I read fully the review, almost. And I don't feel it is neither targeted to a wide public nor made from a lazy guy who didn't play the game and copy another review.
I agree it's quite possible he didn't play the full game but it seems he played quite a lot of it:
Ha also brings many good points I don't remember to have seen often in the big sites reviews of the game:
Now about the negative points:
Now there's the ugly title for the review, that doesn't match at all the review content, I wouldn't be surprised that he didn't wrote this title.
And the conclusion is a little rude but match the review and ends with a very positive note: "Larger-than-life RPG epics like Drakensang are few and far between these days. The story and quests are generic, and the character management is unnecessarily complex, but this is still a fairly captivating adventure that delivers most of what old-time RPG fans want and expect."
Ok after to have play the full game, to have get some advices about controls and for being close to be a hardcore CRPG fan, I have some different point of view and feel he is been unfair by not have quote some important qualities like the quality of many companion dialogs, or the interesting fights design. Or to not have quote some important weakness as some wrong choices about opponent diversity in some places. Still quite a solid review from a serious guy even if not a CRPG fan.
I agree it's quite possible he didn't play the full game but it seems he played quite a lot of it:
- The first clue is in the good points he quotes: "Tremendous amount of gameplay for the $30 price" and "Large, deep fantasy gameworld". I don't remember to have seen that so often in the few big sites reviews of the game.
- The second clue are the snapshot, made with a character heroe I don't remember to have see in other series of snapshots and those snapshots go quite far, at least up to Moonbridge.
Ha also brings many good points I don't remember to have seen often in the big sites reviews of the game:
- Sharp visuals packed with little details that bring the story to life.
- Documentation and in-game tips are plentiful
- Serious role-players will love this attention to detail
- A lot of attention has been paid to fine details that establish a feeling of venturing into real places.
- Larger-than-life RPG epics like Drakensang are few and far between these days.
- a fairly captivating adventure that delivers most of what old-time RPG fans want and expect.
Now about the negative points:
- A long complain about the controls. This guy isn't so wrong, he didn't catch the right control scheme which isn't so common in similar games, CRPG or shooters. I'm surprised it plays so long the game without to find the right tricks, but if he does I'm not surprised by his hire. Myself I never played before a game with such controls and played at least 10 hours, perhaps more without to find by myself how manage it. Only the forum gave me the right tricks. Could be stupid but tht can happen.
- A long complain about rules and character class management complexity. Again frankly I got the exact same feeling during the first hours, the point is mainly coming from the confrontation with a totally new system, and with many little original design choice. If it has been a blockbuster target he should have a much deeper in game documentation and tutorial to ge over this. It's unfair but also it's a part of its additional fun.
- About dialogs he quote: "excessive shouting and exaggerated hand gestures." Well he is right, admit it. The point is that it's not a real flaw, more a chosen style. But he could have dislike it. It's funny that in my language version this has been tuned down a bit for the vocals but after to have play the English version I felt the English choice was better because voices was matching better the animation, same exaggeration and well done if you admit the approach.
- About story he wrotes: "compiled from so many fantasy novels, movies, and games...stereotypical hero who starts off as a nobody...." Well he isn't wrong and brings some solid arguments in the review and later point that: "Just about the only touch of originality comes from the main plotline's focus on dragons, which at one time ruled the world before a scaly civil war." Clearly this reviewer isn't an idiot and didn't play fully the game but quite a lot.
Now there's the ugly title for the review, that doesn't match at all the review content, I wouldn't be surprised that he didn't wrote this title.
And the conclusion is a little rude but match the review and ends with a very positive note: "Larger-than-life RPG epics like Drakensang are few and far between these days. The story and quests are generic, and the character management is unnecessarily complex, but this is still a fairly captivating adventure that delivers most of what old-time RPG fans want and expect."
Ok after to have play the full game, to have get some advices about controls and for being close to be a hardcore CRPG fan, I have some different point of view and feel he is been unfair by not have quote some important qualities like the quality of many companion dialogs, or the interesting fights design. Or to not have quote some important weakness as some wrong choices about opponent diversity in some places. Still quite a solid review from a serious guy even if not a CRPG fan.
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