Incline Codex 2012-16 GOTY Review Thread (Get in here and help!)

[toro]

evoking the Gothic games

Nope. And if that is true then every Ubisoft sandbox game evokes Gothic also.

Okay. What aRPG(s) does the Witcher 3 resemble better, then? I wrote that because when I played The Witcher 3, I thought "wow, I bet this is what PB wanted to do with G3," but it was just my impression.

I would say AoD but I might be wrong.

 

[Ludo Lense]

evoking the Gothic games

Nope. And if that is true then every Ubisoft sandbox game evokes Gothic also.

Okay. What aRPG(s) does the Witcher 3 resemble better, then? I wrote that because when I played The Witcher 3, I thought "wow, I bet this is what PB wanted to do with G3," but it was just my impression.

Well it is pretty much common consensus that Gothic 3 departed from what made Gothic 1&2 great so if something invokes Gothic 3 then I wouldn't say they are evoking the proper Gothic experience.
Honestly? Gameplay-wise it reminded me of Shadow Over Mordor and Assassin's Creed but lacking the vertical elements and with some heavy inspirations from Arkham combat. But all those are Open World Action-Adventures while Witcher 3 is an RPG because....(I really don't want to get in the whole what is an RPG).

Also keep in mind that a lot of people said that Witcher 1 was very Gothic-like but given how different 1 and 3 are in almost every respect they can't both be Gothic-like.

 

[Sigourn]

Sorry this is so long, feel free to excerpt any part of it.

Well, you asked for it:

If you don't talk to the right people, choose the right story path, and invest in the right skills, you'll completely miss most of the content The Age of Decadence has to offer. Some of its combat systems are genuinely innovative and groundbreaking. The armor system, by which heavy and light armor is balanced with heavy and light weapons, is fabulous. It's backed by a strong material system that allows just enough advantage for rare materials without breaking the system's innate balance.

Each combat encounter has been meticulously scripted, balanced and designed, with each human enemy you fight having unique stats, equipment and behavior. Yet despite its outstanding craftsmanship, the game doesn't push the player to ever need to develop strategy and tactics. The Age of Decadence's greatest strength is that you can keep coming back to it and discover something new, some worksmanship to appreciate. It isn't a weekend experience at all, but a game and place meant for many journeys.

 

[Skittles]

Well it is pretty much common consensus that Gothic 3 departed from what made Gothic 1&2 great so if something invokes Gothic 3 then I wouldn't say they are evoking the proper Gothic experience.
Honestly? Gameplay-wise it reminded me of Shadow Over Mordor and Assassin's Creed but lacking the vertical elements and with some heavy inspirations from Arkham combat. But all those are Open World Action-Adventures while Witcher 3 is an RPG because....(I really don't to get in the whole what is an RPG).

Also keep in mind that a lot of people said that Witcher 1 was very Gothic-like but given how different 1 and 3 are in almost every respect they can't both be Gothic-like.

Interesting. Those are titles I haven't played myself and are definitely in my blind spot (would you recommend SoM?). I can see how TW3 used those games as inspiration for how to do multiple combatant melee, which I find equally challenging/frustrating in both TW2 and G2. However, The Witcher 2 and 3 both have a slightly slower pace of combat (the tempo of timing attacks) when compared with most pure action games I've played, with long animations, relatively more damaging attacks, and slowish repositioning (compared with the bouncy AC). The closest games I've played with similar combat are the Gothics.

I also cite them because I think CDPR and Gothic-era PB have similar design sensibilities when it comes to content density, world detail, and even sense of humour. I can't think of any games that the Witchers *feel* like more than the Gothics, although I may feel more inclined to replay G2 over TW3 in the future.

But hey, I posted those to get the ball rolling on that list. If I'm wrong, no need to include that line.

 

[Ludo Lense]

(would you recommend SoM?)

