Review Swords and Sorcery: Underworld Gold Reviewed at GB

[Zed]

Tags: OlderBytes; Swords and Sorcery: Underworld

GameBanshee has a review up of Olderbytes' Swords and Sorcery: Underworld Gold.

They don't love it, but they seem to kinda like it:

I played version 2.0.16 of Underworld Gold, and sadly it's still a little bit sloppy. Some parts of the game haven't been implemented yet (you're supposed to get attacked sometimes when you rest, but it doesn't happen), some parts of the game don't work (a strength-increasing beverage always claims you've already drunk it), and there are a host of silly typos (like "antichamber," "prisonner," and "pondered silk gown"). Fortunately, none of these problems prevent players from completing the game, and Charles Clerc has been very good about releasing updates, so hopefully he'll get everything straightened out soon.

Overall, I had mixed feelings about Underworld Gold. It reminded me of my youth playing RPGs (and breaking out the graph paper and colored pencils), but I'm not sure if I wouldn't have been better off playing one of those older games rather than this new one. That being said, Underworld Gold is only $15, it works just fine on Windows 7, and it gives you about 40 hours of content. It wasn't my favorite game of the year, but it seems like a fine risk if you're looking for something different to try.​

You can download the demo from here and have a peek yourself.

 

[thesheeep]

Seems a fair review.

I've been wanting to try it for some time, anyway, so once I'm through with all the games I'm currently playing, I know what's next on my list

 

[Charles-cgr]

Oh goodie, bug reports! :D

Rest doesn't trigger any fights! No risk! Unacceptable. That used to work but there's something I managed to break again. And rest doesn't reset potions. Those'll be fixed today.

F11 does show basic stats, including damage dealt by each character. Archers and knights end up with pretty much the same damage as sorcerers in my playthrough thanks to Berserk and Barrage.

Other than that the game is fairly criticized where criticism is due so now I have more info on what to focus on in Sovereign.

Thank you Mr Carter for a full playthrough review (and Jon, for asking him to do it).

 

[Dorateen]

GameBanshee has a review up of Olderbytes' Swords and Sorcery: Underworld Gold.

"...but I'm not sure if I wouldn't have been better off playing one of those older games rather than this new one."

I'll take exception with the writer's parting comments, which I believe misses the point. I played Might & Magic II over twenty years ago. What I wanted was a new adventure in a MM-like environment. And this is what Charles delivered. I'm awaiting the follow up, Sovereign, as well. Not looking for something different, but rather the classic games of old remade.

 

[Humanity has risen!]

For the other classes, they get some skills to even the odds a little (Rogues in particular get the deadly Bleed skill), and they receive dramatically overpowered weapons late in the game.

:/

 

[Niektory]

F11 does show basic stats, including damage dealt by each character. Archers and knights end up with pretty much the same damage as sorcerers in my playthrough thanks to Berserk and Barrage.

I checked my end game save:
Archer: 829 kills, 328k damage
Knight: 594 kills, 260k damage
Sorcerer: 694 kills, 205k damage
Rogue: 394 kills, 174k damage
Priest: 167 kills, 145k damage
Paladin: 326 kills, 75k damage

Paladins do seem weak compared to other classes, but they make for good tanks and are useful for reviving other characters when your priest goes down.

 

[InspectorRumpole]

I gave the demo a go, but i have to admit i un-installed it after trying to create a party.
Guess i got too old for unintuitive UI's

 

[Deuce Traveler]

GameBanshee has a review up of Olderbytes' Swords and Sorcery: Underworld Gold.

"...but I'm not sure if I wouldn't have been better off playing one of those older games rather than this new one."

I'll take exception with the writer's parting comments, which I believe misses the point. I played Might & Magic II over twenty years ago. What I wanted was a new adventure in a MM-like environment. And this is what Charles delivered. I'm awaiting the follow up, Sovereign, as well. Not looking for something different, but rather the classic games of old remade.

I agree. So far Underworld Gold plays more like Might and Magic 1 and 2 than Might and Magic 3 does and other successors of the series do. And that is a very good thing.