The Good: The atmosphere, scenery, music, and voice acting is top notch. The Bad: Everything else. Slow-paced trudging through corridors, a stamina bar that depletes way too quickly, and janky difficulty. Essentially, you just stand in one place, shooting the hordes that run at you, with no ability to duck, cover, post behind anything, etc. No true tactical quad commands, either. They made really cool looking game, but sadly, they forgot to make it fun. It is the same problem every other GW / Warhammer game has: there are just little annoyances and shortcomings that make every Warhammer game fall short of being good.
Can't beat the best. Seriously, if you don't know, then play it and find out. :)
Take a step back and honestly look at this game... it's a mess. Sure, Multiplayer gameplay was revolutionized, but the single player game is a mess: the graphics are not really all that great (certainly not now), the lack of music should be a criminal offense, the stages are all a myriad mess of pixelated browns and greys, the enemies are janky bullet sponges, and there is no clear story, other than a text wall if you happen to push yourself and get through each episode. Did you know this was Lovecraft Mythos game? Did you know that from playing actually playing the game, or via YouTube video that pointed out the "flawed greatness" of this game? Yeah, see, back when this game released, it was hyped to no end, but that is because of the multiplayer (THE greatest thing to this game, and a true counterpoint to the overall score). We Shareware Plebs did not know (nor were we informed) that this was a game based on HPL's Mythos. Perhaps better marketing would have helped. Ultimately, the single player experience...? Sadly, I would recommend watching a YouTube walkthrough, or even a supercut to get the story, hard pass on this, even when on sale.
Branching paths, layers of intrigue, mutliple approaches to the story (guns blazing, stealthy, or New Vegas-styled conversationalist), and speaking of story, whether you are a VtM fan, or just a casual vampire afficionado, this game will slake your thirst. It is not perfect, mind you, but the GoG version installs the mod fix with the base game, making it playable with very few bugs/glitches/etc. For any other questions, the community board has plenty to keep you occupied. If you are still hesitant, wait for a sale and pick it up. Good campire games are tough to come by; this one just might be the best of them all.
This game is still one of my favorites of the last few years. The art style is amazing, making me think of Warhammer Fantasy, and the music score is top shelf. Every every weapon in this game looks savage and painful, and every stitch of clothing and piece of armor looks awesome (and you will feel badass wearing it). The voice acting is spot-on, even if the writing is a bit stilted; but the overall story is cool. And now for some critiques. Sure, there are some rough edges and certain parts could use some polish. Missing textures and the (very) rare load screen freeze can get frustrating. Also, if you do not pay attention to the dialogue, you may get lost and not know exactly where to go next; watch a YouTube vid or two. In all, I say buy this game; support the developers (same guys that brought us The Surge). Multiple play styles, 3 different endings, awesome acting (including the beautiful Claudia Black), gorgeous backgrounds and setting, and a punishing difficulty that - just like DS - can be overcome with time, patience, and some spamming exploits, where possible. As a nice little Parthian Shot, at least this game is finished, and you don't have to skip the 2nd half, nor do you have to deal with copy+paste enemies. Not starting a flame war, just a casual reminder. Glass houses, and all, y'know. ;) I am certain this game will one day become a cult classic. [NOTE: I have played this game to NG++ on Xbox, and NG+ on PS4; I bought it on Steam and GoG to support the devs, and just because I like the game].
I can remember when Phantasmagoria came out. All the articles divulging tidbits that went into production for the game, and at the time, GAME was not a term that was associated with high-cost budgets. I do not recall the exact monetary figures, but I do remember that when it came out, Phantasmagoria was the most expensive game ever made. It was also the first game to use live actors. The game was made as a film, and it plays like an interactive movie, leaving the player to discover as much or as little as they wish. In terms of story, this game is one of the coolest ideas, incorporating the age-old tale of a haunted house, with nefarious deeds and imposing dread. One must look beyond the "cheesiness" of the acting, and appreciate the story and game for what it was and is: a horror story. This game was also famous for pushing the boundaries on what could be shown in a video game, since at the time, video games were widely considered child's play, never toying with more mature subject matter, which is in the game (no spoilers, here, you will have to play it). In what was standard fare for a Sierra/Roberta Williams release, the game is a point-and-click adventure, with the player guiding their character through the virtual world, acquiring certain items that must be used in certain places to unlock certain things (like I said, I am certain I will not include spoilers). The only draw back on this is that the player can tend to get stuck in parts, as they will undoubtedly miss an item, which was just a ten-by-ten pixellated speck on the screen, but with the inclusion of a "hint" button always on-screen, this challenge can easily be overcome. I highly recommend this game, as it is just what I said, an interactive movie. It might take day or two to beat it, but replay value is high, as there are many easter eggs, as well as extra cut-scenes to view, which include various deaths, and a pretty decent amount of gore. In all, well worth the time to play this, especially if you are a fan of horror stories.
