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Review Avernum 6: the Kharn Opinion

Jason

chasing a bee
Joined
Jun 30, 2005
Messages
10,737
Location
baby arm fantasy island
Tags: Avernum 6; Spiderweb Software

Our neighborhood pal Brother None (he lives 3 houses down in the one with all the pink flamingos and empty beer cans in the front yard) worked his way through <b>Avernum 6</b> and posted his thoughts over at <a href="http://gamebanshee.com/reviews/97586-avernum-6.html" target="blank">GameBanshee</a>.
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<blockquote>One thing often asked of Avernum titles is “can I start off with this one?” The answer is always “yes”, as each individual Avernum assumes no prior experience with the system or world and explains everything very clearly. But perhaps more than its predecessors, Avernum 6 is a title that is more enjoyable the more you know of the franchise, and new fans may not understand the grandeur of certain sequences (the final events with X spring to mind). If you're interested in the series, I'd recommend starting with Avernum 4, but kicking things off with Avernum 6 is certainly plausible if you understand that you may not fully grasp the scope of some events.
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But to view it within the franchise: if there's one thing I want to highlight about Avernum 6, it's to show that even with all the similarities from title to title, Avernum as a series has evolved. Jeff Vogel has clearly learned many things in quest and combat design, and even in writing. In my opinion, Avernum 6 is the best title of the series, keeping an enjoyable pace throughout, and with a weak main story made up for by well-written individual quests and locations. It really makes one regret the series is ending, but at least it's going out on a high note, and perhaps that's for the best.</blockquote>
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Playing this one myself and I've got to agree it's the best of the series. Possibly my favorite Spiderweb title altogether, but I haven't reached the end yet. Give me another 6 months.
 

Brother None

inXile Entertainment
Developer
Joined
Jul 11, 2004
Messages
5,673
Clockwork Knight said:
-=DarlSephiroth666=- said:
Well, "well designed" doesn't mean "nice looking". They're fugly, but functional?

Yes.

It always makes me think back to Ultima VI, whose graphics impressed me then and now not by their quality, but by how exceedingly well they evoked the imagination and fulfilled the functions intended for them. The same is true for Avernum 6.

The sentence following the one Drog quoted stated the graphics are mid-90s, so I'd guess he's well aware of what that phrase is intended to convey.
 

Mortmal

Arcane
Joined
Jun 15, 2009
Messages
9,496
I have not finished it yet, but spent many hours already on it, i agree its the best avernum game they ever produced, i prefer this one even to exile 3 , its just even better in every aspects. The combat encounters are well designed , sure still a lot of filler combats but i have encountered many tactical combats events , they added a few surprises as well i wont spoil.

Technically it starts to look good,plays at high resolutions, the cave layout is very well done and atmospheric , every thing seems to have a reason to be there, monsters inhabits the place, its not just some random dungeons with monsters spawning , all is clearly hand made, theres hidden stuff everywhere , ton of hidden places to discover interconnected dungeons, with hidden places inside hidden dungeons... its really wonderful when you like to explore as its really open ended and huge, ultima like huge.

The quest design is top notch and very realistic, you are not the chosen one,you are a squad of starved avernites who joined army, the sergeant is reluctant to send you on missions as a veteran he understand how terrible the war is, so its by pure misfortune that you are sent adventuring and become heroic. No flaming swords everywhere , getting a suit of good armor is already a feat, and you have to find food, wich is now very expensive in the avernum . Quests are more original than usual for example a missing person quest ends being the old guy wanting no longer to be a burden to his family ,taking his share of food,.
No demon portal in the middle of the field no one give a damn about,and mudcrabs but a real story and more pressing matters, starvation!

Its not linear at all and you have some diplomatic ways to solve a quest sometimes as well, getting more info, for example the hostage quest, can help you finish them much more easily.

So i can only recommend it , i dont see anything negative to say about it bare a few recycling of previous game assets and maybe no character walking animation, but that doesnt really matters to me, thats the kind of game that deserves 90% or 5 stars .
 

ElectricOtter

Guest
OldSkoolKamikaze said:
ElectricOtter said:
exile 3 is better, faggot :x

And Exile 2 is better than 3.
okay fair enough

EDIT: early avernums did have a cool distinction between world view and dungeon/town, though
 

Lonely Vazdru

Pimp my Title
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
6,700
Location
Agen
This review made me want to try the game. So far I'm having a blast. It's been a long time since the micro-manager in me has been so happy. The insane amount of shit I'm hauling around, just in case it might be useful... the best part being that it sometimes is.
 

Elwro

Arcane
Joined
Dec 29, 2002
Messages
11,751
Location
Krakow, Poland
Divinity: Original Sin Wasteland 2
Yeah, I'm wondering whether the 20+ skulls my party has will find a buyer :D (The limbs already did.)
 

Azael

Magister
Joined
Dec 6, 2002
Messages
4,405
Location
Multikult Central South
Wasteland 2
This probably is the best Avernum game so far. Enjoying it very much so far. Doing a few (hard) quests for a certain mage, the outcome won't be pretty for Avernum.
 

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