If you're a fan of hands off empire management I think you would find Driftlands enjoyable. Resource allocations are set by sliders - there's no need to find the individual building and change the number of workers. Quests - destroying a barbarian encampment or exploring an area - are done by setting a flag and the reward you want to give. If this sounds an awful lot like Majesty, that's because it is. I still play both Majesty on the PC and the phone, but Driftlands offered a graphics upgrade and that "something new" bit to entice me to play. The primary change in play is having to move islands into your reach, and learning how to manage your buildings on the space offered. You will rarely be able to exploit all of the resources present on an island simultaneously. There are several different races to play, each enjoying different benefits from different island biomes. There is definitely strategy involved - I find that my style of play often leaves my flanks exposed, which the computer ruthlessly (and annoyingly) uses to its advantage.
Solasta could have been a good game with a little more flexibility in its implementation of the 5e rules. I assume they're 5e rules. The last version of AD&D I actively played was 3e. First, the game is full of minor glitches and unfinished ideas. Not everything was implemented or used, but the game warns you of that. Unless Tactical Adventures abandons the game due to financial constraints I think both of these issues will be cleared up. Second, the story is political and not very "grand questish." That was okay with me - my favorite game had you clearing city blocks at random at the beginning. There's a bit of mystery and question to the quest, typical when creatures that are the prime adversary in Solasta are involved. Third, quest choices are limited. There are side quests that become available as your characters level that you can pursue, but they're always a return to an existing area. The order of the main quest is pretty much set. Fourth, the game is limited to level 10. This is far, far too low. I hit level 10 12 hours before I finished the game. Fifth, crafting is meh. It takes too long, too many special ingredients, and you find better gear. Sell the ingredients, keep the gold, buy from the vendors. Sixth, concentration. Between concentration and advantage, spell casters are nerfed - at least compared to what I'm use to.. You'll see forum posts recommending you use a wizard and magic missile exclusively. There's a reason for that - it's the only reliable form of damage because it doesn't suffer from dis/advantage and it doesn't miss. Concentration makes lower level slots worth a lot less. You can't hold bless and wall of fire or conjure elemental or - take your pick. Any buffing spell requires concentration. Wizards can't haste their warrior friend and do anything else. Finally, you will miss. A lot. So will the enemy. You'll sit there and swing at each other. Repeatedly. One word description: frustrating. (Out of space!)
I admit, I bought this DLC without reading the description or the announcement. And my complaint is right there in black and white in the description: "Combat and gear scaling means that both new and returning players can enter Steeltown during their playthroughs for a level-appropriate challenge, with a story and cast of characters that adapt to the decisions you’ve already made." I hate scaling. I get why devs do it (see "both new and returning players!" above), but I hate it. You're ruining my game to accommodate someone else. You're ruining my game because you don't want to gate the DLC content, so you can make more sales. You're ruining my game because you don't want to do the legwork. You're being just as lazy as World of Warcraft, or even some of the original Wizardry games from back in the day. That's what scaling is - it's the developer being lazy. Next time just take away all of our levels and our gear and we'll be on equal footing, too. Put me in the DLC startup location naked and level 1. Same thing - you've negated any power I've gained on my character. Then again, maybe you don't mind scaling and don't want to feel more powerful when you level up. You do you.
This game is priced the same as Shadows: Awakening, leaving you to assume that this is Book I and Awakening is the promised Book II. This is not true. Shadows: Awakening includes this game, and as of the time of this review is priced identically. There is absolutely no reason to purchase this game. Book II - the free update in the game description - isn't coming. It will never exist. Buying this game will simply put $40.00 USD into someone's pocket and deliver an unfinished game into yours. I can't say it enough. If you want to play this game, you don't, you want Shadows : Awakening. (https://www.gog.com/game/shadows_awakening)
It's been a long time since I've been drawn into a game to the point I lose track of time. This is my first review on GOG, despite being a user for over ten years. Tower of Time has really impressed me. Tower of Time is an RPG that isn't so complex I have to write the attributes down and chart out how they affect each other, and the story is interesting enough that I want to know what happened. But again, not so complicated I need a listing of gods and domains to understand. Upgrading gear and skills is fun, with little punishment to resetting. The tactical combat is real time, but throws me back to playing the Gold Box SSI games. (Something I play, to this day. My wife recognizes the sounds of Pool of Radiance. Once she hears them she says "Oh God, not again." and wanders off to leave me to my memories.) That's not to say the game doesn't have tactical depth or a detailed story. Compare it to reading Brandon Sanderson vs Robert Jordan. Jordan told you in detail about the lace cuffs on a character while describing them. Sanderson will give you more of an impression and a few details. What you prefer is up to you. You can dip in and out of the game easily, meaning those of us with little free time can play, save, and return to where we were. The skills - so far - have been universally useful. I need more time to decide if my enchantments are valid or not -- I had been hoarding gems, afraid to use them, but have found them to be fairly plentiful. I'm impressed, and am awaiting the developer's next game eagerly.
