WB2 was the first Warlords game I ever played. And I was shocked by the then-amazing introductory cinematics. Even today , they still are quite good at ushering the emotions of urgency and danger in the viewer. But the cinematics are hardly the high-point of the game. The game is built into a bunch of stages. You choose your stages by selecting them on a map. This provides a non-linear experience for you and your character. And it really does matter because your character will gain a level for each stage he completes, so you will be able to come at different quests/tasks/battles with different tools under your belt. You won't notice anything new compared to games of today or even games of its day. But that works for you. You'll be familiar with the controls, with the units and with the buildings. And it's sort of critical in the game's design because the most complicated aspect of the game is managing your hero (and other sub-heroes). They can turn the tide of battle and economy with their strong weapons and armor, powerful spells and troop-boosting capabilities. So while you work with the familiar RTS elements, you'll have a chance to toy around with familiar RPG elements stuck into an RTS world. If you have played Spellforce, then you haven't really played this game. Both are touted as RTS/RPG games, but they take very different approaches. WB2 levels tend to finish faster, you have more leniency in where and what to build and fewer story elements present themselves during the levels. Graphics, music and sound all add to the game. Nothing is super-amazing, but everything is polished. The AI is decent, but they tend to go a more defensive route than most other RTSes (that fits with the story in many cases). Even so, they'll constantly harrass you until you're either defeated or you defend your properties properly. All in all, it's a great game with a ton of great fun and story stuffed into it. If you're looking to get into the RPG/RTS genre, go for it without hesitation. If you played and liked WB1 or 3, then this is also a no-brainer. Considering the way that the game combined RPG and RTS elements, you really won't find a better game (inlcuding WB1 and 3).
I've played the first Pirates! on the C64, Pirates Gold on the Genesis and the newest version of Pirates! Honestly, the newest is my favorite, but these games here hold their own. You start with almost nothing. You'll need to learn how to use the winds to make your self-guided trading routes profitable. You'll sink enemies and battle pirates. You'll send expeditions hundreds of miles inland looking for lost native gold. Or you can target a massive Spanish galleon hauling years worth of mined gold. Each step you take earns you points. By the time your career ends, you'll be judged at how well you played the game (i.e. how well you lived your life). Did you die rich with lots of land, a beautiful wife and powerful allies? Or did you fall in combat against an ordinary hooligan pirating the seas? You can live out tons of lives in an extraordinarily accurate portrayal of life in the Carribean during six different time periods, starting as a Spaniard, Dutchman, Frenchman or Englishman. If you haven't played these games and you want to avoid some of the annoying aspects of the newest version (dancing, a preset story and often tech problems on Win Vista+), then you should pick this up and enjoy the pirates life!
When Darkstone came out, it was marketed and reviewed as a game to play while you wait for Diablo 2. But I loved it so much more than any of the Diablos (I should note that that's not the normal experience, but I have spoken to many others that feel the same). You choose your gender and your class: Warrior, Rogue, Wizard, Cleric. The female wizard can become a werewolf, the male wizard gets a special detection spell. The rogue can shoot and steal (with a good enough pick-pocket, you can steal an egg from a chicken's bottom). The warrior is good at killing with a sword. The cleric has the only skills that can heal others. Each class has a few skills that only they know, but anyone can learn the spells in the game if they have the stats. So your leveling up can make your warrior into a spellsword or your werewolf-mage into a melee/magic/ranged combat jack-of-all-trades. You start the game at a town where you can go to school to learn new skills (or upgrade them), buy some food (you have to keep eating throughout the game), buy and sell gear and listen to a pretty song. From there, you'll go out into the wilderness and hit a bunch of dungeons that are 4 levels deep. Which dungeons you get and how the dungeons appear are randomly generated, but done very well. Each dungeon has a story and some clever but not terribly complicated puzzles. If you want to be brave (or stupid -- such a fine line), you can skip ahead, sneak past some overpowered villains and get into the more advanced dungeons. Steal some powerful loot there and then sneak back. The world is fairly open in that respect. In the end, you'll have to kill a powerful dragon and steal his massive horde of loot. And after that? The game starts over, everything harder than before. And you have a pile of loot. The next time you play the game, you'll probably only see a few dungeons you had completed before. Multiplayer is a blast. You can combat each other or go through the game together. The wizard's spells are amazing in PvP combat. You can go invisible and fire-bomb from a distance. Teleport to other locations. And blast with fireballs and lightning. But the warrior can always take a beating and get his hands around the little neck of the wizard. You should check this one out if you haven't already and you're looking for a fun hack-n-slash, light RPG game.
The story is fantastic. You start as an orphaned thieving wretch on the streets, learning the ropes from some mysterious ultra-thieves. Then things start getting creepy. Before you know it, your pursuit of retribution guides you onto the paths of long foretold prophecies. The stealth fighting and looting is extremely fun. You get a gem that tells you how visible you are. Having a weapon out lights it up. Standing lights it up. And light lights it up. So you'll be crouching in the shadows, watching patrol routes and finding ways to sneak to your goal. This game has tons of atmosphere. One of its creatures won "The Scariest Enemy in Gaming" award (I can't find a reference, but I remember reading it ages ago). Once you get good at the game, try it on its most difficult difficulty. That's the real way to play the game. You can't kill anyone and just about any damage is lethal. If you like to build and mod games, this game came with an innovative level editor. Unlike most game editors where you have to build everything wall by wall, Thief utilized an engine where you core out solid chunks of material and then add textures to the parts. If you're into game design at all, it's a fun tool to play with.
