Actually going to burst your bubble here. Its melee that becomes insanely OP later on. I mean one shotting bosses and utterly destroying everything. Though i try not to use that nasty combo. And no i am not telling you the combo.
But anyway mages are only strong early on because of utility. They begin to lose power over the course of the game. Their buffs are great sure but a well raised rogue/ranger/warrior will outdo them later on. Utility and buffing is their strength, pure power is not.
Also the main reason you think that is because early game you are facing nothing but undead. They are heavily resistant to physical damage. Once you face humans at about lvl 6 or so, you will laugh.
I think you will honestly like it a lot. Trust me its really good. You will be thankful its turned based. I can only imagine trying to guide a party through some of the stuff in this game dealing with environments in real time.
I have the difficulty on normal right now and i am flying through. Know why? Because i take my time, exploit my environment, and utilize all options available to me.
Knocking down your opponent, stunning, or even freezing means you can not miss(100% accuracy). You can change the very course of battle with minor spells or abilities. You can overcome anything as long as you know what you are doing.
Something to note about accuracy as well, elevation and distance are taken into account as well.It affects your accuracy big time.
Take it easy man and really learn the game, you will do much better for it.
No the reason those franchises have gone on the wayside is mainly because of Activision grinding them into the ground.
A true Crash Bandicoot done by Naughty Dog once again would do just fine. On the other hand, many people(including myself) would boycott one done by activision.
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