A special brand of RPG.
I know this game gets a bad rap, but that's at least partially undeserved. What we have here is a fantasy role-playing game based on the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. rule system, most familiar to gamers as the mechanism behind the classic Fallout games. The gameplay is quite similar to those games and most other traditional, isometric RPGs: you go around fighting monsters, questing, collecting items and building stats to your heart’s content. At least it starts out that way, after the first third or so of the game it pretty much becomes a Diablo-esque romp through endless dungeons. This means that players who choose to use the wonderful character-building system to create a character to actually role-play, or to favour a more intelligent route than simply bashing everything in sight may have a hard time once they get out of the Barcelona region. It’s a minor quibble, really. Even Baldur’s Gate was guilty of this to a certain extent. Anyway, I’d say it’s a solid game, leaning towards the action end of the RPG spectrum.
Graphics: 6/10
I’d expect rather more from a game released in 2003, as to be fair this looks more like a contemporary of those classic Fallout games from 1997 than something six years younger. Simply old-fashioned is the term that springs to mind; after all we have an isometric viewpoint, low, fixed resolution, and an interface bar hogging a large proportion of the screen. In addition, some of the maps are rather repetitive and dull. Nothing is especially terrible, but I would have liked a touch of spark.
Sound: 6/10
Rather plain overall with some nice, although quite bland, background music. The voice acting is pretty good, but the sound effects amount to the usual generic groans, clanks and bangs found in any number of fantasy battles.
Value: 7/10
The campaign is quite lengthy, and poses a decent enough challenge to keep you interested for a while. While the story might be forgettable in parts, it’s not naff enough to alienate anyone. This game should be abiding in bargain bins by now, so RPG fans on a limited budget might want to give it a whirl.
Tilt: 7/10
Good.
Pros:
What really makes this game stand out for me is the setting: medieval Europe with a magical twist and a winding story that takes you from Spain to France to England to Persia. I love history and games with historical settings, and I love fantasy. So you can imagine that a game combining both really appeals to me. In addition, the gameplay is mostly solid and despite it’s many faults, I had a blast playing it.
Cons:
Poor presentation and slightly repetitive gameplay drag an otherwise solid game down into the realms of the forgettable.
Conclusion:
Fans of role-playing games, Black Isle’s particular brand of game, or medieval history might want to try it out.