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Vapourware RPG Codex's Best RPGs - 2019 - REVIEW THREAD!

Joined
Jan 14, 2018
Messages
50,754
Codex Year of the Donut
I'm surprised it's on that list,

I'm not. It's not a complete writeoff and was pretty enjoyable tbh

PoE succeeded at a few things(largely out of virtue of making their own ruleset) that PnP adaptations simply can't do without fundamentally changing their ruleset.
It's hard to deny that the magic system at higher levels in DnD(and, by extension, Pathfinder) becomes increasingly confusing with so many spells that either do the same thing or are worthless. In BG2, a mage can learn 12 different types of dispels for example. Additionally, the more powerful spells become the more they're intended to be RAF than RAW, with prominent examples being spells like Wish. Such things range from increasingly difficult to near impossible to fully implement in a video game adaptation. I never felt like this was an issue in either of the PoE games.
Another area it succeeded at(moreso with PoE2) is difficult optional bosses('mega-bosses'.) Again, another thing that would be difficult if directly adapting PnP ruleset as it required a lot of tweaking to get them right/make sure you can't just easily cheese them.
 
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Thalion

Novice
Joined
Aug 2, 2017
Messages
16
ELEX is a very flawed game, with some overpowered weapons and useless stats, but the one thing that makes up for those flaws is the exploration. You can get lost in its hand-crafted world for hours, searching for its valuable eponymous resource, taking in the sights, flying around with your jetpack, and fighting the huge variety of enemies with the huge variety of weapons. So if you're looking for an addicting open world RPG that doesn't hold your hand, you know where to find it.[/spoiler]

ELEX could have been a great RPG with only a little more work, it really is a shame it never got an enhanced edition. The stats being useless is also very strange, it was obviously changed very late in development because the description of certain stats and skills makes it seem like they should affect combat.
 

Daidre

Arcane
Joined
Jan 30, 2019
Messages
1,975
Location
Samara
Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture
Tried to do review for Nier: Automata.

Nier: Automata is rare example of game that ended up quite more popular than it was made to be.

But beside a widely-known fanservice you'd find there a surprisingly good plot full of twists, revelations and with writing subtle enough not to shove morale into your face. In short, it is a story about robots in post-apocalyptic world. And some of this robots show character growth well beyond their flesh and blood counterparts in endless JRPG.

And not all of them grow to be better.

From gameplay perspective it is not much of an RPG, but combat is fun and fluid, locations are interesting to explore, art design is top notch and music is a just godly.

All in all Nier: Automata is unique enough to play it and look past its usual for console-port technical issues with blatant trolling in some quests and mini-games that could turn even most reserved android into raging berserker.
 
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Darth Canoli

Arcane
Joined
Jun 8, 2018
Messages
5,687
Location
Perched on a tree
Divinity Original Sin 2

There's a lot of good and bad in this game, the worst mistake was to think their first opus was so good they had to keep the same formula, worse, they introduced the feature everyone hates from The Banner Sage, doubling it, armor with HP blocking damage ...
Itemization inherited from MMO and nice graphics, DOS2 was clearly aiming the ignorant masses.
But that's not all, the element surfaces is back, cascades of poison + fire damage is what battles look like.

On the bright side, new characters are quite unusual, specially the undead and the red dragon but to balance that, they had to add an elf, a dwarf and a lesbian with colored hair (diversity and mass market).
The maps are well designed, until you have to fight on them, that's where the nightmare begins.

I'm painting a dark pitch, the game isn't that bad, despite all this, i think it's average/good, depending to your tolerance to these features.
DOS 2 lacks inspiration, that's for sure, will we ever see a cRPG with an introduction like in Dark Sun : Shattered Lands ?
 
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HarveyBirdman

Arbiter
Joined
Jan 5, 2019
Messages
1,044
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
If you want to read about why Oblivion is the Codex's favorite punching bag, then use the search function.
If you want to consider Oblivion's merits, then here's the elevator pitch: Oblivion is an expansive sandbox RPG that superficially evokes feelings of vague fantastical wonder, and can yield a more introspective experience to those who drink deeply of its cup.

Oblivion's greatest asset is its atmosphere.

Jeremy Soule's soundtrack is a masterwork. Harp and flute gracefully meander as you peruse quaint shops for arcane merchandise to buy (or steal); string ensemble somberly washes over you as you trudge through the swamp towards a sunken ruin; soaring brass quickens your blade as you clash with the ghost of a butchered pirate captain. All the while, vibrant watercolor-esque visuals pleasantly greet your eyes. The art direction is generic, but charming; familiar, but so devoid of cheeseball convention that it feels genuine.

