I want to walk through the Pale, forget i ever bought this game, buy it again, and be amazed like the first time. It's that good.
The first impression is really good: graphisms are nice, music is a bit monotonous but good enough, and it has a real good cyber vibe. But the puzzles... Are lame. Far fetched, tedious, and even if the solution is obvious, the way to do isn,t. Also, the character suffers of the "unbearable asshole hero syndrom". In that game, you're an insufferable egocentric useless prick. You frame your girlfriend, you engage in blackmail, food poisoning, drug dealing, and even murder, for mundane goals. "Oh, I want that tatoo, what should I do?" Kill a complete stranger. That's the answer. "Ooooh to bad a guy is dead by my fault, but hey, I got to find my guurlfriiieend" You know, the one I framed... So if you want to play an ass in a game where puzzles are written by a monkey in front of a keyboard, it's a wonderful choice. At least it's cute.
Yes, there is a city named System Shock 2, in the pics. And another is named... Wasteland. Hum. Anyway, the game is a four stars game. Not perfect, a lot of pixels, but a very good one, where you can find a "destinée manifeste" for real.
Basically, we are in front of four not-so-good old games. Scenarios? A teenager could do them. Battle? Sometime stressing, and often deadly. Never fantastic. Customization of characters? Well, you can try... But... see closer. "Ambiance". A great one. With great graphics (you must see them with 90's eyes, ok, but they are still enjoyable), and a fair good music. Characters. Funny ones, fiery others, some are mean traitors, some are dumb barbarians, some are lazy slacks... Each are noticeable. Hardcore gameplay. You will struggle for everything, boy. Every flask of water deserve a fight, every ruffian is a threat, every wood is an obscure house of pain. You will not like it if your favorite challenge is a game with poneys... Or, ok, if you like games with a low death rate. And an immersive world, full of surprises and secrets (obviously, even more in Ishar 2 and 3). Exploration is the key! These games are hard ones, and good ones too. Difficulty is a bit frustrating, but the games' core deserve such a challenge.
