By casual, i mean it really doesnt have too much in the way of strategy. Most the missions are straightford, either you go in steathly or you start blasting. There are some missions that are more difficult than others. I enjoyed some of the comedy and way some of the scripting was executed. Although there were some bugs I did notice that took away from the experience. One is the bug where you cannot change team members for a selected mission. Sad, but most people have stated that there is no fix for this. So i just stuck it out with the dudes I had. In terms of controls the game is fairly basic. A bit limited on the hot keys, so you will be doing a lot of clicking unfortunately due to the age of the game. It took a bit of getting used to, but a few missions in I mostly got the hang of it. The game itself ran fine for the most part. But there were some instances of it crashing , or screen issues with the resolution. Its to be expected, but I just wish there was a bit more scaling. A few times I had to change the desktop resolution so that the game could adjust itself. On my 32inch monitor, 1080p, things were wayy too small . Overall, if you got this far in my review, only get the game if you are willing to deal with what I said. I got the game on sale for less than about 1$ CAD and spent enought time to enjoy it.
I had a lot of fun playing this. Image a game in the same vein as total war, but not total war, with King Arthur's Legends as the backdrop for the story. The game takes off where the first game left, after Arthur has reunited Britannia, there is yet again chaos throughout the land. You fight to either rule the land with an iron fist, or be a just ruler. There are some recurring characters you may notice and some new ones. I actually skipped the first game, but theres not much to miss. I played starting as the romans, and I was only vaguely aware they were in the story. I bought the game with dead legions, and I have to say I really liked that campaign. The story was pretty cool, and roman units uniquely and slightly aloof compared to the english units. The battles are decent, the graphics alright, and combat is not terrible. There are quests with mini-stories for you to read, though most if not all these are optional. Management of provinces has been simplified, leaving you to focus on the military and combat. There is a bit of diplomacy and hero development , with some special weapons and items your hero can equip. But it mostly revolves around your armies and conquering the map. How you do it is up to you, and being allied with certain factions give you access to units (and will also change your reputation). I believe there are different endings, and you will face non-playable enemies. Theres a decent amount of fantasy here, but it was enough to tickle the battles. Performance was kinda..ok. My pc surpassed system requirements , but the game doesnt want to seem to run past 30FPS. I'll have to update it sometime, as Ive gotten a new pc since playing. But the graphics are pretty decent. Didnt matter to me, as most the time I'm playing from overtop. People also mention camera issues. The camera is fine. Not amazing, but it works. Overall, not a bad game. For the price I paid, it was fun. If you want total war without the complex strategy, this is it.
I would give it 4.5, but its not possible on GOG. A great game. I had a lot of fun playing, it was a good departure from Resident Evil that Mikami did. Its a lot more atmospheric, with a heavy emphasis on action. Shooting mechanics are pretty good Not as much puzzles, but the ones that were there were fairly thought out, and not overly complex. The story is focused on the detective with a painful past. A lot of crazy paranormal stuff happens, but you can usually defeat enemies with guns, explosions and traps. I played on normal, where there was a decent enough amount of ammo, but not enough that you can get by just blasting everyone. Progession is usually by chapters, and the story moves along at a good pace. Exploration isnt terrible, theres a small amount to explore in every area, but its not an open ended sandbox world. The boss battles are ok, some are pretty funny, others I found were a bit frustrating because you have to either cheese the boss, or kite them , running and shooting, running and shooting etc. For optimization, the game runs fairly well. There was no hiccups on my Rx 580. Most modern systems will run the game with no problem, and max out the settings. I turned off the motion blur because it gave me a headache, but otherwise no issues. Controls were fairly standard, and had no issues. Every now and then was a quick time event which required the player to mash a button or two. NGL, some of the events had me on edge. The overall fell of the game was one of a horror-action. Where ammo is not infinite, and a lot of things , basic enemies and even the environment could possibly kill you. DLC's were ok. I really liked the one where you play as a dad looking for his daughter, killing everything in sight. The one where you play as Kidman sucked, as she was not usually armed and you had to sneak around all the enemies. I got stuck and frustrated with one level, and just gave up. Overall, if its on sale, would recommend the game.
