I like this game. I've actually bought it twice. I bought it on the PS3 and now again on GOG. I prefer the GOG version because I've been able to mod it so that there is no hud. See the forum for the guide on how to remove it. If that option were included with the game, it would get a 5/5. That being said, it's still a great game. It has beautiful graphics (I like them more than Trine 2 actually), good audio, and a spectacular soundtrack. It's worth buying just for that. I have wanted a 2d sidescroller with a good physics engine for 15 years. This along with Shadow Complex makes that a reality. There are a few ways to approach situations in the game, but for the most part one of the characters will be clearly better for each task than the others. My only gripe is that the wizard can't really fight. The wizard should be able to shoot a fireball or something. He can draw a box in the air that falls on enemies, but that's difficult in the heat of battle.
The first thing I noticed about this game was the lack of customizable controls. I hate that. I figured out how to customize them though by editing a config file. I posted the guide in the forum for this game. The next thing I noticed was that it would have been REALLY nice if the developer had had the foresight to include a toggle for the tractor beam (I guess that's what you'd call it.) It got very tiring holding the button down constantly. You drag stuff all over the place and having to hold buttons down constantly gets tiring. I can't play this game for very long or my hand cramps up. This feels less like a game and more like a combination of simple puzzles, experimentation exercises, and confusion. There was one puzzle that made no sense. You have four lights to illuminate. You need to change colors on what looks like a target. However, it's not about the location of the colors, the order, the pattern, or the number of each color. It made no sense. You basically have to randomly flip switches and go through a process of elimination for ten minutes until all the lights turn on and the door opens. I got this on sale for 50% off. It's not a great game and can be annoying at times. There are no enemies, no weapons, and no action. However, it's a decent way to unwind if you're a little stressed out. So, for that I think it was worth what I paid.
Ok. In all fairness I didn't really know what this game was. I heard it was an immersive first person shooter. My favorite FPS of all time is Quake. The closer a game comes to the fast paced fun of Quake, the more I like it. I didn't expect this game (which should have just been called Riddick, c'mon keep it simple) to be like Quake, but it really doesn't feel like a shooter. You do shoot in this game and it is in first person, but for the first chunk of the game you don't have a gun at all. The guns feel underpowered, the enemies are all crack shots, and your character is weak. I think it was about the time that I was fighting a guy in a mech suit and he kept killing me in a matter of seconds that I got really annoyed. He was invincible and I even unloaded every bullet into him and nothing happened. Turns out I had to shoot him in the back. I hate that type of enemy. It's a cheap trick in video games that I wish would die. For someone like me that enjoys games that skip the story and drop me right into fast paced action, this game is boring and annoying. If you're like me, pass on this game. However, if you like games that focus on story and that involve a slow build to action and that don't make you feel powerful but rather make you feel like you really have to work to succeed (involving trial and error and frequent reloads), then you might like this game.
I'm sure others would disagree with me, but I think Enclave is the best game of it's kind. If Die By the Sword looked this good, it would only be slightly better than Enclave. I own it on cd, but wanted it without DRM so I bought it again off GOG. I figured out how to disable the hud. When I play in first person, the immersion is great. For how old it is, this game still looks nice and runs well on older hardware. It supports widescreen resolutions natively, which is nice since I play on an hdtv. Overall, great game, great music, and just fun. It would be nice if GOG let you download the soundtrack though.
If you're looking for a fast paced, non-stop, balls to the wall shooter. . . look elsewhere. As people have mentioned, there can be lulls in the action since you spend a good chunk of the game going from one point to the other. But, this game is great for immersion. When I play games, I like to forget my crappy life for a while. The more a game makes me feel like I'm part of the world, the more I like it. There is a hud, but it's small and only pops up when you're injured, reload, or put your map away. Then it fades out after three seconds. As someone who prefers to play games without a hud, I find it informative enough without being irritating. Other things like your map are incorporated as elements in the game (your character actually holds the map). I think it helps with immersion. The only reason I gave this a 4 instead of a 5 is for three reasons: 1. Malaria. What a dumb addition. You need to stay stocked up on meds or you pass out and have to reload. Meds aren't widely available (at least not as far as I've gotten in the game). 2. Gun jams. I want to try a variety of weapons and have fun with them. It might not be so bad if you could easily switch to another gun when it jams, but it doesn't let me until I unjam the stupid gun. 3. Downtime. While immersive, having to drive long distances gets old fast. There is a bus option, but it's not that elegant. A faster form of travel would be nice. Overall though, I enjoy the game and it beats the console version by far just because it has customizable controls and no DRM.
This game is easily in my Top 10 all time favorite games along with classics like Quake, Doom, and Unreal. I tried the demo years ago and knew I had to have it. I bought it when it came out. I still have the original copy I bought, but I wanted a version without DRM, so I bought it again off GOG. It's mod friendly. I particularly like playing it with the IronSights mod. I also disable the hud to make the game more immersive. This version supports HDR (open the console with ~, then type: r_HDRRendering 1 ) It's kind of a free roam game, but has levels instead of one giant map like Far Cry 2 or Far Cry 3. The extras from GOG are lacking, but the game is so good that it's not a big disappointment. There's some replayability with this game since many of the levels allow you to take different paths. Later levels are more linear. It supports widescreen out of the box. Widescreen is a must for me since I play most of my games on a big screen tv. If you like shooters, I highly recommend this game.
