Review Knights of the Nine hands on at Gameplay Monthly

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Tags: Bethesda Softworks; Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

<a href=http://www.gameplaymonthly.com/>Gameplay Montly</a> has spent some time with <a href=http://www.elderscrolls.com/games/oblivion_overview.htm>Oblivion</a>'s add-on, <a href=http://www.elderscrolls.com/news/press_101706.htm>Knights of the Nine</a>. The reviewer touches on some aspects of the add-on but doesn't explain them too well:
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Don't worry though, the rest of the quests in Knights of the Nine are not tedious at all. The rest of the quest-line includes item gathering which may not seem so exciting at first glance, but upon doing these quests, this is not the case. These quests are by far the best in the game, for they are not the linear dungeon crawlers you have done over a hundred times now, they are truly complex and require some thought put into them. For example, one quest tests your patience in combat; another is a series of riddles that open new path. These are nothing like those boring Fighter's Guild quests.
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Answering riddles isn't exactly pushing the envelope either. You'd be surprised how many of them we've answered across different CRPGs.
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If this "expansion" had one major flaw, it is just that it doesn't feel like an expansion. Unlike previous Elder Scrolls expansions, you aren't able to venture outside of the main province, in this game, Cyrodiil. We'll just have to wait for another expansion before we have any chance of shattering Cyrodiil's imaginary border. However, the real shame is that Knights of the Nine is a pretty short quest-line, spanning about eleven quests and seven hours of total gameplay, not at all close to the promised ten to twenty.
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Well <b>Alex</b>, the other ten to twelve hours are spent drooling at the graphics and posting about hot Khajiit romances on Bethesda's forums. That's part of what came to define Elder Scrolls gameplay, so get with the program!
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgwatch.com/">RPG Watch</A>

 

[Chinese Jetpilot]

Don't worry though, the rest of the quests in Knights of the Nine are not tedious at all. The rest of the quest-line includes item gathering which may not seem so exciting at first glance, but upon doing these quests, this is not the case. These quests are by far the best in the game, for they are not the linear dungeon crawlers you have done over a hundred times now, they are truly complex and require some thought put into them...These are nothing like those boring Fighter's Guild quests.

Funny how that criticism doesn't appear in their original Oblivion review. As for the riddles, I'm willing to bet that there are pop-up messages and/or a "note" found conveniently nearby that's basically an answer sheet to the riddle.

From Oblivion Wiki:

As you progress through the quests, your rank in the Knights of the Nine faction changes. The possible ranks are "Knight Errant", "Knight Commander" and "Divine Crusader"

A great deal of thought went into coming up with those titles.

 

[The Vanished One]

However, the real shame is that Knights of the Nine is a pretty short quest-line, spanning about eleven quests and seven hours of total gameplay, not at all close to the promised ten to twenty.

From Oblivion Wiki:

As you progress through the quests, your rank in the Knights of the Nine faction changes. The possible ranks are "Knight Errant", "Knight Commander" and "Divine Crusader"

A great deal of thought went into coming up with those titles.

7 hours + 3 titles = $ 9.99. Wonderful.

 

[Micmu]

A great deal of thought went into coming up with those titles.

Approximately as much as into Yellow Road, Red Road, Blue Road, Black Forest, Blue Cave, White Cove, etc...
I was laughing my ass off when seeing that more than 1/2 of the names have some color in it.
0 creativity even in doing as simple tasks as picking names for things and places.
TruePaint? LoL

 

[aries202]

I don't think that Betsoft themselves view Knights of the Nine as an expansion, it is just an extra quest allowing you to add 10-15 hours of gameplay to the original game.

 

[cutterjohn]

There's a post of a.g.e that someone finished it in about 2h. Adds some new voice acting(of course), a couple of monsters, and some ph4t 1007

 

[Vault Dweller]

I don't think that Betsoft themselves view Knights of the Nine as an expansion, it is just an extra quest allowing Bethsoft to charge $9.99.

Fixed.

 

[Excrément]

we attended two different phases in the game inndustry nowadays :
- one is finished : the progressive rising prices of video game from 30$ 7 years gagos, it's now between 50$ and 60 $, either a 12% / year inflation
- the second one is starting with the MMOG and the add-ons game, charge 55$ once and then custom your game or pay each month.
that's smart, but wih all this money spend, the turnover of the whole video game industry should improve a lot, is this industry becoming eventually profitable?
(you have to remind that the bankruptcy rate (number of crashed venture / number of companies in the sector) was one of the biggest of every industry sectors (just behind airlines industry)

 

[Rat Keeng]

I'm assuming $9.99 is the online price for Knights of the Asinine? Stores around here are charging the equivalent of $44, the same price I just payed for FM 2007.

Then again, prices are fucked up over here, Oblivion still rings in at just over $60.

 

[Chinese Jetpilot]

I'm assuming $9.99 is the online price for Knights of the Asinine? Stores around here are charging the equivalent of $44, the same price I just payed for FM 2007.

Then again, prices are fucked up over here, Oblivion still rings in at just over $60.

Yeah. What you saw is the boxed retail version, which goes for (I think) $19.99; it includes all the previous AWESOM3 plugins released by Bethesda, such as the spectacular Horse Armor, the magnifacent Orrery, the MYSTARIOUS Spell Tomes, TEH VILE LAIR OOH SKAREY, Mehrunes $2.99 Razor, Enron's Base of Operations, and the Klan Wizard's Tower. Saving YOUS a grand total of $3.52.

 

[Elwro]

Stores around here are charging the equivalent of $44, the same price I just paid for FM 2007.

ROTFL. Although it'll be scary when it tops the best-selling lists.

BTW, I can buy FM 2005 dirt-cheap. Are changes in FM 2007 (apart, of course, from the uptodatedness) and FM 2006 really substantial?

 

[OccupatedVoid]

As for the riddles, I'm willing to bet that there are pop-up messages and/or a "note" found conveniently nearby that's basically an answer sheet to the riddle.

That sounds like KotOR!

 

[Rat Keeng]

Are changes in FM 2007 (apart, of course, from the uptodatedness) and FM 2006 really substantial?

It' still the same basic engine, but with most of the game's aspects recieving some form of improvement. One of the biggest is scouting, which has gotten completely hauled over, and for the better, more interesting than... well, ever. Player interaction is expanded as well, like being able to encourage retiring stars to take up coaching or scouting jobs, or asking players for transfer recommendations. And of course the shortcut system, which lets you assign hotkeys to various areas of the game.

I figure it'll be weeks before I've been through all the new and/or improved features, like setting up affiliated and feeder teams, which looks quite intriguing. Barring any technical problems, it's worth it's cost and then some, and it utterly shames the changes in FM2006.