It is a generic modern open world game superhero fantasy simulator (You can slaughter Orcs by the hundreds). I would recommend it to design inclined people for the nemesis system (it isn't implemented well but it is a cool idea)

no need to include that line.

Probably for the best.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[V_K]

Heroine's Quest: The Herald of Ragnarok

How can one write review for such gem if avatars from it are still not available on codex?

When they finally are, it'll be the Day of a Thousand Ratatoskrs.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Goral]

Why not use reviews we already have, e.g.

Age of Decadence

(...)
It is ambitious because it tries to blend so many things into one. (...) it has a great combat system and can be played for it alone. It has plenty of branching and reactivity. It may not have much in terms of exploration, but it does have a lot of secret hunting and info collection. For God’s sake, it even has an inbuilt CYOA mode if you hate RPGs, no matter the fact that it’s not particularly good. In this way, AoD is actually for everyone, simply due to the breadth of playstyles and approaches supported by it.

Not to mention the replayability. While I haven’t gone through the game the proverbial seven times, I think it’s certainly possible (if extreme), and the four playthroughs I did never really got boring. Only by the fourth one did I start feeling some repetition, but it still didn’t get in the way of the fun too much. Perhaps it’s because the game is short enough to keep you interested with the new content brought by each playthrough – depending on character build and times you’ve finished the game, it can take roughly 5 to 20 hours (you can probably speedrun it in 15 minutes just as well). But take heed that you haven’t truly finished it until you’ve won the final bossfight by convincing the developers on the forum that some aspect of their game has to be changed. (...)

Dungeon Rats

(...) Dungeon Rats is, overall, a competently made combat romp using the Age of Decadence ruleset and engine. For the most part, it’s a fun little game, and some of its more difficult fights will give you adequate challenge. The fact that it costs barely 9 bucks and that a single playthrough will take you roughly 10 hours (+/- 2) also makes it easier to gloss over some of its flaws. In essence, if you’re a fan of AoD combat, you can practically get it blind.

Underrail

underrail, a comprehensive review by the venerable roxorowski

+

or you can use my old posts for that

AoD:

The real strength of Age of Decadence lies in its writing and combat. Quests are memorable and fresh (no fetch quests here, well maybe with one exception that has a hilarious twist at the end), characters seem to be made from flesh and blood not polygons and the plot is exquisite but to learn all the pieces you have to play for every guild. Which reminds me, I don't know another game that allows to see the same events from a different POV. What's more, combat is one of the best I've seen in any cRPG - even though you have less weapons than in Fallout 2 for example, you can do so much more with them. This game is so unique and what's more important, enjoyable, that any shortcomings that it has (camera rotation could be better and sometimes it's a text adventure but that shouldn't be a problem for someone who likes to read) become insignificant.

Dungeon Rats:

Playing as a convict we're trying to escape from a hellish mining colony starting from its very bottom. Alone or with up to 3 allies we're trampling over people's bodies and using them as stepping stones to make the escape possible. What it means for a player is that we have 53 well crafted, interesting fights ahead of us with multitude tactical options and many conveniences which allow us to focus on strategy and plan each step carefully. All of it seasoned with great music and interesting location for a very reasonable price.

Underrail

The exploration here is superb (if you think exploration in Gothic was great you should play UR, you can even blow up rubble that blocks your way and make your own passage), fights are fun and often challenging forcing you to use your brain instead of mindlessly clicking on an enemy, crafting is quite complex and well developed, character creation is well designed and allows for different builds and different playthroughs (not as good as in Age of Decadence though). The plot and dialogues are decent and even though most quests are fetch/kill quests there are many very interesting ones so that the player wouldn't get bored.

