Shivering Isles review

[Mantra_n]

Yeah, this expansion is a bit of a disappointment, but not unexpected. I played oblivion for a few hours and quickly got bored, it seemed just like morrowind, cities filled with zombie search engines that you are somehow supposed to turn into living creatures by using your imagination, same kind of deal here.

The art does look pleasing to the eye here and there i wish some of the quests wouldn't tuck you away into dungeons though, seems like a waste, they built this whole new landmass, yet all you see are deep halls of some dungeon or labyrinths of some ancient tree trunk-o-ma-thing.

And i guess i wouldn't have minded it if they actually delivered on the "madness" part and made the main quest actually make SOME fucking sense. Warning kiddies spoilers ahead. To start it off NO ONE in the whole expansion is crazy, i'd say most are very much normal, and only some pass for neurotic, you got a castle with a king, who's a bit of a loon, but no prince of madness, alot of the jokes are all kind of stupid, but i guess if i was a kid i'd laugh, but nothing to make a big deal out of. The thing that killed me is that there is no main plot really... you basically plow down through the main quests on your way to the big boss, BUT the things you do on the way have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the end battle and do absolutely nothing to help you in the fight or anything of that sort, its just kind of ... do these trivial things until you achieve this rank, once you do that the big baddie comes out, you kill him and the game is over. And then you get to rule over that landmass of search engine zombies, you can even summon one of them and help them out at random intervals of time after which they will pay you tribute, oh and you also get the godly powers of changing the weather and asking your summoned search engine stuffy guy to bring you entertainment, which struck me as amusing... its almost as if they assumed you'd get bored within their own gameworld...

 

[Frankie]

Since there was some interest in Mr. Walkthrough, I guess I'll elaborate on him a little. Careful though, thar be spoilers ahead.

Well, it got pretty bad. There was one time, for this one quest, in which you play the role of an inquisitor trying to grill out a conspiracy that may or may not exist against a paranoid duchess. The quest is pretty nicely designed, where you go around talking to various court officials and trying to get them to talk by sweating them for info.

But anyway, at one point, you grill this one guy and he confesses that he's in league with a certain conspirator whom I'll call Jim, for spoiler's sake. The confession isn't really outright and the dialogue is actually kinda subtle. Is he lying? Who is this Jim fellow anyway? Is he trying to frame Jim? Maybe instead of going to Jim right away, you should consult the Duchess? All of this sets up for a nice mini-mystery. WRONG. Anyway, just in case you didn't know what to do next, the game has:

1. An entry in your quest journal that says "So and so has confessed that Jim knows more about the conspiracy at hand. Perhaps you should seek him out. He usually resides at <location>".

2. The green arrow on your compass pointing straight to Jim

and

3. Mr. Summonable Walkthrough, who suggests that you should talk to this Jim fellow and find out what he's up to.

GEE, I DON'T KNOW... It seems like the guy who wrote the dialogue has nothing to do with the guy who designed the quests. The dialogue tries to set things up for intrigue and mystery, but the green compass, the journal, and dumbass walkthrough man just blows all that potential away. Weird, huh?

The quest ends with you arresting this Jim guy and he/she gets executed after confessing. Quest over, r00fles.

My hope for a better TES V continues to dwindle everytime Bethesda creates something.

I normally don't insult people, but if you are too ignorant that you can't play the game with a red pointer showing you the way and you have to summon some jerk-off to tell you the same crap that you find in your journal than you have no business anywhere near an RPG.

 

[Solomon Doone]

Since there was some interest in Mr. Walkthrough, I guess I'll elaborate on him a little. Careful though, thar be spoilers ahead.

Well, it got pretty bad. There was one time, for this one quest, in which you play the role of an inquisitor trying to grill out a conspiracy that may or may not exist against a paranoid duchess. The quest is pretty nicely designed, where you go around talking to various court officials and trying to get them to talk by sweating them for info.

But anyway, at one point, you grill this one guy and he confesses that he's in league with a certain conspirator whom I'll call Jim, for spoiler's sake. The confession isn't really outright and the dialogue is actually kinda subtle. Is he lying? Who is this Jim fellow anyway? Is he trying to frame Jim? Maybe instead of going to Jim right away, you should consult the Duchess? All of this sets up for a nice mini-mystery. WRONG. Anyway, just in case you didn't know what to do next, the game has:

1. An entry in your quest journal that says "So and so has confessed that Jim knows more about the conspiracy at hand. Perhaps you should seek him out. He usually resides at <location>".

2. The green arrow on your compass pointing straight to Jim

and

3. Mr. Summonable Walkthrough, who suggests that you should talk to this Jim fellow and find out what he's up to.

GEE, I DON'T KNOW... It seems like the guy who wrote the dialogue has nothing to do with the guy who designed the quests. The dialogue tries to set things up for intrigue and mystery, but the green compass, the journal, and dumbass walkthrough man just blows all that potential away. Weird, huh?

The quest ends with you arresting this Jim guy and he/she gets executed after confessing. Quest over, r00fles.

My hope for a better TES V continues to dwindle everytime Bethesda creates something.

I normally don't insult people, but if you are too ignorant that you can't play the game with a red pointer showing you the way and you have to summon some jerk-off to tell you the same crap that you find in your journal than you have no business anywhere near an RPG.

He's being sarcastic dumbfuck.

 

[Amasius]

He's being sarcastic dumbfuck.

Forbear with Frankie. He's been banned from the TES forums. UNFAIRLY banned!

 

[xedoc gpr]

He's being sarcastic dumbfuck.

