Review Loki demo and reviews

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Loki

I don't think we ever covered Loki due to the complete lack of interest, but since <a href=http://www.gamershell.com/news/41605.html>the second demo</a>, allowing you to play as an Egyptian mage, is available, we might as well let you know about it:
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<blockquote>A new English playable demo of Loki is now available for download, allowing you to try out this hack 'n' slash (action/RPG) that puts the player in key epochs of history surrounded by legendary heroes, powerful divinities and mythical creatures such as hydrae, dragons and minotaurs. Developed by Cyanide Studios, the game allows the player to take-on the role of one of four heroes - a mighty Norse warrior, a fierce Greek fighter, a powerful Egyptian sorcerer or a skilled Aztec shaman.</blockquote>So, give it a try and keep us posted.
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Also, here are some opinions of this design marvel:
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<blockquote><a href=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=81473>Eurogamer - 5/10</a>
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The problem, as you may have gathered, is that there's not a lot to actually like about Loki. Our primary fear, when we previewed the game, was that its shameless aping of previous games in the genre would overpower the general competence of its execution. This is indeed the case; and the results are deeply, deeply, almost crushingly average.
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There's much to be said for games which simply polish an existing formula to a shine - but Loki, sadly, doesn't even quite accomplish that. It's solid, and it's competent, but unless you're absolutely crazy for point and click action RPGs, we find it hard to recommend a game on the basis of competence alone.</blockquote>Ouch.
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<blockquote><a href=http://nzgamer.com/hub-pc-reviews-530>NZ Gamer - 5/10</a>. The tagline: "Less entertaining than watching someone else watch TV."
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The gameplay itself is, in a word, dull dull dull. I know that’s technically three words but they’re all the same so I figure that’s close enough. There’s nothing interesting happening, you don’t care about the robotic, jerking townsfolk that the monsters are threatening and the super boring, no-AI-whatsoever enemies are quite possibly the single most boring (they’re all the same, they just look different) enemies ever imagined. Ever. EVER. They don’t even look very good – from the default camera view, you often have no idea what it is you’re fighting. Indistinct, boring, no-AI, bland enemies do not a compelling experience make.
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So, should you buy it? Absolutely not. Sure, it’s only a $60 game but that doesn’t actually make any difference. Should you rent it? Only if you like watching slow installation programs that install archaic copy protection systems and visual studio libraries (that’s seriously amateur stuff, for the record) as that’s probably the most compelling thing this title has going for it. If someone offers you this game for free, I suggest you refuse.</blockquote>That's gotta hurt.
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<blockquote><a href=http://www.gamerseurope.com/articles/892>Gamers Europe - 2/10</a>
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My main problem with Loki is that it's absolutely no fun to play after the first level. </blockquote>Hmm... I can see how that could be a problem.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgwatch.com">RPG Watch</A>

 

[Sir_Brennus]

This is simply unbelievable.

How on earth do these fucktards come to those conclusions, after giving good ol' TITAN QUEST head with shitload of high ratings (81% GameRankings)?

LOKI may be little rough around the edges, but is so much more interesting in terms of setting and characters. It has so many more influences from general fantasy and mythology than the more "realistic" Ancient scenario of Titan Quest.

Loki has something that TQ sorely misses: Heart and soul. Feeling and atmosphere.

It may have a lot of ACPRG typical moments of tedium, but Titan Quest has those also, but lacks even more in aspects of story. A good story (even if VD disagrees ) is necessary for an ACRPG to give people a reason to run around in circles killing monsters - it just has to make SENSE.

The fact that TQ is from the remnants of Blizzard North and Loki from an obscure french company doesn't have anything to do with the ratings, does it? I bought both TQ and Loki and I find the latter ultimately more pleasing.

 

[aries202]

I have played the fiirst demo (the one with the Norse character) and I have to say that most of the reviews are spot on. This game is a mediocre game and deserves at best a 6.0 or maybe a 6.5, but a 5.0 or 5.5 score is pretty much correct.

The thing is this. The game is fun, the quests are fun, but the gameplay is annoying, as you just plow the enemies down...

 

[Hazelnut]

Can I safely assume that the graphics aren't as draw-dropping as Titan Quest then? Surely only that, or bribes, can explain such a massive difference in reception?

 

[Texas Red]

The thing is this. The game is fun, the quests are fun, but the gameplay is annoying, as you just plow the enemies down...

I concur with the first poster and ask how is this different from TQ? I also find it strange that an expansion pack to TQ got higher scores than the original game because of some stupid little new features that make the game less annoying.

 

[bozia2012]

Played the Norse demo - nearly killed the mouse. The game seems to be Diablo 2 deluxe - same character system, same item crafting, same combat, same amount of gore and titties. The locations are small and you'll often have a chance to closely examine every detail of the loading screen...

I checked the forums if I should even bother torr.. err... getting the game - it seems the initial release is extremely bugged and lots of skills doesn't even work...

Oh, and it doesn't have ragdoll

 

[thesheeep]

I played it and have to say, that those guys are quite right.

1.) It's like playing a beta.

2.) Maps that are not even half as big as NWN2 maps. This with an hack & slay game. WTF?!

3.) Totally unintuitive skills, etc.

4.) It simply feels like there were 10 3D-Programmer, 10 Artists and 10 Sound specialists involved, but not one Designer.

5.) Story and Storytelling? Not even close to Diablo, not at all... far, far away.

