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P.Diddy reviews HANCOCK…this is good
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by Desslock It was supposed to happen last year, but it didn't. The rebirth of the beleaguered role-playing genre was to begin with the release of the Might and Magic and Ultima sequels. Unfortunately, when both games were delayed, gamers would regretfully have to wait another year. A few RPGs did help pacify gamers, like Blizzard's Diablo. But Diablo's hack-and-slash gameplay and linear plot caused ever-vigilant purists to scornfully classify it as more of an action game than a traditional role-playing game. There was Interplay's Fallout, which was heralded as one of the best role-playing games to be released in several years, but not many seemed to notice it. And Westwood's Lands of Lore sequel, Guardians of Destiny, turned out to be a decent game but one that featured a preset character and linear, puzzle-oriented gameplay, something more typical of an adventure game and unlike its illustrious predecessor, The Throne of Chaos. Origin's Ultima Online, arguably the most ambitious and massively multiplayer role-playing game to date, was finally released after a tremendous amount of fanfare, but it ran smack into largely lukewarm reviews and litigious-happy gamers. What a difference a year makes. At the risk of setting ourselves up for disappointment once again, it should be safe to say that 1998 will finally mark the end of the dreary days for role-playing game fans. Several sequels to classics, as well as plenty of promising newcomers, have been or will be released. There are also a few action/RPG hybrids in the works (no doubt sparked by the success of Diablo) and a large variety of new shareware and online role-playing games, all of which should be enough to satiate any RPG fan's appetite. Let's feast! | ||||||||||||||
