Do you want to spend more time on lead screens than playing a game? Play Pathfinder! Do you want to spend more time trying to figure out what all the gobbledygook on the camping screen is than actually exploring? Play Pathfinder! Do you want to wander around a world map aimlessly while trying to find a decently scaled place to actually win an encounter and solve a quest? Play Pathfinder. Do you want a resource management game and not an RPG? Play Pathfinder. Do you want timed quests in a game that requires you to rest almost as much as you stare at load screens? Play Pathfinder The combat is boring. Pause, hit, pause, cast, pause, his, pause, hit, pause, hit. Die. The AI sucks, so if you wish to have any control you will have to turn it off and then pause constantly. While I hate games that completely scale to the level of the character this is ridiculous! And seriously... those load screens. Half of my time is staring at them. UGH! It seems like it's in beta still. Save your money and wait a while. This game is pretty bad right now.
Larian Studios consistently puts out wonderful games. This is no exception. The graphics, the voice acting, the magical exploration, the combat, the choices that have consequences, the humor! It's all there. Inventory management is similar to D:OS I and yet there is less to pick up. They learned to clean up the clutter. The crafting system is easier to learn and use. WONDERFUL! I will not fawn over the game, as it's been done. I WILL name the flaws, or issues that certain gamers may not like: 1) While it's an isometeric, combat-heavy game it is not an ARPG. It is not a Diablo clone.If you want constant action and hack and slash all the time this game may not be for you. 2) Sometimes it's tough to see everything on the screen. While you can rotate the camera 360 it's still tough. It's a compliment to the game though, as there is a lot going on. 3) It's difficult. You will lose some fights. Levels don't scale. And that is a good thing. Save a LOT and learn. I have had my ass handed to me a few times by some mobs and then came right back and figured out how to beat them. It may take a while. 4) Turned-based combat. It's wonderful for me, as I have slow muscle twitch. If you want fast, hack and slash it's not for you. Some battles may take 10, 20, 30 minutes. If you are in a hurry just know that you will be frustrated at the pace. 5) Character creation... It always baffles me why so many games implement SO many options for characters' looks. In this game you barely see the face of your character and yet you can choose many options for hair, face, color, etc... It seems to me that in isometric games less should be put on looks for characters and more into other resources. 6) Quests are often random and tough to figure out. That is another compliment, but for those who like more straight-forward quests beware! That's really all that I can think of. This game is an instant classic! Please buy, play and create! I am looking forward to the GM mode and the community-created adventures. This game should be relevant for 10+ years! YAY!
I love this game! I've been playing for months and am just scratching the surface. There are many options for character creation, development and crafting so I envision playing for many years to come, even after I have "solved" it. But, it's not for everybody. First, it is a very slow-paced, turned-based game. If you're looking for something action-packed along the lines of Diablo or Torchlight then you should look elsewhere. The monsters are very cartoonish. I think they are REALLY cool looking, especially some of the unique bosses and boss henchmen. I mean, there's a court jester who sings and plays the bagpipes as he fights for his queen and king. It's pretty cool, but again, VERY cartoonish. The humor is oftenwhat one might refer to as toilet humor, complete with dirty innuendos, double entendres, and lewdness. I love it! Some may not. If you have played through any previous Divinity games you know what I mean. There are many references to Larian's previous creations, which is good metagaming fun! The combat is the strongest, most unique aspect of the game; turn-based as if you're playing table-top with miniatures. It's a welcome relief from the chaos that comes with real-time combat games; you can see every spell, every swing of the axe, every buff or ill effect and contemplate, ponder, take your time and make your move accordingly. Strategic at it's best! But again, not for everyone. One, combat encounter can take well over an hour to complete. And the difficulty level is high. For me, the biggest annoyance is the fact that the camera won't turn more than 45 deg and thus you cannot see everything sometimes. This is really a pisser when you are searching a room to find a damned lever that is hidden in the corner and you can't see it because the camera angle won't let you. BAH! Also, it can seem a bit overwhelming with the density of the initial town and all the chatter, the items, the conversations, the craftables, etc. I recommend this game for everyone!
I am not going to rehash all the excellent previous comments. But, this game still holds up and is a complete blast to play. The dialogue is clunky and a bit "off" but it is also quite humorous. The world is large and the encounters challenging; if you want to rush in and hack away you may have to rethink your approach. Real-time strategy is a must and really enhances the game play experience. Using certain skills and items can be difficult to understand (death strike with daggers mainly) but once you comprehend the mechanics you will be pleasantly surprised. The use of the hot-key bars has been tough for me to get a grip on, as one of the bars is filled automatically by the game while the others are for you to populate. I find myself having to press F8 and F9 often in combat, which is awkward. You level up pretty quickly, but you do not become overpowered too fast. There is no character creation to speak of; like The Witcher you have your hero chosen for you and it is a man. In fact, apart from the hero's sister there are no strong women characters to speak of, at least not as of yet in my experience. So, suspend your chagrin at the wonky and goofy dialogue and lip syncing, accept the fact that you have to play a male hero, and take the time to get used to the controls// skills and play away. If you enjoy open-ended, non-linear worlds with many, many side quests and some crafting opportunities (alchemy can play a large role) then this is a game you should try.
