Ok... I must admit: - Yes, many choices could have had a greater impact on the story. Or a more significant reaction from the characters. - Characters could be more diverse or unique, in terms of abilities and skills. - There is quite a few "black or white" choices in the dialogues. Or times that you don't like any of the options... or like too many of the options! - Some gear, especially armor, could be less repetitive. BUT... as a long-time fan of turn-based games, I have to admit that this is perhaps the best written game I 've ever played. Simple as that! Great story, great dialogues, (mostly) great options, a lot of thought behind. Its gameplay (and battle difficulty) hits a perfect balance: some times it's easier, some times it's harder, some times it's really challenging and needs a lot of thought and time, but it never becomes "impossible". Not too simple, not too complicated either. There is a lot of attention to details, without making the game too clustered at the same time. The story and the atmosphere is perfect, too. The game drags you in from the very first to the last minutes. The DLCs are for once good, too. They feel like a real part of the game (not sure why they were made as "extras") and I particularly loved the "Steeltown" story. It also hits a high score in replayability, too. Is it a "perfect game"? No. To be 100% honest this should have been a 4-star game. But the soundtrack.... man, THE SOUNDTRACK... Simply amazing! 5 stars could be given easily on the music, alone. Either giving you chills or trolling at itself... Either being a cover of a well-known song ("Land Of Confusion" cover is jaw-dropping!) or an original song/score, the soundtrack is a pleasure on its own. In short, I 've had a great time playing this game and I plan on replaying it again soon. I 've cried, I 've had a good laugh... and generally enjoyed myself, while at the same time got food for thought (without trying to be "preachy"). What more could you want?
This is a highly enjoyable game. Much more than I expected it to be. But there are a few things that keep it from being perfect. So I will mention them first: Undoubtly, the most annoying one is the fact that there is no "save"! Not even "quicksave" or "save points". You just pick up from where you left when you last exited the game. This means that 1. if you lose a battle, you have to go all over again, from the start! 2. you don 't get the chance to see where different decisions or choices in a situation could lead you (and there are plenty of them). Other minor complains is that the animation during the battle could have been a bit more realistic (even the archers don 't look at the direction they shoot). But it is somehow still fun though and enjoyable, and it doesn 't affect the gameplay at all. Another thing that could have been improved is the (no) choice of characters when you start the game. Fans of "character customizing" (like me) will be greatly dissapointed. You just get the same 2 heroes, with the same strengths and weaknesses. You can only choose 3 secondary characteristics out of 4 or 5 and... that 's all you can do. Pitty. More choices (if not on the characters, at least on their characteristics or weapons) could have boosted the replayability of the game. On the other hand now... (we are getting to the positive things) you do get a vast majority of really diverse companions to choose from, when the time comes. More than any other similar game I can think of. The stories are interesting and different enough (although some get a bit repetative - especially since without a save mode, you start over the game too many times). And some are really FUNNY. And with some hints for the modern times (e.g. those with the bards and musicians). The combat system seems a bit strange at first, but it can be easily learned and takes a bit more time to master. Not hugely deep though. Still simple, enjoyable and with a lot of variations. All in all... this is a greatly enjoyable game, heartly recomended, really funny at some points, with its only real disappointment (but a big one) being its lack of saving mode.