6.) You don't care about anything that happens in this game... NZ Gamer put it quite right.

7.) Camera sucks, sux, suxxs....

Well, I could go on with this forever. Read the reviews, they are right in many cases... I don't understand the 2/10, though. It's not THAT bad...

Also, I think that the graphics are quite good. o.O

 

[Durwyn]

Loki sucks bad... Uninspiring and bland, with omfg boring skills, without phat lewtz, with bad interface and extremely boring gameplay and boring random maps... It sucks in every h&s department...

 

[Texas Red]

without phat lewt

Good sir, is this not a plus?

 

[Vault Dweller]

In an action RPG? What else is there to play with?

 

[thesheeep]

A story.


Err....

 

[Durwyn]

Good sir, is this not a plus?

I always thought that one of the main fun features in h&s is the character development: leveling up, obtaining new skills and new equipment. Without nice loots, with only one weapon/armor type to wear per 5 xp levels (level restriction on items) it's so fucking bland...
There may be different materials but they're nothing more than just - add 3 damage or add 5 armor pts.

 

[aries202]

Yes, I agree that it is an action rpg, but there are good action rpgs and bad action rpgs. My comment on plowing down enemies was meant as a comment on the way this game is balanced. Having a level 10 Egyptian character, I had to mow down many many many enemies, imcluding some monsters.

The mouse is used for telling your guy where to go in this game. That would be fine if he actually went there, but no, he has to make a detour around some of the monsters - argh - and thus get killed way too much, even in an action rpg.

Diablo (to compare) at least had something of a story to tell, even if it was thinly disguised and Titan Quest also told a decent story, did it not?

 

[Sir_Brennus]

How about comparing it to the contemporary Titan Quest rather than that D2 thingy?

1.) It's like playing a beta.

Mmmh, last time I checked 1.0.6 http://www.rpgwatch.com/show/news?ref=0&id=124#5903 was stable. And even if it was "rough around the edges" in the beginning - hey remember the release of TQ? Let me just quote a random buyer from a random website about Titan Quest

I dont know how more i could take from this game its just a disaster]

http://www.sharkyforums.com/showthread.php?t=286875&page=7

Sounds so much better, that I have to give it roughly 30% more in reviews, meh...

2.) Maps that are not even half as big as NWN2 maps. This with an hack & slay game. WTF?!

What does mapsize have to do with the quality of the game? TQ has fucking big maps and they are all boring... Is that so much better?

3.) Totally unintuitive skills, etc.

Yeah this is the perfect point - not. Give some example for christsake, or else this point is worhtless

4.) It simply feels like there were 10 3D-Programmer, 10 Artists and 10 Sound specialists involved, but not one Designer.

Erm, see 3)

5.) Story and Storytelling? Not even close to Diablo, not at all... far, far away.

The story and Storytelling of Diablo was very bland to nonexistend. There was more and better told in Diablo 2, but Lokie very much better than Titan Quest in this respect.

6.) You don't care about anything that happens in this game... NZ Gamer put it quite right.

I did care. Point is irrelevant.

7.) Camera sucks, sux, suxxs....

Yes this fixed and low angle shit in TQ and this physically incorrect one from Diablo was so much better

Well, I could go on with this forever. Read the reviews, they are right in many cases... I don't understand the 2/10, though. It's not THAT bad...

Also, I think that the graphics are quite good. o.O

I think you should try TQ and Loki back to back and rethink your "points".

 

[thesheeep]

I think you should try TQ and Loki back to back and rethink your "points".

Not at all. I NEVER said in a word that I liked TQ. In fact, I would not give it a so much better review than Loki. But I would still say TQ is much better, because more polished, more intuitive and actually useful skills, playable, without that beta-feeling attached, etc.

But, since you asked so kindly, I will answer some points...

What does mapsize have to do with the quality of the game? TQ has fucking big maps and they are all boring... Is that so much better?

Yes, it is. It simply is annoying to fight for 2-3 minutes, wait for the loading, fight 2-3 minutes, wait for the loading, fight for 2-3 minutes, and so on, and so on... Loki has only VERY few exceptions to this.
In TQ you could at least click for a MUCH longer time until you had to see any kind of loading screen.... I also found TQs level design kind of boring and repetitive, but thats not point of the discussion.

3.) Totally unintuitive skills, etc.

Yeah this is the perfect point - not. Give some example for christsake, or else this point is worhtless

Why do I have to make this? I thought it was pointed out in reviews, etc. Read some, I don't want to reinstall this waste of my money to tell you what skills exactly I am talking about. The whole skill system is boring, to say the least.

Yes this fixed and low angle shit in TQ and this physically incorrect one from Diablo was so much better

Again, I didn't really like the camera in TQ or D2, neither, but both of them really are better since they at least let you see what you are actually fighting. The first thing I remember from playing Loki was that I tried to reposition the camera to give you a better view. I didn't even try to do that in TQ...

The story and Storytelling of Diablo was very bland to nonexistend. There was more and better told in Diablo 2, but Lokie very much better than Titan Quest in this respect.

Yeah, I was talking about D2 here, sry. I'm always doing this... If I say NWN/BG/Fallout, I quite often mean NWN2/BG2/Fallout 2.
Anyway.. I was bored by the story, I wasn't bored THAT much by the story of TQ and D2. Don't ask me, why.

Perhaps it was just, because the story was only told by rather funny/bored/uninspired speakers...