I at first did not know about this game . It totally flew under the radar for me. But it surpised me. The graphics have aged well, so it still looks good. The atmosphere of the game fits well, feels like a horror movie that where you control the main character. Combat is pretty good, but can sometimes get repetative . But the story is what kept me going. First off, I was just browsing and found this game last year, prior to the start of the Covid 19 pandemic. I saw that there was a sale on GOG and saw this game. I watched some video reviews and thought why not. The game ran pretty well for my old Fx8370. Its very well optimized and I had no issues running it or crashing. So any modern system can run this. Gameplay is well done. You are presented with episodes, in a similar fashion to a show. And It made playing it smooth, as I cant spend more than an hour straight at a computer screen. The combat is engaging enough, having thrid person shooter elements mixed with puzzles and some exploration. Combat can be satisfying, but it can also be a huge chore. Enemies can sometimes spawn in the worse locations and overwhelm your character. Quick reflexes and planning for a defence is a must. You must always expect to get ambushed. It keeps you on your toes, but I felt it was wayy over done in some parts of the game. There are pages of journals scattered throughout the levels that give backround info on characters and the environment. Optional, but it gives you perspective about the universe. Characters are good. You get a good sense of people the MC encounters. Then you also have a lot of monolouges. The voice acting was also well done. The mood of the game is dark, but not so dark that its depressing. More of a horror, and some other reviews compare it to a Steven King book or film. Most of the game takes place at night, with heavy emphisis on Light vs Dark, Sanity vs Insanity. The DLC's were ok..nothing to brag about. Overall 8.5/10.
But not the first I played. I played the original and Silent Assassin. While there are a few improvements with the detection system, there it's still pretty much Silent Assassin. I miss the loadout screen prior to missions, as you cant really take weapons with you, unless you replay the level I think. Which is a negtive for me. Still has the same controls, ( which im not really complaining about) but the weapons could have gotten better. There are some levels in which you its almost impossible to do stealthily. But others were huge, and you had to do a lot of intel work for which approach to best take. Which I liked, as it adds replay value. On a few levels, there were multiple ways to kill a target, adding to variety. I hated the fact that if you were discovered, all of the enemies would just swarm your position. I understand that it is a stealth game, but thats just a bit too much. Overall, I would recommend. If you are a long-time fan of the series, do buy it. Wait for a sale if you can.
I grew up playing fallout 2, and 1 to a limited extent. But 2 has always had my heart. Play ATOM RPG, you can easily see the influences! Gameplay: I can't say its perfect. There are some brutal battles that you will do. Having companions helps. Some battles you will not win. Plain and simple. No way around it, other than to avoid or run away. The AI sometimes spawns with crazy over powered weapons. But otherwise, its great. Weapons: are a bit unbalanced. As is access to certain weapons until- end game. Which really sucks. Occasionally you will encounter a merchant with something great. Most of the time they sell junk, or low-level items. Which is a bit disappointing. Quests: Many quests. A lot are un-marked. But its enough to keep you busy for 40+ hours. I invested about 60 hours trying to do most of them. They are varied, with some having you to solve problems rather than just a straight-up battle, or doing a "Point A-B" type deal. Currency: It needs some restructuring. Some things are super expensive, and it just feels like a grind to have to buy weapons. I ended up just taking weapons from fallen enemies and selling them in bulk. Exp: Don't bother trying to go past level 25. It seriously becomes a massive MMOPRG type grind. A bit frustrating for me. I stopped at around level 27, and by that point the enemies could one shot me. Enemies: Are varied enough. But there's not enough to kill. Random encounters will not spawn more than 7 or 8 weak enemies. Or they could spawn a group that just overwhelms your party. NOT FUN Exploration: Decent enough. Lots of places to see . Though there's only one main city, where most goods are over-priced. That said, there will almost never be any two locations that are the same. Story: Unique enough. Without adding spoilers, you work for an organization that tries to do good. Follow the mission, or don't. The choice is yours. Overall : I can't give it 5 stars, but I would give it 4.5