Quests vary drastically in quality. Despite abysmal pacing and an utter lack of C&C, the main quest is interesting in premise, unique in its ending, and boasts a legitimately fascinating villain.
Side and faction quests are the true stars of the show. Again, C&C is incredibly sparse, but the twists and turns are deftly handled, and certain quest lines are truly thrilling. The Dark Brotherhood in particular offers significant freedom in how to approach your objectives, and spins a deliciously macabre tale. In terms of repeating what the main game does best, the DLC is fantastic from head to toe.

Hundreds of moderately non-linear dungeons make for a fun romp. The combat is standard Bethesda fare, so expect straightforward encounters. The stealth system is functional and rather enjoyable. Devising your own spells, enchanting items, and brewing potions allow you to further customize your approach to combat.
Bethesda trimmed far too much fat from the dialogue options. What remains is tightly written dialogue that feels very much like a real conversation between intelligent people, despite the relative lack of choice.
The skills and attributes system is pretty much just like Morrowind's, though with fewer skills to choose from.

Underlying the whole game is the robust Elder Scrolls franchise lore, which is simply the most sophisticated lore in any video game ever. Oblivion does not add to the lore nearly as significantly or efficiently as Morrowind, but its presence is clearly pervasive to those interested in pulling back the veil. Mankar Camoran and the Knights of the Nine DLC -- both written by Michael Kirkbride, the architect of Morrowind's main quest and tangential bizarre pieces Elder Scrolls apocrypha -- are especially fun to consider from a lore perspective.

And if you find something in Oblivion you don't like, then as the old Bethesda adage goes: mods will fix it.

Oblivion is far from best RPG you'll ever play, but it's also far from the worst. The Codex found its wimpy kid in Oblivion, and bullied it into... well... oblivion. I love this game, numerous unsightly warts and all. If you can't walk through the Imperial City listening to harps during a rainstorm and think, "Hey, you know, this is kinda nice," then you ought to see a doctor, because I doubt your heart is beating.
 

HarveyBirdman

Arbiter
Joined
Jan 5, 2019
Messages
1,044
What are you, the Characters Nazi? I see your Literally Hitler tag is well-deserved. Leaving it up, but here's an edited one:

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Oblivion's greatest asset is its atmosphere.

Jeremy Soule's soundtrack is a masterwork. Harp and flute gracefully meander as you peruse quaint shops for arcane merchandise to buy (or steal); string ensemble somberly washes over you as you trudge through the swamp towards a sunken ruin; soaring brass quickens your blade as you clash with the ghost of a butchered pirate captain. All the while, vibrant watercolor-esque visuals pleasantly greet your eyes. The art direction is familiar, but so devoid of cheeseball convention that it feels genuine.

Quests vary drastically in quality. Despite obvious flaws, the main quest is interesting in premise, unique in its ending, and boasts a legitimately fascinating villain. However, side quests, faction quests, and hundreds of moderately non-linear dungeons are the true stars of the show. And underlying the whole game is the robust Elder Scrolls lore, which is pervasive and worth investigating.

The skills and attributes system is pretty much just like Morrowind's, though with fewer skills to choose from.

Oblivion is far from best RPG you'll ever play, but it's also far from the worst. I love this game, warts and all. If you can't walk through the Imperial City listening to harps during a rainstorm and think, "Hey, this is kinda nice," then you ought to see a doctor, because I doubt your heart is beating.
 

Lady_Error

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Messages
1,879,250
It's a nice review, but we already have two reviews for Oblivion. These are the ones we're still missing:

This thread needs bumped because we're almost done. Just checked.

We only need 1 review for each of the following games:

- Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
- Divinity: Original Sin 2
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance
- ELEX
- ATOM RPG: Post-apocalyptic indie game
- Pillars of Eternity
- NieR: Automata
- Kenshi
- Space Rangers: HD
- Tales of Maj'Eyal (ToME)
- Undertale
- Ultima VI: The False Prophet
I'll do TOME, Dragon's Dogma and Undertale. I just need more time, this is one of the busiest times of the year for me at work...

I count on Felipepe to follow through on his three reviews, so we only need 1 review for each of these:

- Kingdom Come: Deliverance
- ELEX
- ATOM RPG: Post-apocalyptic indie game
- Kenshi
- Space Rangers: HD
- Ultima VI: The False Prophet


I'd suggest going to the respective threads and dropping a link to here with a short review request - otherwise we will never get this done.
 

