User Rating: 7.4 | The Temple of Elemental Evil PC
You can set up hotkeys using Alt-(keystroke), but it's not surprising other reviewers missed it. This shows how complex the game is, and how the manual is relatively skimpy since it can't possibly summarize all of D&D 3.5. Now about the game: I thought I was a reasonably hard-cord D&D kind of guy. I can explain why Harm had to be nurfed down in 3.5 since it didn't allow a saving throw in 3.0. I can discuss the advantages of taking 3 levels of paladin to create a "power-cleric." I understand why a dual-wielding level 20 rogue will often do more damage than a level 20 fighter IF they're flanking the enemy and doing 5d6 additional sneak attack damage. In short, to a normal person who actually has a life, the difference between a really hard-core guy and me is insignificant. But ToEE is the game that makes the distinction clear between merely competent amateurs, and serious professionals.. It's kind of like entering a martial arts competition, where the difference between 1st degree and 5th degree black belt is a lot. And if you have trouble telling them apart, then you're going to get your butt kicked. This game really makes clear why all previous game developers decide to throw out certain parts of D&D. Why yes, it does say in the official rules that casting Identify requires a pearl worth 100 gold pieces. But when I accidentally spent all my parties’ cash identifying a few scrolls that were nearly worthless, I didn't say to myself "How wonderful! At last an accurate interpretation of how Identify really works." Instead I said, "That kind of sucks!" So as long as you're the kind of person who knows your BaB from your To Hit, you'll probably like this game. The graphics and sound are good, the bugs are livable, and the plot fairly engaging. But if you don't, stick to games like Neverwinter Nights, with a difficulty setting and a "Recommended Stats" button. There are no crutches for girlie-gamers in ToEE.
