Good but needs some work

Pros: The game was pretty fun, there needs to be more modern titles as medieval/sci fi RPGs are getting a little over used these days. I am also glad to see a PC RPG that implements turn based strategy instead of gut reaction combat, normally you only see this in 2D games like Arcanum and Fallout.

Overall a pretty unique and entertaining title.

Cons: Dang this game is in need of some heavy optimising, ran bad on a 7800GT and was still pretty jaggie at 1600x1200. I bumped AA to 8x as well but the performance hit was pretty bad, before I consider buying this game I want to know if I have to max out my settings just to remove 'some' of the jaggies.

The 3rd level felt a little empty, it kept throwing fights at you to keep you busey which makes the level feel rushed. It is a pretty small area so I can see how they couldn't fit too much content into it but I hope such levels don't appear frequently.

There was also this bug that occurred when you was being knocked back by wolf enemies, distance seems to be ignored in mid flight/rolling allowing them to perform melee attacks over great distances. Finally the only other thing that bothered me was the god awful voice acting by that old NPC at the train station, the face and voice just don't mix. I don't mind if it is a one off but stuff like that can put you off.

Posted: 09-Jul-2006 09:16:23 PM

Like a cross between Diablo 2 and Deus Ex

Pros: The graphics are excellent, very high quality for a 2D game. Voice acting is suitable for its purpose and the atmosphere is perfect for the world that it is set in, the majority of weapons are guns but the various sound effects and attack animations keep it from getting repetitive. Combat is Diablo 2 style with hoards of enemies coming at you from all directions so you are kept on your toes otherwise you will die easily from the hard hitters. A definite recommendation for those into dark science fiction.

Cons: First thing that hit me was how sudden the intro movie ended, it would have been better to see the main character walk away and fade into the game rather than a suddenly freeze and stop. I hope the game is not always like this as it can damage the atmosphere. Towns were also a little dead, maybe there are more lively areas in the full version but a few wandering none interactive NPCs and rotating dialogue on the main characters regarding the world would liven it up a bit.

Enemies could have been made more interesting, instead of running around until you or they were dead it would have been nice to see some creativity in combat such as actions other than just relentlessly trying to whack the player. Maybe some monsters could spit acid as well as their normal attack? Intelligent enemies throw a grenade every now and then? Enemy cooperation? Not asking for military grade AI here but making enemies do more than one attack animation over and over again would spice things up.

Posted: 28-May-2006 03:51:04 PM