If you already know the Pathfinder system of top of your head, you might get some enjoyment out of P:K. Tabletop system seems to be faithfully translated into the game, and there is a wide range of classes to play with and enemies to test your built against. Just turn off the kingdom management, mod the game to minimise tedium and you will get a comprehensive Pathfinder sandbox to play with. For a game that complex, UI is just not good enough. It seems to prioritise presentation over functionality, and it lacks some basic features. You also better have an SSD as the amount of loading screens this game will put you through is just unacceptable (a routine visit to the capital will take you through 4-7+ loading screens), and a second screen for walkthrough – the game is so inconsistent in design you will have better time checking what you are supposed to do next, then trying to guess where the game won’t kill you for going next. Campaign itself is easily the worst one I have seen since NWN1. There is a mediocre 30-40h campaign in here, but it’s unbelievably padded. It took me 182h to beat the game and even if using purely RTwP system I expect for the game to last about 100h. The game delights in wasting your time. You can have a 2 hour session and accomplish nothing of note. Dungeons are far too lengthy and lack variety – usually is just multiple generic rooms with samey mobs. World map, is huge, but with only few actually interesting places to visit. Game has also difficulty spike problem – and it fails to telegraph difficulty of content ahead, or skill/items required for completion. It can trap you in an inescapable dungeon and tempt you with mobs that you can kill in your sleep and after an hour of playtime it will treat you to an unwinnable encounter at the end of it, with no way to go back to change party composition, or grab items you might need to succeed. It’s not that it’s hardcore, classic design – it's just bad. If you haven't, just go and play BG1&2.
I came in expecting to love PT:I – I think the industry needs more AA titles, and another story-driven Senua-like adventure was something I was really looking forward to. However, I had an ok time with it, only, and it didn’t make much impact on me. Like Senua, it is a highly linear storydriven game. It mixes simple puzzle, stealth and crafting mechanics that aren’t terribly interesting on their own but their main aim is to support the story. Problem no.1 – it is a very UI heavy system – tutorials, combat indicators, ammo & resource count, weapon, item and crafting menus, popups to order companions to do stuff etc. It’s highly unimmersive and distracting, and it is a problem in game like that. Systems might actually be better than Senua’s but I felt Senua’s UI-less design served better what game wanted to achieve. Problem no. 2 – resource gathering and collectibles forces players out of the roleplay and immersion – there aren’t many ways devs can hide resources in a story-driven linear experience. It’s just stuffing things in places players are unlikely to automatically go to. In game like that it creates a simple problem of rewarding players for doing things contrary to the story. Problem no. 3 – character writing and VO is quite great but I wasn’t engaged by the story. The story has more supernatural elements then I expected, and especially later in the game it gets very silly. Likely the biggest problem is that the “horror” element didn’t make an impression on me. It was gory, but I found rats to be thoroughly unintimidating (result of growing up with a rat pet?) The final battle is especially hilarious and would be better suited for a self-aware Platinum game than what tries to be a serious drama. There is some potential in character arcs but I found the overall story so not relatable that it left me indifferent. That said, it is still good enough to recommend for a modest price. It might become fuzzy with time, but it’s novel enough while it lasts.
Demos a such a nice thing - they show developers confidence in their game, and it allows players to see how the game plays and run first hand, before dishing out cash. Shadow Tactics was an excellent revival of the Real-Time Tactical genre, and Desperados3 looks like a great follow up, and a promising successor to original Desperados. I am sold and can't wait for the release!
