Review RPG Codex Review: Darth Roxor on Disappointment, thy name is Pillars of Eternity

[Whisper]

RO TIP: Dont delay exploration of Defiance bay (i cleared all available areas before i went into city), your load screens would be much longer than if you have hurried to city asap, ignoring other areas.
Since already in first area of city there are like 10 building (some have 2 floors!) loading screens can take a lot of time if you dont move to city asap after taking Stronghold.

 

[Volrath]

The only ones I didn't were South Park and F:NV (actually, I played that, but I ragequit pretty fast because I simply couldn't handle how terrible was the Fallout 3 engine and gameplay at its core).

It has better gameplay then Bloodlines

 

[Irenaeus]

Relevant http://howlongtobeat.com/game.php?id=13434

55-60 hours seems fair.

 

[Irenaeus]

The only ones I didn't were South Park and F:NV (actually, I played that, but I ragequit pretty fast because I simply couldn't handle how terrible was the Fallout 3 engine and gameplay at its core).

It has better gameplay then Bloodlines

PoE right? Because VtmB has way better gameplay than FNV.

 

[Lurker King]

Having better presentation than a game from 17 years ago is nothing less than the minimal obligation of a dev today, and role-playing elements like PoE has are the norm today.

A norm my ass. In Shadowrun and D:OS you can only roleplay killing everything that moves. If we consider the most recent games, the only ones that actually provides genuine roleplay opportunities (besides POE) are W2 and Dead State. The first is poorly written and the second is completely broken.

Suxor makes some good points, but he's obviously trying too hard. He has no consistency at all. That's the guy who adores Shadowrun: Daggerfall, a game that's fails even harder at every point PoE fails at.

Which just shows that all that biased and ultra demanding criticism is motivated by hatred towards Sawyer foolishness.

engrossing? what's engrossing about repeating the same actions a million times? It's not a matter of principle, i really want to know if you found the combat/itemization/spellcasting anything but boring.

This is just an empty criticism. How many games in the top 70 list of the codex have filler combat, repetitive stuff and boring items?

 

[Irenaeus]

loading screens can take a lot of time if you dont move to city asap after taking Stronghold.

Maybe in your third world country.

 

[Whisper]

Interesting info from Obsidian forums.

"OK, I tested myself using fraps/virtualdub how the reload time was calculated and everything is multiplicative like I suspected.

Here are the numbers for the arquebus (used the reload time without the delay you have between actions - which is about 5frames):

- 10dex, no other buff - 188frames (base)

- 10dex, swift aim (1.5 x reload time) - 126frames (188/1.5=125.3)

- 10dex, swift aim (1.5 x reload time), gunner (1.2 x reload time) - 105frames (188/1.5/1.2=104.4)

- 20dex, swift aim (1.5 x reload time), gunner (1.2 x reload time) - 81frames (188/1.5/1.2/1.3=80.3)

- 20dex, swift aim (1.5 x reload time), gunner (1.2 x reload time), chant (1.2 x reload time) - 66frames (188/1.5/1.2/1.3/1.2=66.95)

The results are pretty spot on, with the differences within 1frame".

 

[Scruffy]

engrossing? what's engrossing about repeating the same actions a million times? It's not a matter of principle, i really want to know if you found the combat/itemization/spellcasting anything but boring.

This is just an empty criticism. How many games in the top 70 list of the codex have filler combat, repetitive stuff and boring items?

all together?
I can't think of any

 

[Lurker King]

best writing can be found in games such as FO, FO2, F:NV, PST, MotB and maybe VMB and AP – AoD

FO2

Oh no you didn't.

Yes, I did. Although the game has some silly themes, most of them were executed brilliantly. So many things to remember.

 

[Bubbles]

all together?
I can't think of any

Dragon Age:Origins.

 

[Lurker King]

All this 'review' proves is that there will always be a contingent at the Codex who will hate anything Obsidian make. It must be really fucking depressing, not being able to enjoy video games.

This review should be entitled "Sawyer - The Pillar of My Eternal Butthurt"

 

[Irenaeus]

Interesting info from Obsidian forums.

"OK, I tested myself using fraps/virtualdub how the reload time was calculated and everything is multiplicative like I suspected.