The game isn't without flaws of course. My main gripe with this game is that you can't run here and travelling is so slow. Due to this about half of your gameplay time will be spent on walking from point A to B. It's not as bad as in Bethesda games though where locations are bloated so that the world would seem bigger. You also can't buy or sell what you need/want because vendors will only buy specific items and in low numbers. The end game also sucks, the last level is just tedious and stupidly designed. http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...awakens-released.105387/page-151#post-4319112
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...awakens-released.105387/page-151#post-4319112
If I somehow qualify I would prefer if flaws were also mentioned but for now I'm crossing it out.

 

[V_K]

Legend of Grimrock II:

When Legend of Grimrock came out in 2011 to a resounding success, it brough about a Renaissance for the real-time dungeon crawler genre. Many indie developers followed suit, trying to replicate the winning formula and improve on it. However it took the original developer to really show how it's done. Legend of Grimrock II is the perfect sequel: it keeps all the strengths of the original while fixing most of its weaknesses. Stunning visuals, top notch level design and streamlined controls make playing the game an extremely engaging experience. Moreover, this time Almost Human also greatly improved the RPG side of things. The character system, the most criticized aspect of Grimrock I, got completely revamped, attaining both depth and flexibility. Many of the newly introduced character classes provide some innovative mechanics as well, like the alchemist growing reagents in his inventory, or the farmer gaining experience from eating rather than fighting. Another greatly improved aspect is enemy variety. The inhabitants of Nex learned to counter the infamous two-step-dance strategy, the Achilles heel of real-time crawlers, by charging up to the party, employing sideway attacks or jumping over the party to attack from behind. Claustrophobic dungeons of the first part gave way to gorgeous open landscapes of the Island of Nex, that feature several height levels and many new interactive elements like water or undergrowth. They are a delight to explore, hunting for hidden treasures and puzzle clues. A worthy successor to the Dungeon Master legacy.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is that rarest of all beasts, an RPG with action-based combat done properly. Borrowing elements from Capcom's own Devil May Cry and Monster Hunter series as well as Shadow of the Colossus, Demon's/Dark Souls, and '90s fantasy beat-'em-ups, combined with innovations of its own, the resulting combat is satisfyingly tactile. From climbing larger monsters to reach weak points, to grabbing hold of smaller monsters to expose them to attack, to setting things on fire and inflicting a variety of other status ailments, combat offers myriad ways of interacting with your opponents rather than merely flailing your weapon and rolling around. Teamwork is also crucial; although you have direct control only over a single character, the Arisen, you also design a permanent "main pawn" and will frequently switch out the two other "pawns" that together form a four-person party. The pawns can assume six different classes (another three are available only to the Arisen), and the classes play quite differently and complement each other in battle, providing benefits from carefully selecting a combination of classes and also the class-specific skills assigned to each character. Though combat is the focus of the game, Dragon's Dogma also provides competent, albeit not exceptional, exploration, especially in the mega-dungeon added in the Dark Arisen expansion. Story and characterization are relative afterthoughts, but you will encounter a few memorable plot twists and characters as you make your way to the final confrontation with the Dragon and beyond, if you give a chance to this overlooked gem.

Or you can read my entry in felipepepe's book.

 

[pippin]

While Firaxis might have pleased many people with their own XCOM games, especially after a rather bland Mass Effect ripoff known as The Bureau, Goldhawk delivers Xenonauts, a game that feels so much like a love letter to X-Com that some legal teams might find a way to turn it into a lawsuit. However, the original X-Com had a very... interesting interface and controls, even in the age of confusing and complicated interfaces and controls (OpenXcom helped with that a bit, of course). Xenonauts, in a way, was also an answer to The Bureau, but unlike Firaxis' effort, they did translated practically every single element of Julian Gollop's original game into the new generation, down to the Time Units, one of the most divisive elements between Old and New. Both old fans and new people can find something to enjoy in Xenonauts: the former might love how Goldhawk kept the base management aspect as it should have been, and new people might get to enjoy a look at what truly feels like an "old school" game brought into the present, even if the presentation is a bit humble (not to say "spartan"). On top of that, Xenonauts' Cold War setting (game starts in 1979) really adds something special to the atmosphere, especially considering how many of the "alien killing" games often take place in somewhat futuristic settings; the original X-Com started in the then dreadful and mysterious year of 1999. Let's hope Goldhawk keeps up the good work with Xenonauts 2.

