I like playing RPG with mage characters and I have to mention, this is not good game if you want play as mage. I explain it later. [ + ] The game has feeling of old Gothic game. I like the world and exploration. The world is beautiful and event today it looks prety good. It has amtosphere and daycicles. Also characters and wild animals are sleeping when is night. Characters have few day stages like doing some work, then in evening go to somwhere (Pub or they are sitting, staying soemwhere) and then go to sleep. [ - ] If you want play game as mage, it is possible. But I think developers don't like this characters. You spend lot of time to get as mage, and using a crystal magic. And when you finally get it, you feel very poor even if your magic is on max level. [ - ] You cast and use only one combat spell during whole game ( if I not count another spells, like healing, levitate, etc...). You can choose one from three crystal magic with one combat spell. You can learn all three, but don't expect all them max. You can not combine them, while change from one to another take some time. (You can get a some one combat rune later in game, but this eat all your mana if you have enough). [ - ] Also you have very low mana for casting, and there is no auto regen. Only potions and sleeping can restore mana. And resources are very limited. Therefore if you fight with magic, you have to hit a enemy, when you miss, sometimes it means your death. (because low mana). [ + / - ] I think the game is designed good if you play as warrior, hunter or thief or something between. There are lot of thing to steal (locked chests, doors). Combat is litle strange but I think it has some kind of fun. You like it or hate it. Also game is designed not play as mage and this is as option for new gamplay. Because you need to know what to do and how to prepare. Unfortunately mage character is not interesting and not good as it should be.
I love Carmageddon and specialy C2 ( Carmageddon 2 ) therefore I will compare this game with 2. version. [ + ] What I like: [ + ] This game is in my opinion best modern car combat or action racing game today. It have a fun and 100% feeling of the old Carmageddon games (1 and 2 version). [ + ] The maps are not so big compared to C2, but they are 100% used (as previous versions). While this is action racing game you can explore whole map and you can go anywhere. You will find powerups, Upgrade Tokens or special powerups like show all pedestrians on the map. Which is only one powerup you can't buy. You can spend lot of time exploring the map. [ + ] New modes and arenas (something like destruction derby, but it have different name). [ - ] What I don't like [ - ] Compared to C2 or any other car combat / action racing games, you will face only 5 opponents and few police cars. If you focus on destroying cars you can finish race quickly (because only 5 opponents), and when you get some prety big and heavy car it is matter of few minutes, [ - ] The maps are too small in my opinion. [ - ] Car damage is not bad, but I don't see improvement from Carmageddon 2. Even it looks like little downgrade. Cars damage feels like your car is build up with lot of tiny pieces and not from metal. In C2 you can see twisted metal when your car is hit and it is bended, while Max Damage you will see only texture change and shifted polygons to hit direction like in GTA 4. [ - ] Car handling is similar or same as previous C2. It is not bad but I don't feel a joy if I driving a car. For some cars it is suffering. [ - ] The game content is not big and when you finish a game you find there is not too much to do (if you not explore all maps and finish a game on 100%). In my opinion it is become boring cause too low opponents. It is more focused on pedestrians and map exploring (which is done good and it is fun), but for car action race I want same level as for those two I mentioned.
I played this game last from trilogy (I don't count the remake), therefore my review will be little different. Compared to Thief 2 Metal Age and Thief 3 Deadly Shadows, game is little different and less stealth to me. It is beacuse some levels are designed more like action or like a horror adventure game. The most downside in this game (at least for me), is loot which you have to find (all of them) for complete a level. And the loot is sometimes carefully hidden, and maybe you have to look somewhere (on internet) where to find it. If you like stealth with action, secrets and finding a loots, you will enjoy the game.
Do you want a be a powerful mage? No problem. The question is, why I rate it only 2 stars? Because the game is unbalanced. The magic system use cards spells. If some spell have more cards, it increase a power. But very very little. Also usage of spells is limited to 3 active spells (if I remember correctly). Magic is divided to 4 elemental schools and necromancy. Why game is unbalanced? Mage get few cards on start, and each card is underpowered. Even if they are 10 or more, the power of the cards is very small and you need a 100 cards of one spell to see diference. There is one special card which increase a power one of the magic school by percents. Access for those cards are later in game, and until you not collect enought cards, as mage you are nothing. Poor novice and then a god, nothing between. World is empty, except a enemies and chests which hold some items for make a money for buying a cards, there is nothing to do. There is no joy for exploring (of course, first steps are allways interesting but later, it become boring), because your progress is dependent on buying a cards (from mage guilds). That is another why a game is unbalanced.
