying), the amount of crate drops and so on. No, particular changes there, but that's not really a bad thing... and hey, having more control of your arsenal is always a plus. So, basically, you have new features that, in my opinion, don't ruin the game and are kept in its spirit... but, if you don't like them, you can easily turn them off, to further that "old school" feel to the game. So far, so good. The graphics have been improved; they aren't cartoonish as much as they used to, but more detailed. This is a matter of personal preference, but I think the graphics are suitable for the atmosphere of the game, so I welcome the change (still, I greatly enjoyed the graphics of Armageddon and World Party). This also provides ANOTHER new feature - buildings. See, now you can have your worms enter tham and thus hide from opponents' view, if they don't have their own worms in them. This, as far as I can tell, is a feature you CAN'T turn off and have mixed feelings about - it doesn't ruin the game, mind you, but it does complicate it somewhat; manuvering within building can, at times, be difficult and with random deployment of worms at the start, you have players that gain advantage over others by having their worms spawn within structures. These structures can be destroyed like any, normal terrain, so you can raze them off the map anyway, but it is something that MAY take some getting used to. I don't think the buildings are a problem per say - they add a twist to the known formula, but I believe that while a mistake with weapons can be taken lightly (it is part of the fun) the layout of buildings might be taken less light-hearted by some players. All the above comes down to the fact that the experience of the top Worms entries exist and is pretty strong within "W.M.D.", yet there are "buts" as well - for starters you have LESS possibilities of your team customization; don't kisunderstand - you still pick the name of the team and each worm, you still choose their hats, tombstones and voices, yet the bank of these seem to be poor in comparison to previous titles. Heck, most of the voices (and I'm refering to an all-star pack that probably has more than the base game) has only few, quirky choices... the rest are "just" nationalities (like Italian, Russian, German, Polish) with male and female variants. The same goes for tombstones. Similarly, there is actually very few landscape types to choose from (I counted 6) - while they all look beautiful, the general diversity suffers greatly by this. Now, the game is actually planned to give you rewards in the form of more speechs and the like for playing (at least that is what it seems), but that brings more pressure on the playing, kinda ruining the "casual" feel Worms as a series always had, which I don't find as inviting. In conclusion: this is still Worms, following the winning formula. Some, new features are added to the mix; ones that play nicely with the spirit of the game, but even if you think otherwise, most of them can be turned off, so "no big". The premise is big, but still the game falls a little short on the secondary things like its speech backs or landscape design - previous titles offered much more in that, singular regard. Generally I can say this: I have every intention of buying this game on GOG, but not for the typical prize (as of this writing, it is roughly 20$ when I convert my currency to a more popular one) which I think is a little steep for a person that actually owns some of the previous titles (especially Armageddon or World Party). Thus I'll be on a lookout for some promotion. If you DON'T own any Worms titles, than "W.M.D." should satify your worming needs just fine and, upon buying it, you won't really need other titles. Me? I'm buying not for the "old school" feel the more recent games in the series lost but rather as something to play while taking a break from my usually schedules Worms matches ;) W.M.D. is Worms how they have always been, but with twists and features that refresh it without straining the winning formula, yet still original enough to give a different feel when playing it compared to previous titles. If you are a Worms' fan, than I believe you will like W.M.D. and it isn't "the same title with a new name" as some of the other entries to the series were. Final score: 4.5/5
