PROs - Post apocalyptic Rome! Interesting lore that you'll actually want to read. And there's a lot to read, so if you like games like Planescape: Torment or the Shadowrun series, then you'll feel right at home. - No hour long tutorial, no lengthy cutscenes explaining what you already know, no handholding. - The combat is challenging and satisfying. You're no plot messiah who can effortlessly slay the legions of evil because you're "special." No, you're some random shmuck who'll have to earn your badass status by actually working towards it. And you will die. A lot. There's no easy victory in Age of Decadence. - Every choice has consequences. Maybe you'll avoid picking a fight with a pickpocket, since you decided to play as a bookworm who has no combat skills. Perhaps a noble refuses to speak with a murderous thug with limited people skills. Etc. - Replayablity. There are several professions you can choose with their own guilds and questlines. And a lot of dialogue, events, and even locations are locked behind skill checks. Unlike most games, each playthrough feels completely different from the last. - The writing is pretty decent. Think pulpy dark fantasy like the First Law and Black Company books. CONs - Very hardcore experience. If you must have next gen graphics, voice acting, and easy mode stay away. - Very rigid character building that doesn't feel quite as intuitive as it should be. - You will die alot. Seriously. If you want a power fantasy look elsewhere. - The game likes to teleport you from scene to scene, which is annoying. - The system encourages "saving" skill points to spend instead of playing naturally, due to the hidden skill checks.
