Editorial 2004: The Year in Review

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: The Year in Review

Once again we examine the big events in the RPG industry in 2004 and explain why this year sucked even more then 2003:

Obsidian Entertainment, Bioware's trusty sidekick, has scored some crumbs off the Bio's table: KOTOR 2: Attack of the Clones and NWN 2: Everything Fallout fans have asked for since Fallout 2!(TM) Since Feargus Urquhart has mentioned his ideas about Knights of the NEW Republic, it would take a rather cold day in hell to see an original game with the Obsidian logo on it.​

I'll use this space to thank Spazmo for his help and contribution to this article.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Just a small note:

More dismaying is the company's inability to responsibly support its products. ToEE, one of the buggier releases in recent times, was broken even more by some compatability issues with Windows XP Service Pack 2--issues that have yet to be solved.

While the game still is a bug-o-ramal, the SP2 problem has been fxed.

All else until now seems a standard Codex piece. Can't complain on that :razz:

 

[Transcendent One]

It's very nice.

But when you're talking about BG3, you don't actually mention the title BG3 at all. It might get some people confused. Not saying that those people are of strikingly high intelligence, but still.

Oh and thanks for actually bashing Troika a little, cause last year's article didn't seem to quite capture how mediocre their release was.

And the Bioware bit is absolutely hilarious.

Also what happened to Beyond Divinity, you don't mention how the game utterly sucks, if people are to be believed of course, cause I just played the demo and uninstalled it after five minutes cause it lagged. What about the cancellation of Gothic 2's expansion, or was that end of 2003?

Yes that's it, feel free to ignore me now.

Next =>

 

[Barghest]

Something happened in 2004?

Like shit all happened.

...along comes 2005, and we can look forward to the retardo knuckle-dragging likes of Dungeon Screensaver 2 & Oblivious (To the fanbase)

Please shoot me.

 

[EEVIAC]

I don't think its the Bio fans that are a problem, they're as likely to buy anything that Bioware produces as RPG fans in general are. Its the moron casual game buying public (that constitutes the majority of any game developers income.) That said, I've never really seen the point in Dragon Age. Maybe I'm being too cynical but DA seems like a "standard fantasy" insurance plan, just in case Jade Empire doesn't do well.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I see it more as a replacement of Bio DnD's games that practically made Bio what it is today. It makes a lot of sense for them to create a similarly generic setting to avoid dealing with and paying for the licenses. I doubt that many Bio fans who like BG2 actually give damn that it's a DnD game. BG could have been set in any setting and now it's moving to Dragon Age. Since Bio is less evil than those WotC/Hasbro fuckers, I support DA and hope it will do well.

 

[Mendoza]

Yeah, I think most of the stupid comments by developers like 'knights on horseback' are down to them trying to explain stuff to the lowest common denominator (who also seem to be the same people that write the reviews). To be honest if it makes them sell more copies it doesn't really bother me, as long as the game itself isn't dumbed down. And I don't really care what the dwarflike creatures are called as long as they're interesting. Whenever one of Biopeople says something stupid I assume (yes, naive) that the other people who are actually creating the game mechanics and history know what they're doing. I won't actually buy it on that assumption though.

Then again, when Kathode says he should probably get round to playing FO2 after Bethesda have bought the license and proclaims to be such a big Fallout fan, something's definitely wrong. I can't really talk since I haven't played FO1, but then again I'm not making Fallout 3.

 

[dipdipdip]

Reckon you folks could do a Gearhead review?

 

[Spazmo]

Well, it's not actually finished. In any case, reviewing roguelikes is iffy since they change a lot with new releases.

 

[Whipporowill]

Dungeon Lords - the combat rpg of 2004!

 

[Jed]

And, just in case you were worried, the Bioware Hype Machine continues to roll on:

Dragon Ageâ„¢ is a blockbuster fantasy role-playing game set in a world created and owned by BioWare.

Not even out of development, and it's already a BLOCKBUSTER!

 

[Vault Dweller]

Yeah, I think most of the stupid comments by developers like 'knights on horseback' are down to them trying to explain stuff to the lowest common denominator

Well, the way I see it when they aim interviews at the lowest common denominator, they often end up making games for the same denominator. Exhibit A: Morrowind.

Then again, when Kathode says he should probably get round to playing FO2 after Bethesda have bought the license and proclaims to be such a big Fallout fan, something's definitely wrong.

No, Gavin's alright. He was the one who said that he'd make other people play the Fallout games. The quotes belong to other Bethesda's people including Todd, of course. Should have specified that.

 

[Elwro]

A good, enjoyable read. But please change "compatability" to "compatibility" because it hurts my eyes.

Why is there not even a small mention of Sacred?

 

[Sol Invictus]

Not worth the mention.

 

[Deacdo]

Multiplatforming screws over every version.

 

[xemous]

the only good game that came out this year was doom3. hail id, they always deliver.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Why is there not even a small mention of Sacred?

Probably because I'm the only one that actually played Sacred. Upon release, it wasn't very good. It wasn't buggy, but it took several patches to make the game what it should have been when it was released.

 

[ArcturusXIV]

"the only good game that came out this year was doom3. hail id, they always deliver."

::I::not::

 

[Stark]

well, if "The Fall", which don't even get an american release, got a mention here, Sacred definately deserve a mention here. you know, for completeness sake.

nice article, but depresssing.

 

[Surlent]

Yea, but it's only depressing because there's not enough good crpgs around.

Anyway the article was nice sum of the year.
BL was little better than that though. :wink:

 

[Whipporowill]

Bah, Sacred was good enough to get a mention - but as VD was the one writing the chronicle, it's based on his views and I'm not even sure he played it.

 

[DemonKing]

I think Dungeon Lords as the self-proclaimed "Combat RPG of 2004" and the "Developer of 2004" award for Bioware are my highlights for the year...which is kind of sad but somewhat unavoidable considering so few CRPGs got released this year.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Well, games like Beyond Divinity, Sacred, etc didn't make any impact on the gaming industry or any impression on the Codex. The former was a shitty little game, the latter was a Diablo with a twist game that, like Saint said, suffered from several flaws when it was originally released. Neither is a true RPG as we understand the term though. Now, The Fall is in our spotlight because of the attempts to capitalize on the Fallout name, not because The Fall is worth mentioning.

 

[Volourn]

Was there a point to the article? It was the exact same as last years - whine about everything and everyone and blow Spiderweb and Other Indies. I've played a few of SW's demos. He's not that impressive. The most impresisve thing aboyt his games/demos are the graphics.

Next.

And, also you and Spaz should do some fact checking.

That is all. Or not.

 

[Vault Dweller]

No discussion is complete until Volly shows up to tell us that it's pointless.

Was there a point to the article?

No, not really. Why?

It was the exact same as last years - whine about everything and everyone and blow Spiderweb and Other Indies.

It's the Codex. When in Rome...

I've played a few of SW's demos. He's not that impressive.

He's not, I agree. However, his games are much better in the gameplay department than many other games. Simple as that.

And, also you and Spaz should do some fact checking.

What are you mumbling about?