I really like the concept of Wasteland games, but I am concerned about the direction in which the series is evolving. Some aspects are an improvement, like the controversial plot, the memorable music and the exceptionally good voice acting of some characters like McTavish, Payasos and many more. Supreme Jerk difficulty forces one to think and prepare, and resources are scarce, which makes the game feel balanced. The companions are underdeveloped, like usual. Why still require 2 custom rangers if there are enough companions to join you? The combat mechanic has been unnecessarily tinkered with. Strike meter versus aimed shot? The initiative has practically become obsolete since the turns are per squad, and no longer per character, which translates to losing directly on Supreme Jerk if you don’t attack first. You'll understand the ubiquitous complaints of gamers about min/max-ing the attributes once you play this game. We are two decades later, and I still feel that the original Fallouts (and Fallout Tactics) had the best character development system. Is it the new generation trying to fix things that weren’t broken while the veterans are sleeping? Design has a similar issue. The punk-style is sometimes so over-fantasized that even 8-year-olds don’t buy. But at the same time the target audience is PEGI +17. Special sound effects are probably the most bothersome I ever encountered in a game. Burning trashcans at 5 meter distance sound as if standing in the middle of an inferno, blasting my eardrums out. And the click-pop sound over at HQ armory and many other locations is just maddening. And then the worst part of it all: the DLCs. They introduce new gameplay elements and design choices that are not in line with the original, hence feel as if you are playing a new game within a game, completely breaking immersion and feeling like an endless chore just to "check" boxes. Make a separate mini-story like DA-O:Awakening if you must, but don’t break the existing game!
In the past 20 years I have played mostly single player RPGs, ranging from Fallout 1 & 2, Torment, BG, IWD, Deus Ex, down to NWN, KoToR, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Witcher and the likes. But Kingdome Come is truly special. Apart from being a great RPG, the main thing that sets it apart from the others is its aspiration for authenticity and realism. You *are* Henry, a nobody in a historical setting of 1403 Bohemia, on a quest for revenge. It would have been an ordinary RPG were it not that the developers actually investigated medieval lore, combat and way of living. As you explore the world, tooltips pop up explaining events, places and society, which in turn incite you to read and learn more about history. Hence this is the first RPG I have ever played that actually has some educational value. The uniqueness of this game is that it proves that one can make an AAA game and story without a fantasy setting and lore, but just by plugging it into our own history. I especially love this because I am from Europe, and the setting is part of my own history. But I would also love to see something similar plugged into a historical setting less known to me, such as Ancient China, Persia, Egypt or America. This game is like a successful proof of concept for a RPG subgenre, and I really hope this game and the developers receive the recognition and support that I think they deserve. I congratulate and give them a straight 10/10. And you who might be reading this and wondering whether to buy it: If you enjoy RPGs, challenging combat, compelling story and a rich world. Doubt no longer. This game has all that to offer you, and on top of all that I am sure you’ll learn something about Bohemia too.
The game pretty much feels as if made with love. If you read everything like I do and play on max difficulty where most of the fights feel epic, then the game really sucks you in. It is not perfect, but I would place it somewhere in the range of 4-4.5/5. For me, the main drawback is the length which is artificially prolonged by the endless battles which, when played on highest difficulty become quite a drag. I am scared to think at how much time and energy I have spent on this game, and I haven't even completed it yet. And then there is the DLC, and PoE II… I have just lost interest. I feel there is a trend in the last decade for RPG's to be full of content, emphasizing quantity over quality. In PoE I see this in sporadic voice casting, missing portraits, flawed quest progression and NPC interactions. Let me explain the last two points. --- POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOLLOW --- Quest progression is overall good, but occasionally, some did feel a rushed. For example, giving the armor back to Penhelm (based on a single dubious conversation option) locks you into opposing the Dozens and forcing you to complete the quests of the Knights to progress the game. Same with Doemenels and Raymond. The lock feels cheap and breaks immersion, and even more if you play the game in Iron-Man mode. This quest should have been more fleshed out, like at least giving the possibility to go to Clyver and explain what happened and discredit Penhelm. NPC interactions are mostly good, but some also feel rushed. Hiravias first says that he will kill me if I ever enter an Engwithan ruin, but later has no problems entering Cliaban Rilag with me. Same with Lle a Rhemen when I encounter the sealed door open: he has no opinion on it, so I wonder why I am taking him with me? He has even no opinion on the side quest of Wael although being a Wael follower. Again clearly quantity over quality. But overall, I can't give this game less than 4/5. Games like these need to be supported more.
I was very reluctant to play this game. It was promoted as a spiritual successor of the original Fallout series. But upon release it failed to live up to the expectations due to game breaking bugs, bad combat AI, etc. A month ago I needed some distraction: Some old school character creation and slow paced adventure and combat. I wasn't into magic but preferred some shooting. This game seemed the only option, so I thought what the heck, even if I just create the character and play for a few hours it will satisfy me enough and I can go on with my life. Some 100 (?) hours later I am writing this... I really liked this game. Probably the main reason is that it combines the elements of original Fallout with Fallout Tactics. I played Fallout 2 during my teenage years and it left an unforgettable impression of storytelling, adventure, combat and companions. Tactics I played much later during my mid twenties due to nostalgia. The community had by then fixed all its bugs. That game also left a big impression. It has nothing of Fallout but its engine, and it concentrates fully on the one aspect of Fallout which was not utilized to its maximum potential: tactical combat. I played it on maximum difficulty: no saving during missions which made the game a blast. I would meticulously prepare the recruits in the best possible way for the upcoming mission. And once the mission started there was no turning back. I still remember my heavygunner being overrun, and my exceptional sniper blasted out of cover. On mission completion I would mourn the losses and start strategizing how to best fill the gaps with new recruits for the next mission. Wasteland 2 combines the good of Fallout - the audio and the visuals, the atmosphere, interesting cities and encounters, rich textual content, plurality of situational approaches, the storytelling - with the tactical combat of Tactics. The game is not perfect, but frankly, I see little space for improvement. Furthermore, I didn't encounter any notable bugs. inXile has done an incredible job with limited budget and Unity. And for that, hats off. Period. If you need some distraction, prefer slow and tactical combat and want to get lost in an immersive world, then buy this game, put it on supreme jerk difficulty and be a Desert Ranger!
