Oh look, it's another DLC adding to the already 66 existing you need to get for a complete game. Just like many others by Paradox. It's the Paradox formula. Just a few days ago it was another DLC for Stellaris, now Europa Universalis IV. Seems the money press has been spun up again. If it wasn't for the DLC-madness, the games would actually be good. :(
It's a solid mediocre experience. Good for a little while when it's excitingly new to you. Totally overpriced. Asking 30$ regular base price for a mediocre game after 9 years? That's just as delirious as Ubisoft and EA. Nowadays it should be regular base price at 10 to 15$ at best. I recommend getting in on sale below 5$.
Who is it? Paradox. What do they do? DLC! \o/ :( Game in itself is quite good and very intricate, which Strategy aficionados will enjoy. But like Stellaris, Cities: Skylines, Europa Universalis IV, Hearts of Iron IV, Prison Architect, Surviving Mars and Age of Wonders: Planetfall (to name a few other games that Paradox litters with DLC amounting to an bloated complete price) it is sullied by the DLC-cashgrab. 254€ for a complete game-experience is just TOO MUCH! Stop that silly practice.
It just works... Barely any bugs, polished game experience, complete game, a lot of freedom, avant-garde game mechanics, charming and humorous details, finally a full game worth a full price-tag? Thank YOU Larian! In your face big studio trash-quality releases.
Another example of extensive DLC cash grabbing: you'll get a "base" game for NOT cheap and then a ton load of DLCs priced painfully high to patchwork the game to a complete experience eventually. Base game 40€, with all DLC's it amounts to just shy of 100€ (~95€) - today, if they don't release even more DLCs. Get it on discounted sales if you must. The game itself is a decent 4x space strategy game with up to date visuals.
"Base game" for free now? If you can even call it that. Of course they can do that easily because they want to lure you in. You are not getting a sattisfying game experience, not even a basic one that you can extend to. No. To get a complete full game experience you need to get the DLC's that complete the game. And they are not cheap. THAT's where they make the money. 254€ in total to get a full experience. Even on discount, like currently -60% off this amounts to still 102€. What a price for a game. This is not a AAA overhyped game title that you were waiting for to try out on day one. I'd say: wait for a big big big (huge) discount - 20 to 30€ might be more like it - or get it through "other" means if you must. Frankly, there is other games out there. you can very well do without this one. Your money might be spend better
"Base game" for free now? If you can even call it that. Of course they can do that easily because they want to lure you in. You are not getting a sattisfying game experience, not even a basic one that you can extend to. No. To get a complete full game experience you need to get the DLC's that complete the game. And they are not cheap. THAT's where they make the money. 254€ in total to get a full experience. Even on discount, like currently -60% off this amounts to still 102€. What a price for a game. This is not a AAA overhyped game title that you were waiting for to try out on day one. I'd say: wait for a big big big (huge) discount - 20 to 30€ might be more like it - or get it through "other" means if you must. Frankly, there is other games out there. you can very well do without this one. Your money might be spend better
I don't understand the first reviewers logic for a five star rating on this game. Especially so early after release. Is it buyers remorse or a payed review or just a great potential of delusion to find merit in utter crap? I surely don't know. It sounded really promising for Gollum being developed by Daedalic. They usually take an interesting stance and point of view on things, with much attention to detail and endearing humor. Well, not this time. Just getting a big license title and grabbing a state of the art graphics engine with a massive toolbox is not everything. And it shows: they are not used to Unreal Engine. A lot of potential lies barren, graphics are unrefined and very basic, animations are rough. Gameplay and controls are horrible and clunky. And the storytelling is uninteresting, with low depth, no endearment, lifeless, huge time-jumps. All in all it is a failure. Not sure the can salvage or recover any of it with patches. This would need a complete remaster. Stay clear. You'd need to be a outstanding Tolkien-lover and collector and even then I'd doubt you'd enjoy the game - even if receiving it for free.
The game itself is good and if you like the genre, is very well worth playing. BUT, like many other games of this publisher: beware of the money grab! Paradox is milking the s*** out of their games with a DLC frenzy like no other. Similar to Stellaris, Cities Skylines, Hearts of Iron IV, Cities in Motion ... you are looking in spending 200 something credits into a wholesome experience with all DLC's - in the case of this game here currently even more than 300!!! Surviving Mars, Prison Architect, Planet Fall, Crusader King III, Battletech, Tyranny ... still amount to somewhere around 80 to 90 bucks. There are always some pricey DLC's following the main product. Definitely wait for a sale and more importantly for a complete edition!
