Review Drakensang: 'old school RPGers will go nuts'

[DarkUnderlord]

Tags: Drakensang

There's been an amazing dearth of reviews for Drakensang's English version even though it was apparently released a few weeks ago. Finally <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-544-Games-Examiner~y2009m2d17-Drakensang-The-Dark-Eye-Review-PC">one has popped up at Games Examiner</a>:
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<blockquote>Drakensang also has a way of really pulling you into the adventure and giving you a sense of story. As you approach the inn, you'll overhear an amazon woman arguing with the inn keeper, and on your way to investigating the mystery of the dark forest, you'll come across two bandits carrying a chest and arguing about which of them should carry the chest next. These small details really breath some life into an old school RPG.
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Combat is handled in a more strategic fashion than your normal run-of-the-mill action RPG. Instead of clicking constantly on the bad guys and blowing through the battle as quickly as possible, you'll find the game paused when you enter combat, giving you time to give orders to each of your party. Tapping the space bar unpauses the game and your characters will race into battle to carry out your will. From there, you can either switch to characters in real time and give them new orders, or pause the game and take your time.
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[...]
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While the graphics won't knock you over, old school RPGers will go nuts for the party-based tactical combat and the rich, detailed world that comes to life as you play the game. Don't let the low price tag of $29.99 fool you -- this game is a must buy for RPG fans who constantly find themselves saying "I remember back when...".</blockquote>
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Nothing about any choice or consequence.

 

[Crichton]

There isn't any. You don't even get fake choices like the trial or the keep. Nor do you get to choose an ending.

I'm sort of half-heartedly replaying the german version right now. I can't speak to any english-version specific stuff like the translation or voice-acting, but as far as the game itself, if you liked the NWN2 OC, you'll probably have on OK time with Drakensang.

The story isn't interesting, the gameplay is a joke, but it has a few things going for it;

-It's kind of a breath of fresh air if you're used to playing D&D cRPGs due to the different ruleset.

-It's very pretty and makes nice use of the Z-axis, unlike NWN2.

-The strategic party-building portion is more interesting than the standard D&D stuff.

-There's lots of mindless but fun "atmosphere" stuff like skinning animals, collecting plants, crafting little items, brewing healing potions and whatnot.

 

[yes plz]

For fucks sake that was a generic review. You could probably get more information just by looking at screenshots than you would from that review.

 

[Wyrmlord]

Generic pausable real-time trash = ignore

 

[Carceri]

Generic 3d shiny graphics.

 

[Black_Willow]

Generic RPG forum

 

[Shannow]

It is as old-school as NWN2, read: it isn't old-school.

It is one of the few games that uses Bloom effects right. So they don't look quite as crappy.

 

[made]

I think I might have used the term old school in my mini review at the Codex. It's likely they just copied that.

 

[thesheeep]

It is one of the few games that uses Bloom effects right. So they don't look quite as crappy.

Not really correct. It does a much better job, yeah, but in many cases you're just like "wtf?! why does this wall/flower GLOW?!"

 

[Andhaira]

While there arn't any C&C are there different ways to do quests?

ANd dunno about others ehre, but this game sounds very old schoo. I mean, in the golden age (90's) you didn't have nay C&C, what you had was a great story, and freedom of exploration.

 

[bozia2012]

I'm sort of half-heartedly replaying the german version right now. I can't speak to any english-version specific stuff like the translation or voice-acting, but as far as the game itself, if you liked the NWN2 OC, you'll probably have on OK time with Drakensang.

Two questions:
1. How much of the Disney shit is in it?
2. Are all PC characters heavily OP?

 

[mondblut]

Nothing about any choice or consequence.

It says "old school", not "Troika".

 

[Mogar]

Nothing about any choice or consequence.

It says "old school", not "Troika".

Have to agree with him. Many of those old school RPGs that we get all nostalgic about had less C&C then Oblivion did. They were more similar to jRPGs then what we think of today as wRPGs.

 

[Multiple Sarcasm]

So, in other words, it's an NWNesque Diabloclony kill-'em-all fetcha-whatnot kind of romp?

-It's kind of a breath of fresh air if you're used to playing D&D cRPGs due to the different ruleset.
-It's very pretty and makes nice use of the Z-axis, unlike NWN2.
-The strategic party-building portion is more interesting than the standard D&D stuff.
-There's lots of mindless but fun "atmosphere" stuff like skinning animals, collecting plants, crafting little items, brewing healing potions and whatnot.

