enough said
Let's be honest about it: Desperados 3 is basically Shadow Tactics in a different setting, but that's not a bad thing! Mimimi did not try to reinvent their real-time tactics formula and rightfully so, because there was nothing wrong with it. If you liked Shadow Tactics you will also like this one. Even though Shadow Tactics has the more "original" setting (i liked the eastern mystical vibe), Desperados shines in terms of presentation, atmosphere and sound. I want to praise the sound level in particular. The music is nothing short of amazing (it reminds me a little of Bastion), the voice acting is superb ("Alright!") and the sound effects are spot on. Make no mistake, this is a mechanics-oriented real-time puzzle game, not an immersive cinematic wild west adventure. You will only enjoy this, If you prefer games with a distinct set of rules and you want to explore all the posibilites that come with these rules. If you want to relive the wild west, you should play Red Dead Redemeption. Not to sound like a fanboy I want to mention two things that I did not like that much. The default controls are a little hard to get used to. I would love to move the map with the WASD keys, but that means you have to re-arrage most of the controls, so I dismissed the idea. And sometimes the terrain is hard to read. Since the game is very much focused on mechanics (instead of realism), I would not mind more outlines in the visual presentation of the landscape. Sometimes it's hard to make out if there is a cover somewhere, so you need to make a habit of rotating the camera. Still, an excellent piece of work from Mimimi. "Alright!"
I've read in a lot of reviews that this game is inspired by "1984" (concerning the setting) and from "Papers, please" (concerning mechanics and gameplay). I find both of these comparisons inaccurate. The general premise of the game is more likley inspired by Terry Gilliam's Movie "Brazil" from 1984 (ironically). The game tells the story of a government employee working in some nameless but powerfull "Ministry" that tortures the citizens of state by forcing them to endure endless bureaucratic marathons even for simple requests. The comparison to "Papers, please" is more misleading. Even though there is a part in the game where you complete repetitive tasks by managing citizens in a booth, this is not the core mechanic. This game is story-driven and combines elements of RPGs and adventure games with basic ressource management. It's very well written! I like the dialogs for they fit the personality of the characters very well. The script is mature and funny. The deciscions you have to make in this game are painful. The game is ethically challenging, but not hopelessly dark. There is often an element of comic relief and more then once I chuckled about a funny idea the developers put into the game even though it might break the immersion a little. The only compaint I would have is the fact that moving around a lot and some painfully slow animations you have to trigger all the time slow down the game needlessly. You need to pass through areas of the Ministry because there might be something going on there, but most of the time there isn't. But from my point of view that's only a minor flaw. You can feel the love that's been put into this game from the first minute you start playing. The graphics and sound design is spot on, even though the art just emphazising what everybody expects of a dystopian presentation (black/white, puppet-like people). This is my first review after I already bought more then 200 Games on GOG, that could mean something as well. Enjoy!
