Baldur's Gate II was the longest the most fun games I have ever played!
The original Baldur's Gate was excellent in all of storyline, gameplay, music and stability. Now, nowadays, sequels usually mean a graphically-improved expansion (at best). Baldur's Gate II is a rare exception of the sequel clearly surpassing the original. And in the case of such great original, this means a lot!
Words fail to describe the perfect harmony of brilliant ideas, emerging story-line and detailed coding that makes this game an unsurpassed classic! Do not let the slightly outdated graphics discourage you. They were cutting edge only some years ago - and you will be able to unleash their full potential even on mid-range PCs!
I have yet to meet anyone who has played it and not raved about it! Hard-core D&D fans will find the character building, fighting checks and balances and overall experience very close to the actual pen-&-paper games.
Casual computer gamers will notice none of the tedious stuff of other cRPGs as the gameplay runs smooth and beautifully.
You even have the choice to turn it into either a turn-based or an action game by tweaking the auto-pause options! I am telling you: this is how computers games should be!
You will let yourself get lost in the deep dungeons of the labyrinthic story; you will be laughing out loud to the humorous dialog; you will be surprised as to who is a double and triple-agent.
There is an evil beyond imagining unleashed and only you with your party can stand in its way.
Party members offer a multitude of unpredictable balancing points and diverging story-lines of their own: side quests, conflicts and love affairs enrich the story in so many original ways!
Only three years in it, and CyberPunk 2077 is the most anticipated release of the decade.
CD PROJECT RED, the gaming Studio behind the legendary WitcherSeriesis bringing together mature Role-Playing Gaming in a Gibsonian hard-boiled cyberpunk setting.
Based on Mike Podsmith's 1990 Cyberpunk 2020 pen-and-paper RPG, the story has been hinted to borrow and pay homage to numerous pillars of the genre, from Blade Runner to the Sprawl Trilogy.
Fixers and Nomads, NetRunners and Techies, Razor-Girl Psychos and Max-Tacs - the mix keeps getting ever more explosive by each passing week.
If one remembers the (excellent) Divine Divinity, well gone are the days of isometric gameplay. Larian Studios started with a clean state and the result is a beautiful third-person action cRPG. The graphics are not cutting edge and yet they are gorgeous. Imagine what a cross between Titan Quest and Fable would look like today [by the way, ..."thank you" Peter Molyneux for snubbing PC gamers with Fable 2!].
The trees and flowers move slightly to the wind; the skies change in beautiful colors; the sunlight and shades play tricks to your eyes; the characters and gear are very artfully designed; and the fighting moves are impressive. If only the animation of the Non-Playing Characters (NPCs) were better I would be talking about one of the best-looking cRPGs ever.
Nevertheless, what grabs you from the beginning is not the imagery but the story. The first PC game to introduce flying like a dragon was Drakan: Order of the Flame. But a dragon-slayer who can shape-shift into a Dragon and back? That's some table-turning.
What is more, character development runs parallel to your Dragon development, on different skill trees. Diversification may satisfy your curosity but do not specialize at your own risk: as you advance you better have some well honed skills if you wish to survive and fight yet another day.
In the best cRPG tradition, there are quick-slots, inventory and life/mana/stamina levels as well as a small local map. Other than that the screen is free of unnecessary clutter.
What is more, I particularly appreciated the music, subtle or emphatic where appropriate. The same care was exercised to the sounds of battle, from unsheathing your sword to letting go of an arrow. As to the English dubbing (the original game was in German) it was very nicely done.
This Divinity II (Dragon Age Saga edition) includes both the (remastered) original Divinity II: Ego Draconis as well as its expansion Divinity II: Ego Draconis - Flames of Vengeance. Patch 1.497 is already out and I heard it to be especially useful for Win7 users (I cannot speak from experience on this one, I am sticking to my reliable WinXP until Win7 SP2 is released). Nevertheless, after (too) many hours of gaming I found no major bugs.
Now some more good news. The original game came with SecuROM 7 DRM - but that has been patched out. The game still requires OnLine Activation, mind you. Even if bought through STEAM, it will still ask for Activation when installed and you will have to de-authorize your copy when uninstalling. This may just barely clear my DRM-tolerance threshold, however, it is still much better than most triple-A games today.
The graphics are exceptional, the world is endless and beautifully designed, the battles are absorbing and the gameplay immersing. All in all, an excellent game and a major addition to any cRPG collection.
