Windows 8 is NOT listed in the system requirements. Therefore whining and giving the game a zero rating because you have W8 is low and mean.
Pay no attention to the griping about the voice acting…it’s not that bad at all…you get used to the ye oldie medievalisms soon enough. The voice acting is infinitely better than Oblivion’s, where the budget was blown on paying for a couple of stars (I thought Bean was unimpressive) and the rest of the NPCs were voiced by half a dozen mediocre voice actors. This game has a very large open world, and it does not scale to the PC so be careful where you wander. Combat is very tactical; I find it excellent. Learn to jump back before an enemy strikes; and use traps to reduce the number of opponents attacking you at one time. I dont use offensive magic much, just the defensive sort, healing and buffs etc, but the game has a very interesting magic system. I mainly use 2-handed swords and bows. Bows to draw enemies into my traps; and swords to fight. There is a large selection of weapons and equipment and interesting mechanics that allow you combine equipment of the same kind to boost stats. In fact the martial equipment and magic and alchemy systems are all enjoyable mini-games of collection and combination in themselves…oh, and shopping…I hope you like shopping. I havent finished the game yet so I can only say that the story and the side quests thus far are fine. In one sense they are standard RPG fare; but as the game unfolds the quest lines reveal the innards of the world to you; and in a way that I prefer…ie show don’t say. And your actions do affect the world. The game runs flawlessly for me; never had a crash or a freeze. There are some oddities here and there. For instance the world is often hilly and as you cross certain altitudes going up or down the sound ambience can suddenly shift in a most awkward and unnatural way. But that’s a very minor quibble in the light of the enthralling and beautifull world created by the designers. I have no hesitation in recommending Two Worlds to all gamers who enjoy being thrown into a wide open sandbox world with lots to do and see; and in which it’s up to you to fight and quest your way into an unfolding world of adventure and intrigue….and shopping.
I really liked and enjoyed the first Deus Ex. I will buy it here one of these days and play it again. It really is a classic GOG. But this game is not at all the same quality...as a game. In fact I disliked this game. Try as I might I could not connect with its claustrophobic world; could not like the characters I encountered; didnt enjoy or get into it at all;...so although I tried three times since it was released, I have never been able to stick it to the end.
I used to play table-top Napoleonic wargames with miniatures; so when Cossacks first came out years ago I bought it and had a lot of fun with it. Basically it is table-top wargaming brought to the PC with decent animations and sounds etc. The AI is pretty basic but relentless. You will have to learn how to properly organise and field your forces if you want to win. Overall a decent RTS; and if you like the historical period this game is definitely worth getting.