Well, that sound mildly interesting. Not as an arpigie, heh, but as a generic time-killer for a few evenings.
Can't say if it's something I'd buy, right now, but I'll probably demo the English version when/if it's torrented.

old school

"Archaic" just doesn't buzz as well.

 

[ricolikesrice]

Generic pausable real-time trash = ignore

your loss, Drakensang is pretty much the best implemention of RTWP in a cRPG thus far =/

the average combat encounter may not be hard as in challenging but it at least requires attention and basic tactics where you can pretty much play NWN2, The Witcher , FO3 & co with your dick in your hand and eyes on TV.

and then there s also quite a few encounter who are actually challenging ( in a good way, not in the "Shit over Zehir - Hey we suck so much at encounter design, lets just make all encounters a few levels higher than the PCs and it ll sort out to be somewhat difficult - way )

the ruleset is great and is probably the most-"realistic" you can get. my fighter with lvl 16 had barely double the HP of a lvl 1 fighter unlike in DnD where it be 20times as much.
he is still killable if you throw enough goblins at him, unlike DnD & co. where technically its impossible for 5000 lvl1s to kill a lvl 10.
mundane gear is still important - imagine finally getting a full set of (non-magic) full plate happened in the last 4th of the game and felt like a great achievement where the typical DnD fighter purchases a set of full plate for pocket change in the next best swamp tavern at the begin of the game (see NWN2 )

and while typically fantasy cliche - the world still looks really atmospheric and levels are big enough that you dont have to constantly reload. its a fantastic engine that makes aurora look like bloody amateur works (and runs better on older pcs )

-enough of the german fanboy crap

Drakensang probably wont be for 90% of codexers because:

-the ammount of CnC is about equal to Bioware/OE games (save for MOTB), pick a difference side here or there - get a few different quests. occasionally solve a quest by talking instead of fighting. usual shit and little of it. only 1 ending too.

-the ammount of fake CnC is A LOT less than in Bioware/OE games to the point of being almost non-existant. kinda hurts the atmosphere a bit because even when the results will be same (as in bioware/OE games), having some more dialogue lines to select from goes a long way .....especially with writing as childish and cliche as in drakensang.

-its linear as fuck with you not even being able to revisit previous locations other than the main town.

-the story is pretty much standard-fantasy fare - the only good thing is that at least i doesnt follow the recent trend of "lets be dark and mature!" but its not much.

summary:


take a "bioware RPG": lets say they are the epitome of mediocrity.

now add in bioware s little sister: obsidian entertainment (or bioware s little polish slut :twisted: also works like that)

-worse combat then bioware, worse area design/variety/graphics, more bugs, less polish
+more CnC (some real - most fake), better writing, better story

in that analogy radon labs (drakensang) would fit in as the little brother:

-worse CnC , worse writing, worse story
-better combat, better area design/variety/graphics, more polish, almost no bugs.

 

[Wyrmlord]

Best implementation of real-time combat? Fine, it has my interest, but it sounds like a bold claim.

I don't know, you are only the second person from whom I have heard any meaningful about this game since the poster Made, who however gave rather negative impressions of the game.

I mean, the idea of funnel points in games, where one area is locked up after going to the next one, it makes me so sick, I can't stand it. It just sucks. I have had enough of it.

The combat was really the only thing that could have saved what sounds like a game that has really bad exploration. Since not much relevant interesting was ever said about the combat system, I assumed it was another generic pausable real-time crap, like the NWN2 OC all over again.

 

[JarlFrank]

Yeah the combat system was actually good. It was the first game after the Infinity Engine where RTWP didn't feel awkward to me. It's a lot better than Bioware's combat. Encounter design is better, too, even though you'll meet too many rats in the first half of the game. Seriously, what's with all the rats? Rats are fucking uncreative enemies for fucks sake.

 

[MasPingon]

It seems I'm not old school enough

 

[Shannow]

Drakensang is pretty much the best implemention of RTWP in a cRPG thus far =/

If you forcefully remove the memory of any IE game with large quantities of alcohol. And even then it's not saying much...

 

[Saxon1974]

How is the game from an exploration aspect? Is there alot to explore around and find?

I dont really mind no C&C as many have said the old games didnt normally have much of this....rather good TB combat and fun worlds to explore.

 

[made]

Seriously, what's with all the rats? Rats are fucking uncreative enemies for fucks sake.

Rats are old school.

 

[Crichton]

Yeah the combat system was actually good. It was the first game after the Infinity Engine where RTWP didn't feel awkward to me. It's a lot better than Bioware's combat. Encounter design is better, too, even though you'll meet too many rats in the first half of the game.

I wouldn't mind hearing what about the combat system you like, I thought it was utter garbage.

