Dawn of Magic - Review @ IGN UK

Dhruin

SasqWatch
Joined
August 30, 2006
Messages
11,842
Location
Sydney, Australia
IGN UK has reviewed SkyFallen's Dawn of Magic. The score of 6.9/10 probably sounds disastrous but the text offers some hope, albeit while highlighting missteps:
On first impressions, the world around you seems vibrant and full of life. Locales teem with NPCs, traders and a wealth of impressively varied and increasingly tough enemies to battle. As you wander around you can exchange pleasantries with peasants and passers-by or trade with salesmen who ply their wares at local towns, while a dynamic day/night cycle adds some visual variety to the fauna and flora-packed locations.
But the illusion of a living world doesn't last long. Once you've scratched the surface of these seemingly lifelike surroundings, you quickly uncover just how hollow and underdeveloped Dawn of Magic's world really is. Citizens reply with the same stock phrases while merchants spew forth the type of hackneyed spiel usually reserved for Sunday markets.
More information.
 
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
11,842
Location
Sydney, Australia
So there is no US date yet? Oh well, the review doesn't make the game sound all that great to me ...
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
14,932
Worry not, for there's a demo floating around. You can always check it out if in any doubt as to whether acquire this title or not.

As a sidenote, the demo put me off for good, so no regrets here. I believe the rating is absolutely valid.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
288
Location
Hungary
Worry not, for there's a demo floating around. You can always check it out if in any doubt as to whether acquire this title or not.
That's right - I forgot about that ... might have to check it out.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
14,932
The latest PC Games tested a couple of Eastern European or at least underdog titles on one page each.

Ascension to the Throne: 76%
They really liked this one. The first two hours are too slow but after that it´s an "outstanding tactical game".

Genesis Rising: 71%
Decent game but serious issues: very difficult, bad save system, not 3D enough, etc.

Rush for Berlin - Rush for the Bomb: 83%
That´s a blind buy for those who like the main game.

The Guild 2 add-on: 66%
Better than the main game, but still only mediocre.

Dawn of Magic: 70%
Average. Magic system very good, world pretty good, the rest not worth mentioning. Weak quests, not much atmosphere.

Mage Knight: Apocalypse: 60%
"MK:A is not as bad as its damaged reputation. But almost."

North and South: Pirates: 51% (short test)
World of Chaos: 53% (even shorter)
Dawnspire: 56% (short)
 
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
7,830
I thought the demo was quite entertaining. Gameplay was quite interesting with crafting, enchanting, alchemy, etc. Mixing and matching magic was quite fun too - I've never hurled a poisonous fireball or a freezing lightning bolt at an enemy in other games before :)

I also thought the intro CG movie was incredible.
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2006
Messages
803
Location
Singapore
Anyone got a link to the demo?
 
Joined
Aug 31, 2006
Messages
12,806
Location
Australia
Thanks, I'll take a quick look over the weekend!!
 
Joined
Aug 31, 2006
Messages
12,806
Location
Australia
The 3rd-Person hack’n’slash Dawn of Magic will let the gamers decide whether they want to fight for good or for eh... eh... evil. Zzzzz....PLAYErs will choose their attacks from a huge roster of magic skills and 12 different schools of magic. ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.... huh, what? oh, yeah, Dawn of Magic provides weeks of finest hack’n’slash gaming fun, following the footsteps of the great examples it was modelled on: Sacred and Diablo 2. Zzzzzzz....
 
Joined
Oct 26, 2006
Messages
6,027
Well, I haven't played much yet, but already 2 things I don't like. First, you are restricted to which spell areas you can initially learn. Then, a timed quest/test. Find, kill, find the eggs of (with no hilite key) 10 fire ants and cure a sick student. Initially, you're not told it's a timed quest and between fighting other creatures, hunting for the ants and the eggs afterwards, etc, I only managed 6. Stupid and frustrating at the beginning of a DEMO!! How to turn people OFF quickly!!!!

You get 30 mins of 'game' time, which is not much more than 5 mins real time!! Joke!!
 
Joined
Aug 31, 2006
Messages
12,806
Location
Australia
Haha, yeah the fire ants quests was really annoying. Especially when you find out the fire ants feign death all the time - you have to wait over the "corpse" until it wakes up and deliver the finishing blow. Strangely, you can repeat that quest (and many others) regardless of completing or failing it.

As for the spells you can learn, I think you must have the scroll of the spell you wish to learn before assigning points to it. Slightly strange system.

Corwin, I'm guessing you chose the battle priest as your character :p
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2006
Messages
803
Location
Singapore
The 3rd-Person hack’n’slash Dawn of Magic will let the gamers decide whether they want to fight for good or for eh... eh... evil. Zzzzz....PLAYErs will choose their attacks from a huge roster of magic skills and 12 different schools of magic. ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.... huh, what? oh, yeah, Dawn of Magic provides weeks of finest hack’n’slash gaming fun, following the footsteps of the great examples it was modelled on: Sacred and Diablo 2. Zzzzzzz....

Hehe :D I missed that one before.

Yeah, so I finally played the demo and ... well ... I can't say it does much of a job of selling the game.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
14,932
After I messed up that timed quest for fire ant eggs, I couldn't be bothered anymore; I hate timed quests, I'm a SLOW player!! :)
 
Joined
Aug 31, 2006
Messages
12,806
Location
Australia
After I messed up that timed quest for fire ant eggs, I couldn't be bothered anymore; I hate timed quests, I'm a SLOW player!! :)

That didn't bug me once I got the controls set up properly so that mouse-edge worked right ... tons of tweaking.

One thing I didn't like was the restriction on choice for magic schools - there are twelve, yet I can't be fire & air from the outset? That sucks.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
14,932
I agree, that was the second thing I didn't like. Together, they convinced me it was a waste of my time!!
 
Joined
Aug 31, 2006
Messages
12,806
Location
Australia
Gee, tough crowd ;)

You complain when Oblvion makes it so that you can be leader, boss, of all four guilds in Oblivon, and now you complain when a game has some restrictions on the way you can play Dawn of Magic ;)

Anyway, I am a slow player, too. And I didn't have any trouble finding the fire ant eggs in time, and getting them them to the sick student in time. I had trouble with some of the other things in the demo I played, but once I got the hang of the controls it worked fine :)

I like the game, but then again, not everyone will like averyone. I don't like say Mount & Blade, or The Wicther - which some of you guys probably like.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
2,147
Location
Denmark, Europe
er, the Witcher isn't out yet, so how can you decide whether you like it or not?
 
Joined
Aug 31, 2006
Messages
12,806
Location
Australia
er, the Witcher isn't out yet, so how can you decide whether you like it or not?

eh ---

I have, of course, been to the witcchers website. And by reading this I have found that the story etc. and the setting just isn't for me. But I will of course play the demo if there's one released ;)
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
2,147
Location
Denmark, Europe
Back
Top Bottom