I picked this game up out of the barging bin back when I had a Radeon 9800. Touting "Game of the Year" and other acclaims, for $9.99 I figured I couldn't go wrong. I didn't.
I can't say enough good about this game. The mere act of writing a review is an insult because no review could ever capture this game. Nonetheless, perhaps it will persuade you to experience the game, which is the only real way of understanding.
This is one of the best games ever made period and was way ahead of it's time. The graphics are great, the voice acting and animation are top-notch, the strong is engaging, and the controls are fluid. I usually play alot of FPS, but this game reminded me of the power of Adventure games to immerse in an environment and captivate with story. Since this game, I have continued to search out Adventure games (Sam and Max, Monkey Island), but all pale in comparison to this game.
But before praising this game to much, first a word of defense. A lot of people complain about the controls because they don't use a mouse in the traditional point-and-click adventure sense. I didn't have a problem with them. As a diehard PC gamer, I usually demand my mouse to be taken advantage of, but I didn't even miss the mouse when I played this game. Once you realize the controls are relative to the camera, they feel natural and are intuitive. Furthermore, the games doesn't require precise control. The game is very forgiving in terms of piloting the characters. It will not let you fall off ledges or jump off into abysses. This game is not a platformer. The controls connect you to the character, placing you in their shoes, but they don't punish you for it. The game is not about being agile fingers, or careful keystrokes.
The beauty of the game is story, atmosphere, and characters. All aspects of the game add to one of these. The graphics are extremely well done, especially for the time. As what you might call a graphics afficiando ( I'm screaming for developers do use directx 11), the fact this game not only doesn't bother me, but profoundly pleases me, is saying something. Sure it doesn't have bump mapping or HDR, but somehow the lack of these extreme details adds to the games art style and actually enhances the graphics rather than detracts from them. It takes you back to a time when graphics weren't about being 100% realistic, but rather being beautiful in spite. The characters are beautifully modeled, and the environments are varied and intriguing.
This graphical development of the characters coupled with voice acting translates right into story development. The voice acting and animation are superb and way ahead of their time. They immerse you in the game, and serve as one of the smooth mechanisms with which the game seamlessly delivers it's story.
The story is powerful. It does not feel like a series of puzzles strewn together with excuses. It is purposerful, well-developed, and based on real myths. This gives it an added level of believability further conencting you to the story. Reading the background information in the "Extras" section of the menu further helps connect you to the plot without spoiling it. Though, you might read it after at least getting through the introduction of the game.
Do yourself a favor buy this game. It's 5.99. You could go to Subway and get a five dollar foot long. That will last 30 minutes. Or you get this game that will last days and hours. Come for the graphics. Come for the characters. Come for the story. Come for the heart.
