Two Worlds II: PotFF - Preview @ RPGamer

Dhruin

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Two Worlds II: Pirates of the Flying Fortress has been previewed at RPGamer. Some of the topics covered include new voice cast, improved animations, horse riding tweaks and new islands with more than one dock. Weather is also promised - let's see if it makes an appearance this time.
Other new features include new hair styles and faces to choose from during character creation. Horse Armor has been added to the game in order to give your steeds more customization options and more of a fighting chance out in the world. I was also told that the actual mechanic of riding horses has been improved, making riding horses far less of a chore than it should be. In addition, there is a new class of ranged weapons, crossbows, which are very powerful, but reload slowly. The map has been improved with a boat and horse marker, so you will never lose your boat or horse again. In general, the game is also far more sailing friendly. All of the new islands are approachable and dockable from all sides so you no longer have to search for a suitable place to anchor your boat. The freedom you are given to move around the island chain with your boat adds a lot to the pirate theme of the game and should prove more fun than the base game.
Thanks, Inside Two Worlds.
More information.
 
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Now all I have to do is wait for a failed release again. I'm kidding just hope its not like before with all the different release dates.
 
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I liked this game but I feel like it's the Rodney Dangerfield of RPGs. For some reason I don't quite understand, it gets ignored while Elder Scrolls, which is quite similar really, seems to many to be the second coming of Christ. Maybe it's because they don't have Todd Howard and his BS, err, hype machine.

Anyway, it sounds like they are listening to the players and addressing many of the complaints which is always a good thing.

I'm curious on recasting the main character's voice. I wonder if they had all the lines for the entire game re-recorded. I can't imagine they would just do it for the new quest since that would come off odd. Then again, we all remember the beggars in Oblivion. :p
 
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I'm not saying it was the best game ever, but I thought it was decent and solid for the type of game it is. It probably also helped that it wasn't all hyped to hell (at least not that I came into contact with) and I didn't really have any expectations for it.

I still think it's not all that different from an Elder Scrolls in terms of play mechanics, and I say this as someone who has played them all and modded quite a bit for Morrowind.
 
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I never said they were great games. There above average games in a genre that hardly gets any games. You cant be picky.
 
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I thought they barely scraped average - if that - which is why I posted a different view. Even with limited releases, my time is too valuable for "average".

As a side note - and this isn't directed at anyone in particular - gamers would be better off if they managed their response to "hype". Every publisher wants to sell as many copies of their games as possible but, almost inevitably, Eastern European devs/publishers have less well organised/resourced marketing teams than Bethsoft so it is plain as day Bethsoft titles will be "hyped" more. What that has to do with the quality - or not - of their titles vs other titles, I have no idea.

More hype = more marketing from a good marketing team. It is completely independent of the game in every way. Doesn't everyone get that?
 
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Ah but your forgetting almost every game today is average. Graphics over gameplay is the new developing motto.
 
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I don't know about good marketing but I will give you that the bigger companies certainly have more of it. And I'm sorry but I can't ignore the hype when it's everywhere and it does effect my expectations, especially when there's overreaching on the hype and things are promised that aren't delivered or its full of bs corporate speak.
 
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The game sold 2.5 million units (first one sold THREE MILLION copies on 2 platforms!) Hype was there, it wasn't as big as for other games, but it was there. It's not Dhruin's cup of tea, but it's hardly an average game in light of its continued sales, critical reception and those pesky fans that for some reason turn up here and there.
Guess there's no accounting for taste indeed :D
 
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Sales dont make a game good you know. All that means is it made more money.
 
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It's not Dhruin's cup of tea, but it's hardly an average game in light of its continued sales, critical reception and those pesky fans that for some reason turn up here and there.
I'm pretty sure that the "critical reception" shows that it is an average game (and below average for the first Two Worlds).
 
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I just like these games because damn near any game with exploration like this appeals to me. I am an exploration whore.

Neither 2W game is anywhere near as good as something like Risen or Morrowind.
 
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I'm pretty sure that the "critical reception" shows that it is an average game (and below average for the first Two Worlds).
Hmm...
http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/two-worlds-ii
http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/two-worlds
First one is average, this one is actually good. It's especially apparent comparing platform to platform, since PC version is the most polished one.
Neither 2W game is anywhere near as good as something like Risen
This is also a questionable statement. Risen is a simpler, smaller and overall much more linear (at certain point), so even its open-worldness is approximated at best. You may like the setting and medieval feel more, so from personal standpoint it might be a good game. That holds true for those who find TW2 setting more to their liking. As far as "critics" go, PC versions of TW2 and Risen differ by a single point with similar set of datapoints. Xbox360 version of Risen has been received visibly worse than TW2, despite lower amount of datapoints. Considering the replayability and scope, TW2 has simply more to offer. Risen 2 will be more comparable here I think (or, rather, hope :D).
 
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Hmm…
http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/two-worlds-ii
http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/two-worlds
First one is average, this one is actually good. It's especially apparent comparing platform to platform, since PC version is the most polished one.
Sorry, I wasn't thinking in terms of Metacritic's (or whichever aggregator's) labels, I was thinking in terms of the (admittedly, stupidly skewed) scoring range that magazines and commercial websites tend to adhere to.

Anything in the 70's, is, quite frankly, a pretty average showing in the range of games released. Anything in the 60's is nothing short of a bad showing.

Probably a stupid thing to debate about in hindsight, given how easy it is to screw with aggregations by giving a very low or very high score (depending on sample size, of course), and how high-scoring reviewers on the commercial sites tend to be.

I'd just like to note, too, that I don't have a personal opinion about their merit, having not played them. Though my opinion is notoriously suspect, anyway. Give me a thousand Wizards and Warriors over any Bioware game any day!
 
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You're right, the aggregator system is pretty atrocious, and to boot the review range is ridiculously narrow (80-90 is what most games get these days). However, going by the sheer numbers, Two Worlds 1 is deemed actually "Average" in closing comments by most reviewers (outside of the narrow system of marks/grades), while Two Worlds II is considered a quantum leap in comparison, and a "fun, addictive game" on its own merit. I'd say that qualifies as above average, considering the tedium that many mainstream games are nowadays. So if a game is fun and addictive, doesn't contain technical flaws that would demerit it, like: unplayable (Two Worlds 1 at release), awful controls (Dungeon Siege 3), atrocious framerate (Divine Divinity 2), extremely bad port (Risen on Xbox360) I'd say it's a good game. Great game turns heads of everyone around (compare: Witcher 2 - considered a great game by many - reached just 88% on MC), good games are enjoyable (if not entirely memorable) experiences, average games contain tedium and playability in equal parts, and subpar games are simply not fun no matter how much you try. At least that's how I see gaming nowadays :D
 
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