I remember when this game came out and I am still playing it. It might not look like it's worth checking out, since the graphics are very dated. But it's actually worth a look. It is much more than just a civilization-clone in a fantasy setting. The spells, skills, heroes and troops that become available over time are very different almost every time you play and can be real gamechangers. They are defined by mana allocated to research, the amount and mix of spellbooks available, race, fame, money, food supplies and, of course, chance. If you like high-fantasy, turn-based combat and an ever-growing arsenal of tricks you can have up your sleeve on the battlefield, this is your game. If it lacks anything, it is balance. There are some races that are rather easy to play and some that are very hard to play. Apart from that, it is a lot of fun once you understand the basic game mechanics. Moreover, it is especially worth checking out since the rather recent remake that goes by the name of "worlds of magic" doesn't manage to live up to this gem of an original. But be warned: Just like civilization, this game can be addictive!
I was thrilled when these games came out. Being a fan of the pen-and-paper-world the games are based on, I looked forward to their release for month and must've repeatedly played and finished all of the three games in the series. For me, these games are great. But I always considered myself one of the few people who enjoyed playing them and not really expected a lot of others enjoying them as well. That's why I never quite understood why they dared to release these games for any other market than the german one. Back then, this software was aimed at a thriving community of the corresponding pen-and-paper-system. Nobody minded that they implemented heaps of useless stats and talents and spells. On the contrary: People probably wouldn't have received the games well otherwise. They would have been considered a watered-down version of the original gaming-system, which was all about a shitload of stats that rarely mattered once you started playing. As a consequence, for people unfamiliar with the roleplaying-world of the Dark Eye, the computer-games must've been terrible to play. I am surprised that the series did rather well internationally nonetheless. Keep in mind that the system had never been translated into another language on a large scale and that it relied heavily on language, despite all it's maths and tables and stats. That was years before Fantasy Productions took over and started messing with the gameworld in a way that scared off a lot of the german fans. Storywise, these games had quite a bit to offer, as well: They give an adequate impression of the northern part of the gaming-world and I would have loved to see other parts of Aventuria come to life on the computer as well. They eventually did, but only much later: The Drakensang series, is, as far as I am concerned, an even better adaption. It's less hardcore but still very true to the orginal gaming world - and therefore highly recommended.
I have been playing this game on and off for more than twenty years now. Still, I never finished it. Back then, when I was still a teenager, it didn'nt occur to me that it was exceptionally hard. Most games back then were equally demanding. It was normal. I used to play the game with a friend: We would sit in front of the computer together, takting turns, advising each other, figuring out the next move together. The game is still a lot of fun, altough I play alone by now and know most of it well. Nevertheless, it was my buddy from back in the day who mentioned some years ago that the game was almost unbeatable. That's when I found out about the now known bug that made it almost impossible to finish it. Among all the other challenges the games includes, that one flaw just didn't stick out as such, I guess. At least not to me. Maybe it just made it perfect. Getting there is usually have the fun. In this game, it used to be all of it. I read the other reviews and cannot quite understand why the game is called frustrating or a grind at times. I enjoy it a lot. It occured to me that the fact that it is a war game may be overlooked or not fully understood: Everytime you think you develeoped a gamechanger that keeps your troops from dying, the enemy will fight back even harder. There'll be waves of attacks, conterattacks, defenses, assaults and so on with different outcomes. For me, it's not that much about winning, really. Although I can understand that it is for most people. In the end, it's the immersion that does the trick, I think. A term, by the way, that came about only recently to describe games if I remember correctly. But you have to be sort of open for it: If your not ready for some terror from the deep, ready to spent hours on a scenario, if necessary, evaluating every threat, considering every possible move carefully, every step even, every shot of the rifle and every grenade, while forgetting time and your real-life, you will not be getting that x-com-experience. Take cover, always whatch your back and don't forget your flares!