Inceptionis a movie built like a labyrinth, complete with a menacing minotauric presence and a guiding Ariadne; worlds within worlds and dreams reflected onto dreams like an infinity mirror effect.
Nolan takes the viewer deep, deeper than any other filmmaker in memory, and without holding your hand all the way he never lets you get lost. His vision has years compressed into hours, Paris folding onto itself, militarized minds and entire worlds built out of a single person's imagination. Yet in the end, his logic is solid and his story scintillatingly brilliant.
This is a bioSciFi, a cyberpunk and an action movie all rolled into a complex story in the near future, where not even our dreams will be safe and sharing our subconscious fears and fixations will only be an induced REM cycle away. A true and timeless Masterpiece of a movie.
Dive into Nolan's labyrinthine worlds-within-worlds with only music as your guiding thread. You will get lost - and you will love every second of it. The Inception SoundTrack is an extreme musical trip into the unknowable.
To anyone who has not yet seen this epic movie I would strongly recommend to do so. Nevertheless, the soundtrack stands on its own. Zimmer only had the script to go by so his compositions reflect his own take on the characters and events of the movie and are not simply there to complement the pictures.
The album starts off ominously with the short Half-Remembered Dream, reaches an early peak with The Dream Is Collapsing, turns playfully threatening with One Simple Idea to end with my favorite, Time, a majestic closing piece, full of new found hope and open sunbathed vistas.
If you think of buying this because you were blown away by the trailer music keep in mind that it is not included. That piece is called Mind Heist and it was actually composed by Zack Hemsey, not Hans Zimmer.
This is the music of the worlds within, the sound of our subconscious fears and most secret dreams; the sound of the pulsating thread that connects us with the Universe.
In 2007 a small Eastern European game developer (CD PROJEKT RED)...shows BIOWARE how to use their own Aurora engine. The original Witcher was the game that Neverwinter Nights had promised (but never managed) to be. Two years later BIOWARE picks up the glove and comes back with a strong response, the masterpiece Dragon Age: Origins. Unfortunately, its sequel, Dragon Age 2, does not live up to expectations. And this is all the opening the perfect sequel needed to come in and, once more, steal the show.
THIS IS HOW TO MAKE A cRPG SEQUEL!
There was to be an Xbox version of this game (and, probably a PS3 one later on). Nevertheless, The Witcher 2 is a game designed from start to finish for the PC. In an age when 7-8 years old consoles set the standard this is very important. From the brand new engine to the very last script line, everything that could be recreated from scratch was and everything that could be improved shows improvement.
The story is now even deeper; the graphics are several notches higher (even better than most modern First-Person Shooters); character development has been both streamlined and more balanced; equipping Geralt is now more detailed whereas loot is abundant.
It is possible (although not necessary) to import your character from the first Witcher. If, like me, you liked the original game, you will simply love the sequel.
LOOK AT THE SKY: IT IS THE WITCHING HOUR - EVERY HOUR!
The graphics are simply A-MA-ZING! I like the way the rock formations catch the moving shadows and how the wind stirs up dust. I like the subtle movement of the grass and the exploding colors of the wild flowers. I like the textures of the clothes, the shine of the armor and the glint of the swords. I like the way the sun gets in your eyes and the way rays of light play with the tree foliage.
What is also important, these graphics and dynamic lighting are achieved even on medium-built systems. Even more impressively, the game is set in a day/night cycle, and this is reflected not only on the levels of ambient light but also on the activities of the surrounding world.
THE WORLD AROUND YOU COMES TRULY ALIVE
Remember how in most RolePlaying games approaching a Non-Playing Character (NPC) usually means he or she would utter any one of a small number of preset phrases? After a while, you have heard them all and it got very predictable. Well, prepare to be surprised. Again and again.
This is a world you will truly be immersed into. A world that wakes up, goes to work, gossips, bickers and barters, and unwinds in the tavern. Walk the same streets at night and they are eerily empty. And that is without taking into account the ever changing weather!
The immersion is so total for yet two other reasons: not only is the world fully open from the very beginning (no blocked areas or closed bridges!) but there are no loading delays between areas (only between chapters).
THE LIFE OF A WITCHER IS NEVER BORING
Geralt is a real warlock, combining a mix of sword fighting with potions and spells. These are the three main character developing trees, Swordmaster, Alchemist or Mage. Sword moves, potion ingredients and spells can be combined - and all choices are meticulously balanced.
With the original Witcher it took me a while to master the timed sword-strokes - but it was really satisfying after that. In the sequel, sword-fighting has been simplified to the classic mod - and that is one of the gripes I have with this game (yes, us gamers are sure fickle!). The other is the short dialogue options. I like my cRPGs wordy.
