Obviousplant
Educated
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2015
- Messages
- 45
Hey yall, I managed to get a review copy of the game, so I had time to make a little video review of it in time for embargo.
Click this link to skip straight to the review
Note that the script is mostly based on a review I wrote for the Finnish version of Game Reactor, so I had a character limit to keep in mind. There are some more minor complaints I couldn't fit in, such as the UI looking unfinished, optimization problems in a few zones (at least if your computer is a toaster) and the lack of variety within your party members (as they're all humans).
So to give a summary of my take on the game
+ The game world is visually stunning and very imaginative
... But some of those ideas feel derivative in how closely they copy Planescape: Torment
+ The new turn based combat system makes trash encounters more fun
... But running away from encounters is a chore when you need to wait the turn of 10+ NPCs to end before you get to act.
...... And some of the boss battles were poorly designed, unfair&poorly balanced (based on my playthrough where I had a MC that wasn't specialized in combat and might've been underleveled)
+ Itemization is interesting. There's even an entire category of trash items, which still have flavor text in them. Some equippable items have negative side effects, which you need to take in consideration (though can be circumvented).
+ Not having to adhere to D&D rules is beneficial for the design, for the most part. The streamlined stat system's implementation is interesting.
... But the game does feel somewhat simplified and "less gamey", more like a visual novel. Infinity Engine features like tactical positioning outside of combat/sending one character to a different location, pickpocketing and killing who ever you want are absent.
- Character customization is streamlined. It was more limited in PS:T as well, but that's not really an excuse when the protagonist of this game is more of a blank slate than the Nameless One
Which leads me to my biggest complaints
- The main character is bland and uninteresting. And to lesser extent your party members are also less interesting and memorable as those of PS:T.
The new protagonist is a blank slate for the most part, so the game lacks that wonderful part of personal discovery that was key to PS:T's appeal, as you'd run into your past and learn more about your identity, quest and what your past incarnations had done.
- The story isn't as interesting.
The story didn't just grip me the way PS:T did. Much of that can be attributed to its premise: you're a conscious vessel of some God and there are others like you in the world. That's a lot more "epic" and preordained in the sense, when you compare it to Torment's story, which was more human. Even though The Nameless One was indeed immortal, you could accept it wiithin the confines of that game world, his quest felt more personal and relatable than other RPG stories. I just didn't get the same feel from Torment: Tides of Numenera on my first playthrough.
Overall, going in to the game blind, I felt that it accomplished its main goals as well as you could realistically hope to, given the quality of many preceeding kickstarter titles. Exploring the first city and its inhabitants for the first time manages to recapture the magic of experiencing Sigil for the first time, and the combat and usability have been improved to some extent. But like said, even though the game has lots of neat ideas in making the game world feel alien and intriguing, the characters, story and philosophical elements feel less potent compared to PS:T, so I don't know if it'll become such a classic over time. It's still recommended playing though, it's not like the market is filled with imaginative, turn based RPGs.
Click this link to skip straight to the review
Note that the script is mostly based on a review I wrote for the Finnish version of Game Reactor, so I had a character limit to keep in mind. There are some more minor complaints I couldn't fit in, such as the UI looking unfinished, optimization problems in a few zones (at least if your computer is a toaster) and the lack of variety within your party members (as they're all humans).
So to give a summary of my take on the game
+ The game world is visually stunning and very imaginative
... But some of those ideas feel derivative in how closely they copy Planescape: Torment
+ The new turn based combat system makes trash encounters more fun
... But running away from encounters is a chore when you need to wait the turn of 10+ NPCs to end before you get to act.
...... And some of the boss battles were poorly designed, unfair&poorly balanced (based on my playthrough where I had a MC that wasn't specialized in combat and might've been underleveled)
+ Itemization is interesting. There's even an entire category of trash items, which still have flavor text in them. Some equippable items have negative side effects, which you need to take in consideration (though can be circumvented).
+ Not having to adhere to D&D rules is beneficial for the design, for the most part. The streamlined stat system's implementation is interesting.
... But the game does feel somewhat simplified and "less gamey", more like a visual novel. Infinity Engine features like tactical positioning outside of combat/sending one character to a different location, pickpocketing and killing who ever you want are absent.
- Character customization is streamlined. It was more limited in PS:T as well, but that's not really an excuse when the protagonist of this game is more of a blank slate than the Nameless One
Which leads me to my biggest complaints
- The main character is bland and uninteresting. And to lesser extent your party members are also less interesting and memorable as those of PS:T.
The new protagonist is a blank slate for the most part, so the game lacks that wonderful part of personal discovery that was key to PS:T's appeal, as you'd run into your past and learn more about your identity, quest and what your past incarnations had done.
- The story isn't as interesting.
The story didn't just grip me the way PS:T did. Much of that can be attributed to its premise: you're a conscious vessel of some God and there are others like you in the world. That's a lot more "epic" and preordained in the sense, when you compare it to Torment's story, which was more human. Even though The Nameless One was indeed immortal, you could accept it wiithin the confines of that game world, his quest felt more personal and relatable than other RPG stories. I just didn't get the same feel from Torment: Tides of Numenera on my first playthrough.
Overall, going in to the game blind, I felt that it accomplished its main goals as well as you could realistically hope to, given the quality of many preceeding kickstarter titles. Exploring the first city and its inhabitants for the first time manages to recapture the magic of experiencing Sigil for the first time, and the combat and usability have been improved to some extent. But like said, even though the game has lots of neat ideas in making the game world feel alien and intriguing, the characters, story and philosophical elements feel less potent compared to PS:T, so I don't know if it'll become such a classic over time. It's still recommended playing though, it's not like the market is filled with imaginative, turn based RPGs.
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