Throughout the game, there's an underlying sense of something being not quite right, and not in the fourth wall-breaking way the series is known for. Knowing the series' original idea and Gilbert's proclivities, I was prepared to be disappointed, but hoped for the best. Right off the bat, that hope felt somewhat vindicated. Despite having its own story to tell, the game makes an effort to include the previous iterations and whip up an unreliable narrator-driven hodgepodge to establish a continuity of sorts that might please those who played and are fond of them. The art style was impossible to get over. Like all other chapters, this one has its own visual identity, but it just never grew on me, well crafted and expressive as it was in certain moments. It's just too "indie" - more in the trying-too-hard-to-be-different than the experimental sense of the term. There are no new memorable characters to speak of, made worse by the fact that some are narrative devices rather than individuals. Voice acting is probably the weakest in the series - the staple actors deliver, but LeChuck's replacement falls completely flat. For all his earnest effort, he was let down by the sound design, as his voice has no real texture to speak of and has a dissonant effect when the screen shakes as he screams (or, rather, slightly raises his voice). There's nothing to give his tone a much-needed oomph in those moments. And most of the female voice acting is either blase, uninterested or faux gravelly. The humor is there, but more in a nostalgic chuckle mood, with the odd guffaw to be had. As such, the game is a pleasant journey through a selection of Monkey Island elements, but feels more like a by-the-numbers appeasement rather that a cohesive narrative, and ends up being a MI2 rehash by way of a self-serving closing of a chapter from the developer's part - a somewhat biased "choose your own ending" that is more than a bit anticlimactic, but at least a relief of sorts for the fans.
This one's good; really good. If it weren't for some chapters having very grind-y and annoying maps, the unoptimized music transitions, the occasional quizzical animation, the complete absence of a manual, and a lack of enemy and gear variety, it would get five stars. Seriously, for what this game sets out to be, it's that good, even without voice acting and somewhat 'meh' character models. It has a great story of treachery, faith and venality in a low-magic make-believe Holy Roman Empire, with three different paths and the odd long-term-consequence decision here and there; a fantastic soundtrack that is sure to become a mainstay of your playlist if you're into medieval tunes; smooth gameplay with pleasant to look at graphics; and a gameplay length that feels just about right. Like the title says, thoroughly enjoyable. Don't miss out on this one.
What an excellent point and click surprise. My expectations were rather low, and I ended up enjoying it like I haven't enjoyed a game of this kind in a long time. It's quirky and zany, but in a way that is not random at all, as a lot of thought and creativity has clearly gone into the script, the unconventional narrative, the realization of the game world and all the little details. The last act loses a lot of steam, as scenarios are skimped out on, and events are abbreviated in a rather abrupt way, but it still makes for a satisfying narrative experience, if a bit on the short side. Both main characters are sympathetic and fully realized, even if one of them is just a well done "jerk with a soft spot", and the NPCs are no slouches either, with some genuinely funny bits spread throughout. With great sound design, beautiful graphics (with the odd glitch here and there and a weird flickering in moving characters when the background moves), a (maybe overly) simple interface and (at times a little too) easy puzzles, this is a a done-in-one gaming experience for some good, hearty chuckles. Highly recommended.
And I say "surprisingly" because, for a game that effectively railroads you across maps - something even FPS have started doing without - this is a very good gaming experience. The story is entertaining, the protagonists are charismatic (well, one more than the other) but both have their own character arcs, the combat system is different and looks cool, you've got a satisfying number of options to customize your characters' abilities, and the cello-heavy soundtrack somehow manages to work in this setting, with a couple of standout tracks. Can't really ask much more from a (clearly more) Action (than) RPG. Also, it was a relief to see that, unlike what the unusual premise might lead you to believe, this isn't about "humans bad! religion bad! barbaric nonhumans good!" at all. Quite the opposite, it actually tells a believable and internally consistent tale of oppression and culture clashes, with plenty of shades of gray. Not a narrative masterpiece by any means, but an excellent framework and plot to build an adventure around.
What with being a fantasy junkie and wanting to support my fellow countrymen in such a rare endeavor in our country. But this game simply isn't up to scratch by any definition. It looks and feels in beta stage, sometimes borderline alpha, tries to do more than it can support, and - a few interesting details aside - fails to do the very basic. A game with iffy hitboxes cannot hope to be an enjoyable souls-like adventure, let alone a good one. It just can't, and it boggles the mind how the developers think it's merely a "different" combat experience. Combat is just a janky, buggy chore, and the game is too punishing for for punishment's sake, with quickly degrading equipment, inconsistent enemy responses (not unpredictable - inconsistent), immersion-breaking respawning foes and other inconveniences. It's also buggy and glitchy. Hello, eternally spinning beastie right at the beginning who opts to spin around on his feet instead of keeling over after it's dead! Oh, hello, critter treadmilling on the same spot while trying to chase me down a path - and this years after the game's release. Some people describe the visuals as "charming" and the UI as "minimalistic", but to me that sounds like excuse-making for "low-budget and just not that good". They're rough, unpolished and just not nice to look at, and I really didn't feel like exploring what this world had to offer. Not just because of the graphics, but because there's no voices (other than grunts), music (other than stingers) or narration, which bespeaks budget issues rather than the convenient "narrative/aesthetic choice" excuse that gets bandied around. As for the story, I'd like to address it, but there was precious little I could follow after its non-intro, up until I lost patience with the game after a couple of areas, other than some overwrought bits of prose scattered throughout the world. I mean, when you have to read the developers' blog to know the main character's *name*, that should tell you something.
