Neverend is a classic romp into the fantasy adventure worlds that we all love and adore! And it does it well!
Agavaen is a girl who was abandoned during a big struggle many years ago. Her parents, just like every other creature from her race (they're called Aurens) were banished to another realm - ohh er! Well, that'll bugger up the child benefit allowance!
Joining a band of rebels and thieves, Agavaen eventually gets double-crossed and (following a bit of a blame session) ends up killing her Captain. She's then free to follow her destiny..., which is where it all starts!
Neverend is cute! That's the first thing to say. The locations are nothing less than excellent and the storyline is helped along by many main quests and side tasks.
The first element that really makes it sit up proud with the likes of fable is the ability to choose a good or a bad path. And there are many opportunities in the game to take those darker paths :)
The combat system is very good, with a familiar turn-based HP and time bar situation. It's really cool to pick a light weapon and then get a few blows in to the enemy before they've had the time to land just one blow! Also the Dwarf War Hammer is a must have weapon for any seasoned adventurer! There's nothing more satisfying than going into a fight with a wretched (a tall lanky goblin looking creature) and landing a war hammer blow on them. DOWN IN ONE!! This satisfaction comes after facing these things earlier on and being given a rough ride! It's payback time now!
The characters are many and varied. It doesn't break any new ground in introducing characters that have never been seen before, but the wide selection does provide a fresh approach to the game.
At this point I need to mention the voice acting. It's a mixed bag here!
Agavaen has quite a sexy sound about her and it fits the character well, but some of the others are a bit weak. Like the shop keeper who has a Sylvester Stallone accent...hmmm, no that doesn't quite work. However, most of the others sound great and it really lifts the atmosphere!! The retarded mutant, skeletons, Gareck, Loth, Saarthan and Anexion all sound really cool. And so do many others.
The music is very good with a sound that I keep hearing over and over again in my mind. It's got a music score that you tend to find yourself humming every now and again.
The camera angles during fights are great! They swing around the characters showing the best aspects of the fight. On some occasions it'll end up behind a tree or in an odd angle, but generally it plays well.
The rune screen is absolute genius! A small memory game built into it to make spells! I love mixing runes to make spells.
Trading is a standard affair with nothing out of the ordinary, but it does work well.
Conversations can get very funny/sarcastic/involved etc. It's great to talk to everyone.
The difficulty factor is set by the player, so it can be as easy or hard as you want. I found a really enjoyable game on the Normal level, but one day I will go back and try hard.
The video manual is a great idea! I get really fed up with reading boring game manuals! I want to be spoon fed with the instructions. I hope more developers and publishers take note of this and do video manuals!
I probably played the game for about 30 hours to get from start to finish, although I do want to go back and try a different route and see the other ending! Replayablity is good in that respect.
There are some mini games (like sling shot and game of chance). They do add a bit of light relief, and - if you win - a bit of extra cash!
Overall it's wise to remember what you are buying when taking Neverend home. It's not supposed to be Oblivion, Morrowind or Guildwars. It's quite simply a classic RPG/Adventure that does what it does well and provides good value for money. If you like that sort of game, then you must own a copy - it's well worth the time you'll invest in it!