Definitely one of the best games I've ever played and definitely one that has earned it's strips and a way into my top 5
The game starts off a bit detached from the original, but alot of elements are there that early on show that the game is related to the original. THe controls are straight forward, and after one flick at the controls menu, it shouldn't be so hard to navigate oneself around the game. The inventory is fairly simple and doesn't require a explanation. The fighting was also very easy, but as many times as I played the game I never really managed to defeat her gym trainer. But that doesn't really matter, I don't think that I really bothered to do that, because the rest of the game is so worth getting to. The rest of the game is quite easy, supplied you have some wit about you.
I spent 15 the first time playing the game. I really enjoyed just walking around randomly and talking to random folk, it really gets me excited when I see such amazing and absolute extreme detail put into games where a character you can chat to has a menu of speech, and has nothing to do with the story, as well as Zoe's comments of most things that you desire for her to examine. Continuing, the detail put in the game is worth examining, i would spend 100 hours playing the game jsut to absorb everything. The game is mostly straightforward, though once or twice you may need to travel some distance back and forth, but I still say it's worth it.
Relating to what I said before the controls are fairly simple to master, and getting used to the mouse and walking plus camera angles is very quick. I'd say it only takes a half hour to master it. The game was made so delicately that anybody can play the game, understand and fall in love with it.
The gameplay and storyline revoling around the story is like something from a Tv show, only that you get to live the experience yourself. The characters are so alive, sometimes you feel like you simply want to laugh with them, or weep with them. As I said before the game is straight forward, and you get to travel to place around the world and see "the world" in a totally new perspective, wait...let me alter that, two new perspectives, or two new worlds. Our world, a utterly modernised and seemingly dictated world where no one really cares about anything and Arcadia a magical world that seems nothing like our own, even 500 years ago. Again, the detail put into both worlds is astounding, its just so damn real. The gameplay all together deserves a 10. Seriously, who couldn't love this game?
The graphics are in par with the story, a flatout 10 with no arguments. The characters, cities, rooms even worlds were created with extreme care and the details were added to the tiniest things. That really set it for me. The graphics shine the developers ability, and reflect on the story to form an awesome game that no other adventure game could honestly beat.
Sounds? Excellent, the score really gave a dramatic feel to the game, and setup the reality that everything could possibly exist, the future of our world, and the alternate universe of Arcadia. Ever zoom and wurr may not be registered, but after a dozen or so new games, the sounds really start to come into context, especially when they sound as if someone popped into the future and stole sounds from them. Again 10, I am totally impressed.
This game is worth its weight in Gold. I enjoyed every moment of gameplay, and will continue to enjoy it until another sequel is released or kingdom come. Everything was worth it, the time, the sounds, the sights, the people, the dialogue, everything!
But in the end, this is my opinion, and I know that I may not seem like anyone to you, but to me this game is gold. I hope you enjoyed this review and I hope it somewhat interested you in the game.
N12 out.