I am aggressively uninterested in the 70s, no matter the country the story takes part in. But the devs have crafted a fairly interesting game that doesn't have the depth and scale of Commandos and is much more lighthearted, but does its job well. It's a visually consistent, but not impressive game, and the OST will depend on how you feel about disco. Character interactions are serviceable or a game of this kind, and the missions never seem to overstay their welcome, and should clock out at about 20 hours of strategizing, depending on how efficient you are. The scenarios are well crafted out and play fluidly, and even those pesky timed missions never feel like an overly stressful challenge. All in all, not an outstanding game, but it gives you a consistent dose of satisfaction when a well coordinated group move comes together. Still, it almost gets a star deducted off its score simply on account of that obnoxious launcher, an annoyance you can only truly get rid of via firewall. Almost. But it would have been too unfair to an otherwise carefully crafted experience.
Sounds weird, I know. But, if you do, you'll probably understand. This game has a mediocre presentation, with graphics that were already dated when it came out, numerous sound glitches, confusing loot due to visual sameness of icons, artificial and game-y "neon signs" pointing at interactive objects, a combat system that makes you think the computer is glitching out on you and a terrible autosave that will make you lose your latest save state if you happen to load an older one. Also, at first the game seems to try way too hard to be Dragon Age and Witcheresque, with lots of edginess, cynicism, blood and mature! topics. At first. Which is why one really must tough out the first chapter. Because what follows is a great story. Seriously, it's fantastic, and one of the best fantasy tales I've played in recent memory. I was already well aware of how rich and multifaceted the Dark Eye world is, but this game really showcases that with a tremendous narrative. So don't miss out on it, because this is definitely one of those books that shouldn't be judged by its cover (and, ok, the first chapter).
Like the title says, this is a somewhat uneven game. The beginning is classic Piranha Bytes, if a little less unforgiving than usual, but by the end you're just coasting. Cities and communities feel less alive than they did in Risen 1 (to say nothing of Gothic), NPCs seem weirdly less aware of your actions, and there's less (or excessively streamlined) stuff you can do to interact with the world. The engine is very poorly optimized, and for all the pretty screenshots it can bring, it makes for a somewhat janky experience. I even had to install a community patch to solve the weird vegetation growth glitch, and the shadows are choppy by design, it seems, due to the abrupt "ticking clock" motion of the sun. The story is classic pirate-y goodness, with average-to-good voice acting that sometimes struggles with delivery in dramatic moments (German version, at least) and a lush Caribbean-like world to explore while it unfolds. Subsequent isles don't hold up to the first three's standard, however, with many reused assets, convenient quests and an all-around somewhat rushed feeling in what passes for the story's third act. Interestingly enough, the much-maligned combat system felt just fine and even fun at times, for all of its admittedly annoying quirks and a limited number of enemy types you'll soon tire of. All that being said, I quite liked it. Almost 40 hours worth of fun, in a setting that isn't really showcased all that much in this genre. Oh, as a rule of thumb, go Inquisition if you want an easier time in combat, or Voodoo if you'd like some more creative solutions for your quests and actually have a use for 70% of your loot.
...but an enjoyable game nonetheless. The lore of Dragon Pass doesn't break any new ground, but it's a well-spun yarn of proto-Celtic, early Germanic, at times almost Finno-Ugric cattle-raiding, outlawing, interclan marriage and serial sacrificing to appease a well-rounded pantheon of gods and curry their favor. Initially, you're swamped with options of people management, resource allocation, shrine building, diplomacy etc., but you soon get the hang of them, as the game does a good job of teaching you the ropes with its tutorial and via trial and error, even if you're not of the manual-reading type. Reading the lore is mandatory, however, unless you want to resort to a walkthrough for the all-important heroquests, without which you won't be able to finish the game. It does need to be said that, towards the end, it gets a bit rote and repetitive, with RNG increasing in weight and becoming ever more slanted, often to a frustrating degree. The sagas you play out are invariably compelling and unpredictable, with highs of triumph borne of sheer luck (and sometimes strategy and calculated risks) and lows that can get you stuck in a rut and destroy your clan. But it always makes for a few entertaining sessions at least, even if you don't play it all the way through, and it's a game you can easily play a couple of rounds throughout the day, or in long sessions, always wondering what it'll throw at you next. The duck people I could have done without, however. They completely took me out of the game whenever they appeared, as the artists actively tried to make them look like Donald Duck. And I just can't take a raid of "armored ducks" seriously.