Martyr

Arcane
Joined
Jan 28, 2018
Messages
1,098
Location
Bavaria
Kingdom Come: Deliverance

my initial reaction when playing KC was disappointment, because the developers had chosen to follow in Witcher 3s footsteps of cinematic story presentation, the story itself is a boredom simulator apart from one or two scenes, the characters don't talk and act in an appropriate way and the tone/ atmosphere were too light hearted and cheerful for my taste.

nonetheless I've spent massive amounts of time on this game, which mostly had to do with exploring the gorgeous landscape and killing every bandit, Cuman and traveller on sight and searching for hidden treasure chests. the simple card playing game at the taverns was also more fun than it had any right to be.
combat is a mixture of Dark Souls' typical stamina managment, blocking and evading attacks and Mount & Blade's directional attacks; fighting is generally fun, if you're not overwhelmed by big amounts of robbers at once.
the implemented survival system comes down to having to eat and sleep, which is unintrusive enough not to annoy you.

all in all Kingdom Come is a flawed but still immensely enjoyable open world RPG, which should have taken more inspiration from Daggerfall than Witcher 3. and as of now it is one of only a handful of purely non fantasy RPGs, which I am always going to prefer to the x-th standard fantasy game.
 
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felipepepe

Codex's Heretic
Patron
Joined
Feb 2, 2007
Messages
17,274
Location
Terra da Garoa
Tales of Maj'Eyal

ToME is my most-played game ever. It is the game that got me into roguelikes, not only because it's more friendly and accessible than most of its peers, with decent graphics, a great UI and full mouse controls, but also because it feels as a "normal" RPG, with a fixed world map and main quest, including different factions and side-quests with multiple outcomes. You can even turn off permadeath if you wish.

However, my favorite part of the game is how it handles power. ToME's combat is not about DPS or min-maxing stats, is about carefully managing your resources, position and utility spells. It's a challenging and extremely tactical system, fueled by all sorts of interesting abilities. A Chronomancer can split time, test multiple tactics for a few turns and then choose the timeline that worked better; a Doombringer can take an enemy with him into a demonic plane to duel; a Necromancer can perform a dark ritual to turn into a Lich and avoid (perma)death once, and so on. Every class is unique, and there's a lot of room for experimentation.

Finally, it has a crazy amount of secrets, unlockables and achievements to pursue, with the developer constantly adding new content and expansions, meaning I still plan to play this for years and years to come.

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

Dragon's Dogma is a kind of game that should be common, but it's actually extremely rare: an open-world RPG with good combat.

Created by Hideaki Itsunom, director of Devil May Cry, the combat here is not only fast and satisfying, but also has a unique a sense of weight and interactivity, as you can grapple enemies and climb on top of large monsters. It's a a whole new experience to be climbing on a hippogryph's back to attack its head when the beast flies into the air, taking you away from your party and making you desperately cling to the beast, lest you fall into your death. Monsters can also get injured and even lose body parts as combat progresses, similarly to Monster Hunter. Add in tons of equipment and consumables, many status effects and a class system similar to Final Fantasy Tactic's Job System and you have a damn good combat.

Sadly, Dragon's Dogma often fails to play to its strengths. Battles against unique large beasts are sparse in the main game, with many monsters only being available in the post-game content or in the excellent Dark Arisen expansion (bundled with the PC release). Similarly, the game has other amazing ideas that it fails to fully employ: the game tracks your relationship with every NPC in the game, and many quests have multiple outcomes based on your actions, but all that reactivity is so hidden under the hood that you might think the game is entirely linear until you replay it or read a wiki. The party system is also a bit gimmicky, with you creating a companion and going online to hire other player's companions to your party, meaning I really recommend you to play this while you can - who knows when Capcom will shut those serves down?

Undertale

I get that not everyone likes Undertale's characters and story. They are cutesy, humorous, sentimental and talk about subjects such as sexuality in a way that will make some shout "SJW CRAP!!!1" and never give it a chance. However, interwoven with that lies a game that fully explores the meta aspects of video games. Created by a single person, everything in Undertale, from the music to the UI to the characters, the combat and even the files on the installation folder are used to build and tell a story. This can be something cosmetic, such as each character having a unique dialog font and theme song, to using the combat system to interact with characters. It's a game that plays on your expectations by shattering the unspoken rules we learned after playing video games for decades.

Undertale is a short and sweet experience that any video game fan should give a try, even if only to realize how 'inside the box" most video games are.
 

Covenant

Savant
Joined
Aug 3, 2017
Messages
343
Ultima VI: The False Prophet

Though not the most widely-acclaimed game in the Ultima series, The False Prophet is a worthy follow-up to its predecessors. It continues the interesting tradition of placing the complicated ideal of virtue above more typical concerns such as slaying a demon or retrieving a forgotten treasure. Just as Warriors of Destiny showed how a strong system of virtues can be warped and misused when pushed to excess by corrupt leaders, Prophet continues to challenge the player's preconceptions about right and wrong.