Leave him alone. He just wants to make some friends here.

 

[Darkflame]

Summer wrote:
I can't imagine in my wildest dreams that someone would make Fallout like Oblivion. I can't even comprehend how or why they would. They are totally different games. I can't even imagine it being like any TES game. If that were the case, why make it at all?

?

 

[Solomon Doone]

He's being sarcastic dumbfuck.

Leave him alone. He just wants to make some friends here.

He already has some friends, don't you know?

 

[The Public Enemy]

penis

Dumbfuck?

penis

 

[Frankie]

He's being sarcastic dumbfuck.

Forbear with Frankie. He's been banned from the TES forums. UNFAIRLY banned!

Yes, I was. However, I still lurk and they can't do anything about it. :D

As far as the topic goes, this new expansion and the creation of the jerk-off summoner just shows that Bethesda is still trying to dumb down the game so that even the most complete ignorant non-rpg playing person can play it.

 

[OccupatedVoid]

I wonder what's in store for Fallout 3?

 

[Micmu]

I wonder what's in store for Fallout 3?

"Ending Sequence" button in the main menu. They CAN'T dumb it down more than that... or can they? I have faith in Bethesda, for they are CRPG gods.

 

[Surgey]

The most they can probably dumb it down is you buy the game, and install it, and a cinematic says "You Win!" when you start it up. (Obscure reference FTW)

Also, Shivering Isles, where insanity is funny!

 

[sportforredneck]

I wonder what's in store for Fallout 3?

Penis, according to this thread.

 

[JarlFrank]

The most they can probably dumb it down is you buy the game, and install it, and a cinematic says "You Win!" when you start it up.

Fallout 3 was successfully installed on your computer.

Do you want to win the main quest instantly so you can wnader aimlessly around, behold the graffix and pretend you would play a role without being interrupted by wasteland gates popping up out of nowhere?

 

[Solomon Doone]

The most they can probably dumb it down is you buy the game, and install it, and a cinematic says "You Win!" when you start it up.

Fallout 3 was successfully installed on your computer.

Do you want to win the main quest instantly so you can wnader aimlessly around, behold the graffix and pretend you would play a role without being interrupted by wasteland gates popping up out of nowhere?

Wasteland gates, lawl.

 

[OccupatedVoid]

FALLOUT 3 STORY:

It is the year 2XXX, the world has successfully recovered from the nuclear fallout and is now full of lush forests and grazelands. However, the Mythic Nuke cult has opened Wasteland Gates all over the world. It is up to YOU to save the world before Irunes Turban comes to walk the Earth and nuke it again!

 

[JarlFrank]

FALLOUT 3 STORY:

It is the year 2XXX, the world has successfully recovered from the nuclear fallout and is now full of lush forests and grazelands. However, the Mythic Nuke cult has opened Wasteland Gates all over the world. It is up to YOU to save the world before Irunes Turban comes to walk the Earth and nuke it again!

Fight the reawakened gods of the Mythic Nuke cult, Osama bin Nuken and Saddam Nukessein, while you walk through the lush wastelands of the de-wasted wasteland lands! Go on exciting quests of following green and red arrows to find the evil gods of the Nuke cult, and defeat them with mighty swords and mighty guns! Yes, you're rights! The game has 2 different weapon types! Swords and guns! Really! Swords! And guns! Amazing choice, isn't it?
You can also find a lot of chemical ingredients, and make potions with your chemistry skill! Amazing!

 

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

Stop.

 

[JarlFrank]

Stop.

You fear it will come true?

 

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

Stop.

You fear it will come true?

I fear you're giving them ideas.

 

[Texas Red]

In the year 2XXX after the nuclear war radiation was spread through out the land, poisoning it, killing and mutating... and giving some supernatural powers. An evil scientist bent on word domination uses his evil powers to imbue corpses with life. It is up to you to, a humble brahmin herder, to become the greatest hero who has ever lived and stop the mad scientist!

 

[JarlFrank]

In the year 2XXX after the nuclear war radiation was spread through out the land, poisoning it, killing and mutating... and giving some supernatural powers. An evil scientist bent on word domination uses his evil powers to imbue corpses with life. It is up to you to, a humble brahmin herder, to become the greatest hero who has ever lived and stop the mad scientist!

No, no, no, no Bethesda game would ever begin without you being in prison. You are somebody in a top security prison, but get released by some guy who is in a very mighty position because he saw in his dreams that you will help him. Even though you once were a criminal, nobody in the whole world will try to attack you or take you to prison. But if you steal an apple in the most far away shithole and get caught, everybody in the known world will know it and try to take you to prison. Fear the system of law!

 

[RadioGnome Invisible]

Still, even cartoon "madness" can be done in style (Tim Schaffer's Psychonauts or American Mc'Gee's Alice, anyone?). Too bad Beth guys are way too talentless for it.

 

[JarlFrank]

Installed and played it today btw. Explored just the starting area because a horrible lag followed then and I quit. The landscape looks quite exotic, and the dungeons look amazing and got a nice athmosphere. It's sad that all exploration motivation is screwed by the fucking compass and green arrow again. From the looks and athmosphere, it has potential. I have yet to initiate dialogue with someone to find out if they are really mad, or if it's just midly amusing.

 

[KreideBein]

It's sad that all exploration motivation is screwed by the fucking compass and green arrow again.

If you're playing the game to attempt to extract some enjoyment out of it rather than just to bitch and moan, then I suggest using the BT Mod to remove the compass (assuming that they've gotten it to work with SI).