I have not played very far into the game so this is more of a "first impressions" review. At first I was really hesitant about buying this game despite all the praise it received because I wondered if it might have been overwhelming for someone who does not play D&D. However, after actually getting into it, things do not seem so overly complex after all. It has pretty much all the same conventions that any other old school RPG has but with little twists here and there such as the mechanic of memorizing spells after each rest period rather than a mana bar (which I assume are D&D rules since Eye of Beholder had the same thing). Overall, I like what I am seeing so far. Another reservation I had was that the game might be nightmarish in terms of difficulty but so far, it's not so bad. Usually, when I cannot best an enemy no matter what, it means I am not supposed to be there (or fight them) yet. My only significant complaint are the "cheap deaths" such as traveling to what is supposed to be a low level area (as in the open area right beside Candlekeep) and getting insta-killed by a pack of high level archers. Also, this game heavily relies on luck (after all, it does use virtual dice rolls) so one time you can get annihilated and another, victorious without a scratch even though you employed the same tactics. I see no purpose in doing this other than to ensure that the player always saves the game before traveling and resting out in the open. Anyhow, I look forward to seeing what this game (and its sequel eventually) have to offer.
I have not played very far into the game so this is more of a "first impressions" review. At first I was really hesitant about trying this game despite all the praise it got because I wondered if it might have been overwhelming for someone who does not play D&D. However, after actually getting into it, things do not seem so overly complex after all. It has pretty much all the same conventions that any other old school RPG has but with little twists here and there such as the mechanic of memorizing spells after each rest period rather than a mana bar (which I assume are D&D rules since Eye of Beholder had the same thing). Overall, I like what I am seeing so far. Another reservation I had was that the game might be nightmarish in terms of difficulty but so far, it's not so bad. Usually, when I cannot best an enemy no matter what, it means I am not supposed to be there (or fight them) yet. My only significant complaint are the "cheap deaths" such as traveling to what is supposed to be a low level area (as in the open area right beside Candlekeep) and getting insta-killed by a pack of high level archers. I see no purpose in doing this other than to ensure that the player always saves the game before traveling and resting out in the open. Anyhow, I look forward to seeing what this game (and its sequel eventually) have to offer.