Now, the story is far from being linear. Choices matter and choosing a path will bifurcate the story, most of the times irrevocably. And the story in The Witcher 2is as important as the fighting.
What I also appreciated was the return of consequences. Those of you who have played Baldur's Gate Saga know that bashing or picking the lock of a chest was a punishable offense if anyone saw you. In contrast, in Dragon Age: Origins you could rob the town blind and (quite unrealistically) the NPCs could not care less. Well, in this game, your character better behave or face the ever vigilant guards.
ADJUST TO YOUR ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF BINDING. AND, THEN, THE DREAM
The first retail versions of this game came with a simple disc-check, implemented by SecuROM. If you own Fallout 3, for example, you have experienced the same thing. Compared to the customer-abusing schemes out there (UBISOFT's and 2K-GAMES' ears should be burning at this point) I find this solution not ideal but palatable. And yet it gets better: the game is now DRM-FREE!
Even from launch, acknowledging the fact that most gamers would rather not have to deal even with this mild version of DRM, the developers made sure to also release a (digital) GOG version of the game which was DRM-free. Then, the very first patch (and all patches can be applied by simply using the game's launcher), removed all traces of the DRM. The Enhanced edition that came later was DRM-free from the very beginning.
Just for thinking like a gamer and truly respecting their customers, CD PROJEKT RED gets full marks in my books!
A FINAL SPELL
I have only praises for this magnificent sequel to a great game. It was one of the rare cases when I pre-ordered a game before I knew anything about it and was rewarded with a game that exceeded my highest expectations. I do have some advice for the game developers though.
First, keep showing the same respect to your customers and you will see that gamers know how to repay this with equal respect and loyalty. And finally, when the mega-publishers show up at your door with their mesmerizing bags of money, try to remember what happened to so many great game developing groups in the past that did not resist to temptation.
With my Highest Recommendations!
(and not only because, as promised, all of their past and future DLCs are free!)
Inception's trailer on YouTube by now has almost 15 million views. And for good reason. The movie was absolutely unforgetable. The selected scenes have been beautifully edited. However, what makes that trailer irresistible is the music. Because this is one of the most epic pieces of music ever composed.
As numerous spoofs have already shown, practically anything (from walking down the street to making a sandwich) can be turned into an epic moment with this music.
Contrary to what most people think, though, this is not included in the Hans Zimmer movie soundtrack (which is exceptional in its own right). This was composed by Zack Hemsey and you can find it here.
Make sure not to leave it out of your life's soundtrack!
Dungeons & Dragons Anthology is the ultimate RPG collection. It contains only masterpieces
and (if you move fast) for a great price one can own six of the greatest cRPGs ever
released!
All six are isometric Role-Playing games and (with the
exception of Temple of Elemental Evil) they are built on variations of
the Infinity Engine. They also share similar gameplay mechanics. They
are story driven (prepare to do a lot of reading when faced with
dialogue options - something I missed in their latest successor, Dragon Age: Origins), and they offer almost an infinite number of customizations for your hero and his companions.
If
you are hooked on graphics you should know that these games are no
eye-candy anymore. However, we have all played or rather tried to play
bad games with impressive graphics and know that a game does not have to
offer the latest graphics to grab you, immerse you into its world and
offer endless hours of escapist fun.
Because there are tons of reviews on the individual games (links provided), I shall only give brief descriptions of them.
BALDUR's GATE Saga: The Stone years. This includes Baldur's Gate I & Baldur's Gate II,
each with its own expansion (this is how it is done, good games are
followed by a single solid expansion - not a endless string of DLCs!).
ICEWIND DALE Saga: The Wood years. This includes Icewind Dale with its expansion and Icewind Dale 2. These games are very similar to Baldur's Gate and, although shorter, they are harder and require even more tactical thinking.
TEMPLE OF ELEMENTAL EVIL:
The Metal years. Although this game sports the best graphics of the
collection, it will require some patience because it is both built as an
older Turn-Based RPG (although one can turn it to real-time) and
introduces the first version of the character-action wheel (we would
later come to see in the NeverWinter Nights games). It is an acquired
taste but it does reward climbing the learning curve.
PLANESCAPE - TORMENT:
The Bone Years. I consider this to be the best game of the collection -
and I am a huge fan of the BG Saga. Planescape is dark and deep and
bittersweet and beautiful. It is intelligent and imaginative and the
music will enchant you. For ever. If I were to choose one game to play
for the rest of my life, this would be it.