As to be expected with an Ultima game, the world is vast, and populated with scores of NPCs with their own histories, concerns, and schedules. The keyword system works well in interactions, rewarding players who pay attention and make intuitive leaps of logic with vital clues. Each town has its own sense of character, with humour being used sparingly but to good effect, and the world as a whole feels like it exists independently of the player.

Unfortunately, the world is a little bland compared to Warriors; the sense of dread that abounded there is not to be found here, replaced instead with a feeling of malaise. The first half of the game quickly becomes an aimless scouring of the world for map pieces, and lacks any urgency. The second half is more interesting as the player begins to investigate the Gargoyles' world, but by this point they are likely experienced and have enough magic that most sense of danger and challenge is lacking - indeed, combat is rather mediocre throughout.

Still, it is a joy to walk through the world of Britannia, particularly with the rousing soundtrack. Many hours of fun could be had simply wandering and eschewing the main quest entirely. Hidden valleys and caves are filled with little touches that show the care with which the developers filled the world, and the sense of exploration that springs from this is truly fantastic.
 
Self-Ejected

unfairlight

Self-Ejected
Joined
Aug 20, 2017
Messages
4,092
Elex

One of the most welcome surprises of 2017.
For background, Piranha Bytes didn't have the best reputation after they wrapped up the Risen series. The Risen games were widely considered to lose out the best qualities of the first two Gothic games and they didn't excel in much else, so they ended up as average-at-bests which the world has seen too many of already. Alas, they managed to reclaim their name once more with this strange yet oddly satisfying stew of ideas.

The best thing about Elex is by and large the world, they somehow made a Gothic 3 sized world that's almost as well detailed as the world of the first two Gothic games, and it's a joy to explore all the way. It's difficult to put to words, but while it may look disjointed at first glance due to the three different biomes for the three distinct factions, it ends up feeling a lot more natural and better flowing than expected.

You have to play it for yourself to really see how it's unique, even compared to other PB games. You can expect all the Piranha Bytes trademarks in Elex, -- great quests, fun exploration, buggy animations, 3 factions to join, third-person attack-parry-dodge action RPG combat and a pinch of 'lost in translation'.
Yet despite all its quirks, it ended up more fun and notable than a lot of other RPGs past few years.

Good job, Germany. I hope you can keep this performance up in the next one. *Injects Elex into eyeball*
 
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Lady_Error

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Zanzoken

Arcane
Joined
Dec 16, 2014
Messages
3,559
Kenshi

You finally make it to a hole-in-the-wall town, wounded and half-starved after a four-day journey across the desert. Those bandits may have broken your arm and stolen the last of your food, but you’re just happy they weren’t slavers or, even worse, cannibals.

The little bit of money you have left goes to the bartender in exchange for a loaf of bread. It’s dry as dust but tastes like heaven to you. You’ve just started chowing down when you hear a commotion in the back. A drifter shot his mouth off at a gang of mercs and they’re about to beat the fuck out of him. The fight is completely predictable and ends with the drifter bleeding out on the floor.

A town guard shows up and resolves the situation by throwing the drifter’s unconscious body into the street. Everyone else returns to their drinks. You put the rest of the bread in your pocket and step outside to check on the drifter. The guy will be dead in a few minutes, which means he won’t mind you taking possession of his medkit and the rusty katana he was so feebly trying to defend himself with a moment before.

This is the world of Kenshi. There are no prophecies to fulfill, no calamities to prevent, and no rats in the basement that must be killed. You will begin as a nobody just struggling to survive, but with enough strength, ingenuity, and perseverance you can uncover the mysteries of the past and change the course of the future.
 
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SniperHF

Arcane
Joined
Aug 22, 2014
Messages
1,110


ATOM RPG: Post-apocalyptic indie game

Think Fallout. Now add up a Yakov Smirnoff "In Soviet Russia" joke, 30 extra helpings of Russian literary references, a dank mystery, and you've got ATOM RPG. The quick explanation certainly sells it short at a glance; ATOM is a turn based RPG that has the same soul poured into it as the Fallout games it emulates and it sticks to that formula closer than its contemporaries. Every line of dialog reads as a lovingly drafted story with personality that jumps off the screen. I don't think the developers got the gameplay quite right. It's a little uneven in combat, pacing, and the quest content can be sparse at times but ATOM is never anything but a joy to play through due to that strong world building and dialog. The highs aren't as high as the classics but I wouldn't hold that against it, you'll not find a game with clearer vision and stronger world-building since the classics themselves.
 

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