Rewriting my review now that I've finished the game twice. And planning a third playthrough just to complete all possible paths. This is a game that I absolutely hated when I first tried it, but gradually grew to love. Yes, the MMO-like gameplay takes some getting used to. Yes, the Hellhound encounter at the end of Chapter 1 requires strict "metagaming" to beat, the hallmark of awful game design (invest all the talent points you can into Aard and put Specter Oil on your sword BEFORE you leave the cave with the witch). But despite these shortcomings, The Witcher now ranks among my favorite games; and even though I cannot give it a higher rating than 3 stars on account of questionable gameplay design like the previous examples, I consider it a "high 3" with a "Recommended" tag attached to it. The true strength of this game resides in its fascinating writing and world building. It is surprisingly engrossing and keeps you hooked once you get past the acquired taste combat. Hell, between a game like Dark Souls with supposedly outstanding combat (over which I still place a question mark, players have described it as unresponsive) and story/intrigue that nobody really gives a rat's sweet ass about, and a game like The Witcher with average combat at best but riveting intrigue and characters, I'll settle for the latter. The game will force you to make some pretty arduous moral choices, do you insist on remaining the human incarnation of Switzerland or do you choose the lesser of two evils, the results of which are directly visible and do affect the world around you in potentially major ways. Characters aren't one-dimensional medieval fantasy tropes, oftentimes they are quite complex with a wide gamut of motivations. And this all adds to the game's clearly above-average replay value; it takes a special kind of game to make me want to complete it for the very rare third time, two is my benchmark. The Witcher is flawed, takes getting used to and is absolutely worth your time.
Got this game on sale (protip: you probably should) and wasn't expecting much aside from some light-hearted kingdom management sim, so I must say that it surpassed my expectations quite well. Without spoiling anywhere near as much as other reviews, be aware that this is the Middle Ages. Dark Medieval Times, quoth Satyricon. Even with a king to enforce the rule of law, life oftentimes remains nasty, brutish and short. In spite of your best efforts and wisest counsel, tragedy is sometimes unavoidable. Keep this in mind before you decide to don the crown, for uneasy hangs the head that wears the crown and this is no flowery, shojo visual novel you're dealing with here. I didn't choose my review's title to be cute. So keeping all that in mind, this game will most likely be an engrossing experience for those willing to embark on the grave task of the monarch. You will have to engage in some tricky resource-juggling on occasion, but nothing too overwhelming if you're prudent and practice some fiscal conservatism (this isn't real life, you don't have the option of running a massive deficit). Gameplay mechanics aside, this is one game that actually managed to get me emotionally involved, so credit where it's due as no game has succeeded at that task since Dragon Age: Origins. The soundtrack also deserves praise as well as the world-building and some clever cultural references sneaked in (Wojtek, you absolute mad lad). If you're not afraid to go on an emotional roller coaster, I'd say give this game a chance. Ruling a medieval kingdom isn't neverending sunshine and rainbows, but the best tales rarely are.
Oi, gun nut! Bored of the same old shotguns, machine guns and other crap that goes boom? Feast your eyes on this here merchandise: a crossbow that fires ethereal bolts of energy! A cestus made of dragon scales and fangs which fires magic missiles with the velocity of a Gatling gun! The majestic Phoenix Rod which hurls fireballs that explode into a phoenix upon impact! And if that's not enough to hold your attention, use the Tome of Power to activate their secondary fire mode, such as turning the Phoenix Rod into a flamethrower or making the Dragon Claw fire massive spiked balls, and other crazy shit! Hours of entertainment are guaranteed with this DnD-inspired paintjob for classic DOS Doom.
As I have stated on the original game's page, Hexen is my favorite FPS that I've ever played, The expansion on the other hand is less than stellar. Artificial difficulty spike via endlessly-spawning enemies (not just the melee-only Ettin grunts) coupled with finite ammo makes for a more obnoxious experience than a challenging one, and the new levels lack the satisfying exploration element from the base game. It feels more like a chore than anything else, which is a shame considering how ridiculously fun Hexen was. Get it if you're truly hungry for Hexen and would play every single Plutonia Experiment map if Hexen were Doom.
The original was stupidly fun (with the exception of the DLC, unless you're big into puzzle games), and the sequel is more of the same stupid fun that is so endearing, but with improved mechanics. You now have several varieties of wee gremlins at your disposal so managing your army feels a fair deal more strategy-oriented than previously. You can also raise favored minions from the dead post-battle if they pillaged themselves above-average gear by sacrificing some weaker ones, adding a new layer of customization to your vile horde. Expect the same black humor and surprisingly addictive gameplay of the first one, but more polished and satisfying.
Become Walmart Sauron and forge your evil empire. Command your near-mindless, suicidal gremlins who hang on your every word, Be the picture of cruelty and depravity, or walk the path of the avenging dark angel sent to chastise the decadent, fallen heroes. Soulless tyrant or grim anti-hero? The choice of how evil Walmart Sauron will be is entirely in your mailed fist! A very enjoyable first foray into the world of the Overlord, worth playing before tackling the even more entertaining sequel. This series was so good that its font was even hijacked by a mediocre isekai anime (is there any other kind?) of the exact same name.
Icewind Dale 2 is on par with Baldur's Gate 2 in terms of quality. The DnD 3.0 ruleset was excellently integrated into an isometric CRPG and this game corrects all the mistakes of its predecessor. Character customization is much more detailed (especially noticeable for the Cleric class), battles reward strategy instead of the original's reliance on artificially-increased difficulty via human wave tactics and the entire game no longer feels like you're just drifting aimlessly from dungeon to dungeon as you seek the next McGuffin. If you enjoyed Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 or Neverwinter Nights 2, don't skip this one as it will offer you more of what you love from the above classics.
Talk about having your B-team work on a game. Icewind Dale is a notable step down from Baldur's Gate (even the original). It is one endless slog through unimpressive dungeons with brief periods of respite in the central hub to buy supplies and upgrade gear. The battles feel far less tactical than in BG, with the difficulty artificially increased via throwing waves of enemies at your party (most egregious in the Egyptian-style dungeon with literally dozens of weak skeletons lumbering at you). As a result, gameplay feels tedious instead of rewarding. If you're into simplistic hack 'n slash combat against hordes of goons, you'll eat this one up. If not, save your money for the vastly superior Icewind Dale 2, they knew what they were doing that time around.
I'm not a fan of FPS games. In fact, gunpowder being the worst invention in the history of mankind is a hill I am willing to die on, just picture still being able to wage wars with sword and shield. So keeping in mind just how much of a medieval dork I am and already having found great enjoyment in Heretic (Hexen's more or less indirect prequel), Hexen is by far the most enjoyable FPS I have ever played. The atmosphere is tops for a DOS-era game, the three different classes feel distinct from each other which ups the replayability and the puzzle element is not that frustrating even for an individual not big on puzzle games. If you enjoy games with a DnD aesthetic or feel like trying something as unorthodox as a shooting game with no guns, give Hexen a shot.
Forsaken Gods was NOT developed by Piranha Bytes, the studio behind the original Gothic trilogy. It was handled by an obscure studio out of India that didn't really know what they were doing. If you thought unpatched Gothic 3 was riddled with game-breaking bugs, go look up some FG review videos. The final boss itself is a glitch, the game code essentially defeats itself. Do not waste your money on a mistake in gaming history that did not add anything of value to Gothic 3.