I'm going to go straight to the point: if you want one Shadowrun Returns game, make it Dragonfall: Director's Cut. HBS had probably one of the most succesfull kickstarter campaigns of all time with the Shadowrun Returns game, which promised a new version of the sadly not throughly explored setting (at least in crpg form) and a throwback to the SNES/Genesis classics... in turn based form! Like most things in life, that was too good to be true, since the original campaign, Dead Man's Switch, proved to have a little charm, but in the end was too lackluster to be considered a true hit. Dragonfall, the second campaign originally released as DLC for the first game, was something different. Better characters, better missions, better story... the DLC was better in every way. Inspired by CDPR's move to "enhance" their games, HBS did released a standalone version of Dragonfall, which proved to be a true diamond. The combat was upgraded, taking armor and cover in consideration, your companions, already very charismatic and enjoyable, were given personal missions which often gave deep insights into their personal stories, and in general the game represented a very big overhaul when it comes to what we saw on the first release. Out of all the official campaigns, Dragonfall: DC offers the most satisfaction when it comes to combat, story, character development and replayability, something that sadly I can't say about Hong Kong.

 

[purpleblob]

Pillars of Eternity

Hi!

Welcome to Pillars of Eternity, your first step into the vivid and rich world of Eora will be nothing short of breath taking. Each area you travel through will tickle your senses with its unique style, lighting, music and sound as you explore nooks, ancient ruins and uncover a dazzling assortment of treasure all while finding complex and thoughtful party members who will join you on your quest. Pillars of Eternity also comes with an additional two expansion packs called White March I and White March ][ that expands on an already imaginative world with added quality, lore and area design. If you're looking to turn down the lights and spend an evening with a glass of red wine exploring the wonders of Eora, then you have to look no further than Pillars of Eternity to quell that adventuring itch.

p.s. the other games I voted on are not on the list but even though I enjoyed them well kind of two of the three because I really did not like the Sword Coast Legends game at all but Sorcery! and Siege of Dragonspear were fun romps in the garden too. I have a soft spot for the Sorcery! game because of the books I read when I was younger so if you like Fighting Fantasy books or read any from the school library the Sorcery! game is a nice throw back to these classics.

Thanks,
Randal

You think Eora was VIVID? You must be living a real depressing life.

 

[ilitarist]

Interesting. Those are titles I haven't played myself and are definitely in my blind spot (would you recommend SoM?).

If you want to see what is a modern open-world action game then Shadow of Mordor is your best bet. It's fairly generic in terms of combat and exploration but has nice setting (if you dig Lord of the Rings movies) and dynamic Nemesis system which basically means there are numerous special orcs all over the world who evolve, get new title, fight each other, get affected by your actions and so on. Batman Arkham games are probably better but assume you care about Batman.

 

[Sherry]

You think Eora was VIVID? You must be living a real depressing life.

Hi!

You live in Australia, right?

It is dry, hot and dying right?

You don't even know what vivid is.

Thanks,
Randal

 

[purpleblob]

You think Eora was VIVID? You must be living a real depressing life.

Hi!

You live in Australia, right?

It is dry, hot and dying right?

You don't even know what vivid is.

Thanks,
Randal

Yes, say that after you visit Australia. You are a moron thinking Australia is just a big continent of dry desert.

 

[Jason Liang]

Can I write the official Pillars review? I'll be completely fair, no one has sent me any Doritos here in China yet.

 

[Rev]

Can I write the official Pillars review? I'll be completely fair, no one has sent me any Doritos here in China yet.

Of course you can, we've had too few PoE reviews on the Codex, we need at least another ten before we can say it's enough.