Call it Progressive Rock or Gothic Metal, it matters not: this is the music dreams of all ages are made of.
Whether you are a teenager bursting with energy to burn or a former hand-banging middle-aged professor, you will find Within Temptation's Faster
to be a classic Rock song you will catch yourself air-guitaring to.
Great melodies, catchy lyrics, memorable guitar riffs and a very
uplifting beat.
The perfect song to run on your treadmill to.
Definitely NOT recommended while driving though. Speeding tickets can
get really expensive...
Were I a member of the gaming Industry right now (especially one of the 500-lbs gorillas the likes of EA and Activision/Blizzard) I would hang my head in shame. Because where conglomerates with literally thousands of employees have failed, a small Eastern European company of less than 30 people taught them all what gaming should look and feel like and how it should be marketed.
Who of the multi-billion gaming "giants" ever went back to rework and improve a game already released? And then offer the new enhanced version to their customers for Free? Yet, there you have it: thanks to CD PROJEKTRED gaming as an art-form is still alive and kicking!
The Witcherwas the most awaited fantasy cRPG in the past 3 years. Not only did the original deliver, but even more work has gone into truly improving it.When first released this was one of the most beautiful Role-Playing Games I ever played - and now, now it is gorgeous.
The environments are detailed, realistic, and can be experienced from up close. Grass, flowers and tree branches moved in both Fable and Titan Quest as well; these, however, seem so true I caught myself reaching for my...antihistamines! Weather affects and day-night alterations (you have to see the elongating shadows to believe them!) are just gorgeous! More importantly, these are not just eye-candy: certain NPCs and monsters appear only when the correct combination of time-of-day and weather coincide...The horizon is far and the clouds move in endless variations. It reminded me of the sky of the original Unreal, another visually ground-breaking game at its time. Pure. Visual. Magic.
The character (Geralt) can master both sword-fighting and magic spells (what is known in Western Europe as a Warlock). To some die-hard RPG fans this may seem like heresy, nevertheless, keep in mind that multi-classing is not unheard off. The movement repertoire for both practices are impressively designed. Especially the sword-fighting, it is at par to any console action game. And the spells (both offensive and defensive ones) are not less impressive.
Free roaming? Yes and no. One can decide which parts of the map he will visit but loading is still needed to travel even annoyingly short distances. And since quests and side-quest still have to be completed, yes, eventually a subtle, yet ever present, directionality is present.
Looting and bartering? Aaah...yes, sort of. You practically never change the swords you start off with (you do but much later in the game and the selection is not...vast), whereas good armor is only a little easier to come by compared to Planescape: Torment. Keep in mind that is is a true cRPG - not an item conveyor-belt the likes of Diablo3.
On the upside, you get to gamble (real men do NOT quicksave before betting on dice-poker!), have romantic relationships and bribe for information, so trinkets have other uses as well.
Detailed character modifiers? Nothing like the AD&D rules but you do gain talents (gold, silver & bronze) which you can spend to improve your fighting or magical abilities. You will only get a number of those (especially gold ones) so you have to choose wisely. At the same time this increases the re-playability of the game.
After replaying the game over and over these past years, I can find no fault with it. The camera placement, which sometimes got on my nerves (it is that Aurora Engine...), I got used to rather quickly. And the timed sword strokes that I had to learn how to land in order to get the sequence bonuses and maximum effect (and was bitching about in my initial review of the game), well, I got to love them so much that I even missed them in The Witcher II! Yes, us gamers, we are a fickle bunch.
This game brought a breath of fresh air to the scene when released. This Enhanced edition not only is a truly reworked game but it also comes full with detailed Manuals, beautiful Maps and all the extras that games used to come with in the good old days. Now, not only does this game include the best MODs and DLCs, but, in the respect-the-gamer-first spirit of CD PROJEKT RED, it is absolutely DRM-FREE!
Whereas the Baldur's Gate Saga was story-heavy but (by today standards) visually wanting and the NeverWinter Nignts Series was found, well, wanting in all aspects, The Witcheris the dream cRPG that BIOWARE was supposed to be capable of releasing all along but never did - and its current EA bedfellows surely put a stop to such aspirations now. That game, however, is finally here - and not from whom you would expect.
A tip of my hat to CD PROJEKT RED for keeping the art-form of Gaming alive. Well done indeed!
Baldur's Gate II was the longest the most fun games I have ever played!
