How so? A little more would (in this case) be appreciated…. what? a Dart post less than 3 pages?
Darn it still none has said much about the gameplay at all… I am suspecting DArt are too busy playing to post his usual long posts… a good sign I'd say….
Hehe, I'm sorry people. I don't have much free time these days - so I've been trying to play the game as much as possible.
Now I'm at work, though, so I have time
Anyway….
It's still very early - and I'm still rather enthralled with the "experience" part of the game. I've been trying to avoid the trap of speaking too soon, and I'm far from being able to give an objective opinion at this point.
One thing I will say, though, is that VERY few games make a serious impact these days. This game did.
But just remember that everything below is based on my current enthusiastic disposition.
First, what I
DON'T like:
It's NOT a freeform CRPG. I know people following development realise this, and I know the first game wasn't freeform either. I was just hoping for it, because the first things I heard about the game seemed to suggest it would be a lot more freeform than the first game. The jury is still out - but it seems like it's pretty much the same structure - with infinitely better tech behind it. Also, I got the impression that the game would "stream" all content without loading screens - which isn't quite true. For rooms, it actually loads briefly and there's a fade in-out effect. This is subtle, but it means you're not entering buildings while the door is open like Risen - and they're definitely not part of the open world. In fact, it's somewhat similar to the first game - except with MUCH faster loading screens.
QTE. I just don't like the concept. It's a similar problem to what I had with the original Witcher's combat system - but thankfully it's limited to certain "cutscene" events and minigames in the sequel. I feel it's a cheap "arcade" gimmick - that REALLY doesn't belong in a serious CRPG. There was also a "timed" boss-like battle in the introduction that I hated.
Containers. This is minor, I know. But I just don't like how containers are very static objects that don't "open" when you loot. It feels wrong when you "instant-loot" everything by pressing space. Maybe it sounds like I'm insane - but I require something "tactile/tangible" when I loot - or it feels fake. Like there's nothing there but a few text entries.
No jumping/swimming. You knew this going in, and so did I. Major/minor? Depends. I think it's stupid - but it's not nearly as bad as it was in the first game. My primary issue is that there's a beautiful world with a lot of areas I'd like to get to - and I can't. The "hotspot" clicks work well enough - but they're too gamey for my tastes. I don't like such artificial solutions.
That's about it for negatives.
What I DO like:
The writing. It's just the kind of stuff I like. It's down-to-earth with plausible characters and motivations. Everything "feels" right to me, and I understand why people are doing what they're doing - and I can relate to their issues. Also, characters are interesting and - so far - pretty deep. There's a relatively cliché scene in the introduction that's supposed to be really moving. It was.
The engine. This is a biggie. Incredibly impressive stuff. There's a long load when you start the game - but everything after that is a breeze. I play on maximum settings with only "ubersampling" disabled. It runs at a constant 30-60 framerate. This is incredible. Why? You'll know when you see the game for yourself. Absolutely fantastic looking. I have no reservations when I say it might just be the best looking game in existence. The first game since Crysis to actually go beyond console limitations - and not in a small way. I think it looks better than Crysis.
Voice acting. So far, it's pretty much as good as it gets.
Combat system. Actually, it's too early to tell - because it's the kind of thing that requires A LOT of testing and character building. All I can say with absolute certainty is that I like it MUCH better than the first game's system. It feels very fluid and dynamic. It gives you many ways to approach combat, and you're tactically challenged by being given plenty of tools. You don't just time-click with the occasional spell. You absolutely can't just blind-click your way through like in Gothic 3.
Character system. Infinitely better than the first game. I can say this with reasonable certainty, because it's kind of my speciality in terms of mechanics. It might initially seem somewhat limited, but if you look at what each power does - they're ALL significant and they're ALL worthwhile. That's my impression from reading the manual and playing the game. Beyond the meaty talent trees - you also get to mutate your powers with certain substances, which can make a big difference. A lot of variety - and if the game "only" allows for ~35 talent points (max level) - there will be enough to justify 2-3 replays for this aspect alone. Great stuff.
Art direction/world/models. I'm trying to contain myself - and I'm sorry if this changes or I'm being blinded by something. I didn't really follow the hype - so it can't be that. Anyway. The "combined visual experience" is beyond anything I've seen on my screen so far. The only niggle here is that the facial tech is somewhat behind the latest pioneers in this field, like L.A. Noire and Mass Effect 2. Lips don't synch too good with voices - and there's a certain stiffness to some of the NPC models. Beyond that, though, every single thing in the game looks like it was made with the latest tech - by people who love their art jobs. The world itself - yep - beyond anything else. At least, so far.
That's it for now.
You wanted a true next-gen CRPG made for enthusiasts before the mainstream?
You got it.
Note the wording. It's not a FULLY enthusiast title. It's not a hardcore MUD with pretty visuals. It's a combination of the modern AAA "experience" approach and the old-school cerebral/challenging approach.
Buy it. Buy two copies. Buy ten copies.
Show the industry that quality is rewarded.