Obvious issues:

Movement is borked since your PCs happily move aside whenever swarms of dipshits want to surround them or run right past them towards the magic user.

Encounter design consists primarily of "OH NOEZ WOLFRATS HAS SPAWNED BEHIND US!!!!!11112"

Practically none of the enemies have special abilities, in fact, there's pretty much just poison and knockdown. (Compare to NWN2 where all of the undead have their own special shit, on top of different kinds of poison, and different beasts, knockdown for wolves, rage for badgers, etc)

Magic system is lobotomized compared to D&D.

Balance isn't great either thanks to some of the weapons (Traldor's TH sword and that TH axe you get from the dwarves at the end being obvious examples), I'll grant the PC's god-forged super weapon a justifiable exception.

Combat techniques pretty much all consist of "power attack", that is almost all of them cost energy but boost damage/wounding, knockdown being the only conspicuous exception. D&D has not only knockdown, but disarm, stunning fist, rage, defensive stance, shapeshifting, etc.

About the only thing I thought there was to like about it was that enemies generally had a HP total much closer to the PC's than NWN2, but there are mods that fix that for NWN2 out there as well.

 

[thesheeep]

Yeah the combat system was actually good. It was the first game after the Infinity Engine where RTWP didn't feel awkward to me. It's a lot better than Bioware's combat. Encounter design is better, too, even though you'll meet too many rats in the first half of the game. Seriously, what's with all the rats? Rats are fucking uncreative enemies for fucks sake.

One of the Designers told me that he (and he didn't seem to be talking only about his opinion ) was not very happy with Mutter Ratzinsky

Then again, I liked that quest. It was one of the fewer ones that were actually challenging (if only because I did it too early).

 

[mondblut]

They were more similar to jRPGs

No. Unlike JPGs, they had gameplay instead of silly narration. And more often than not permitted to sweep locations in any order.

then what we think of today as wRPGs.

"We" who? "We" think of WRPGs exactly the same as "we" did 15 years ago, sir.

 

[Sir_Brennus]

Dumbfuck!

Obvious issues:

Movement is borked since your PCs happily move aside whenever swarms of dipshits want to surround them or run right past them towards the magic user.

If I understand your gibberish correctly, than you criticise the AI for going straigt to the potentially most dangerous PC. I agree, that is so much dumber than the AI in NWN2 that attacked the tanks while being nuked by the unchallenged Wizard. Yeah, fucking clever.

Encounter design consists primarily of "OH NOEZ WOLFRATS HAS SPAWNED BEHIND US!!!!!11112"

BS. That was the case in the Realms of Arkania games, where NEVER EVER an encounter could be avoided. In Drakensang you can do this.

Practically none of the enemies have special abilities, in fact, there's pretty much just poison and knockdown. (Compare to NWN2 where all of the undead have their own special shit, on top of different kinds of poison, and different beasts, knockdown for wolves, rage for badgers, etc)

:shock: MUHAHAHAA

1. The rules are given in the ruleset of The Dark Eye and are nearly the same ones as they were in the highly regarded Realms of Arkania series.
2. It's part of the philosophy of the PnP game to limit special abilities, magical overpowerment, excessive bonus points (there simply is NO sword+4 in DSA) and easy critical hits. Ulrich Kiesow created DSA as an underpowered version of D&D1
3. Poison and deasase are the same effect by name now (like in the PnP) but actually are a different status. "Undead" creatures and Vermin have desease attacks.
4. The D&D system is FUBAR. Hey, an elven warrior can't be affected by a ghoul touch - ha, cool thing. Na, wait - it's no ghoul but a Grul or something and he touches me - I'm getting paraly....

Magic system is lobotomized compared to D&D.

Yeah, the system is so lobotomized that Wizards of the Coast removed their Wizard system and introduced the Sorcerer which works like Magic in DSA. If you think there are not enogh spells in DSA look here.

Balance isn't great either thanks to some of the weapons (Traldor's TH sword and that TH axe you get from the dwarves at the end being obvious examples), I'll grant the PC's god-forged super weapon a justifiable exception.

Yeah, and balance in NWN2 was good. Wasn't Vault Dweller like "combat is totally unba and much too easy" in his MotB review? Never heard that about Drakensang.

About the only thing I thought there was to like about it was that enemies generally had a HP total much closer to the PC's than NWN2, but there are mods that fix that for NWN2 out there as well.

Yeah, mods make NWN2 the better game. Guy this is the Codex. We never consider designers laziness as something that can be bettered by mods. The balance in NWN2 is totally broken.