I'm a big fan of 4x games and science fiction themes, but unfortunately can't recommend this game. While it does have a lot going for it in terms of writing, exploration, story events, and more- it also has a fatal flaw in being opaque and sometimes overly complicated. The possible worst offender here is combat, where the power ranking of a fleet or starbase seemingly has no impact on the outcome of a battle. Yes, I've read the forums that describe how different ship configurations are supposed to "counter" superior fleet power, but honestly who can be bothered with the espionage mechanic (another weak point in my opinion) or changing their ship configurations with every battle? It's all very micro-managing intensive and ultimately not fun, which is a shame because it's an impediment to enjoying the many other positive qualities that the game has to offer. Too bad
If you enjoy DnD and/or cRPGs, do yourself a favor and buy this game. If you're new to the genre, this might be the best game to try it out.
Thank you, inXile, for rebooting this classic! The characters, voice acting, music, graphics, puzzles, level design, and combat system were a joy to play. Here's hoping to a Bard's Tale V in the not too distant future.
I'd like to thank CDPR for creating such a fascinating, engaging, and fun game to play. The story they have to tell is on par with the excellent narratives they delivered with the Witcher trilogy, with interesting and well developed characters. The aesthetic work done on atmosphere, fashion, and color schemes really places you in another world. My rating of 5/5 doesn't mean I think it's a perfect game, but rather one that has exceeded my expectations (which were quite high). I did encounter a few bugs along the way and there are aspects of the game which could use refinement, but just because there is room for improvement doesn't mean that it isn't already an immensely enjoyable endeavor to begin with. You can really tell the care and craft the developers put into their work. I just finished my first playthrough of about 60 hours and can't wait to start another game to get another take.
Unfortunately, the game's mechanics are poorly implemented and do not make sense at times. Gameplay occassionally contradicts the descriptions provided in the cards, or is inconsistent. The artwork on the cards is quite good and the music is well done.