Here are the numbers for the arquebus (used the reload time without the delay you have between actions - which is about 5frames):

- 10dex, no other buff - 188frames (base)

- 10dex, swift aim (1.5 x reload time) - 126frames (188/1.5=125.3)

- 10dex, swift aim (1.5 x reload time), gunner (1.2 x reload time) - 105frames (188/1.5/1.2=104.4)

- 20dex, swift aim (1.5 x reload time), gunner (1.2 x reload time) - 81frames (188/1.5/1.2/1.3=80.3)

- 20dex, swift aim (1.5 x reload time), gunner (1.2 x reload time), chant (1.2 x reload time) - 66frames (188/1.5/1.2/1.3/1.2=66.95)

The results are pretty spot on, with the differences within 1frame".

Almost a semi-automatic rifle.

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

engrossing? what's engrossing about repeating the same actions a million times? It's not a matter of principle, i really want to know if you found the combat/itemization/spellcasting anything but boring.

This is just an empty criticism. How many games in the top 70 list of the codex have filler combat, repetitive stuff and boring items?

all together?
I can't think of any

What about KoTOR? Also Drakensang.

Actually what the fuck is Drakensang doing in the top 70? I understand Dragon Age, but this shit is just irredeemable. It's even higher than some Wizardries. Who voted on this shit? German nationalists?

 

[Scruffy]

engrossing? what's engrossing about repeating the same actions a million times? It's not a matter of principle, i really want to know if you found the combat/itemization/spellcasting anything but boring.

This is just an empty criticism. How many games in the top 70 list of the codex have filler combat, repetitive stuff and boring items?

all together?
I can't think of any

What about KoTOR? Also Drakensang.

Actually what the fuck is Drakensang doing in the top 70? I understand Dragon Age, but this shit is just irredeemable. It's even higher than some Wizardries. Who voted on this shit? German nationalists?

haven't played kotor, but drakensang's combat was actually fun, and itemization was all right, considering that magical items are quite rare

 

[Rake]

This is just an empty criticism. How many games in the top 70 list of the codex have filler combat, repetitive stuff and boring items?

The bad ones

 

[Cassidy]

If this review is mostly correct on its details, then Drakensang: The River of Time is definitively better than Pillars of Eternity just like it is definitively better than Dragon Age.

 

[Bubbles]

Actually what the fuck is Drakensang doing in the top 70? I understand Dragon Age, but this shit is just irredeemable. It's even higher than some Wizardries. Who voted on this shit? German nationalists?

Pretty much, yeah. Remember that this was the pre-Blackguards era, so TDE fans who couldn't stomach anything with pre-2005 graphics were pretty much forced to vote for liquid garbage.

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

I'm well dubious about any 'big' kickstarters now.They are all meh at best imo. I think it's the small ones inside of which all hope for the future of goodness relies upon now.

In Underrail We Trust.

I'd have to agree. While D:OS and PoE are both fun (for whatever that's worth) I've failed to stay interested long enough to finish either game before something else caught my attention. The Shadowrun games are fun, but they really don't quite cut it. WL2 was a disappointing jumblefuck. I'd really love to say "I'm sure Torment will be AMAAAAAZING" but, y'know....

 

[Kz3r0]

A norm my ass. In Shadowrun and D:OS you can only roleplay killing everything that moves. If we consider the most recent games, the only ones that actually provides genuine roleplay opportunities (besides POE) are W2 and Dead State. The first is poorly written and the second is completely broken.

Only Shadowrun and Divinity managed to go 'scott free', only because the first was supported by fans of the setting, other people didn't care, and Divinity was never considered a 'serious' RPG.
Dead State was an outsider and was ripped to shreds by almost everyone when released even if it got a good review as well, the problem was that GGturds took the opportunity for attacking Annie and that muddled the waters.
Of the Codex most anticipated games Wasteland 2 got a glowing review by VD, exactly as PoE, funny isn't it, and people complained about it too, even if in a less passionate way as now.
In short your argument is invalid.

Suxor makes some good points, but he's obviously trying too hard. He has no consistency at all. That's the guy who adores Shadowrun: Daggerfall, a game that's fails even harder at every point PoE fails at.

Which just shows that all that biased and ultra demanding criticism is motivated by hatred towards Sawyer foolishness.

Roxor tastes are irrelevant, address the criticism, a Codexer being upset by the use of ceodexianism is quite hilarious.

This is just an empty criticism. How many games in the top 70 list of the codex have filler combat, repetitive stuff and boring items?

Yours is an empty rebuttal, it has been already stated that Pillows has all the bad of old IE games and very little of the good, besides pointing out how other games got shit in itl too is not a very good defense, it's only confirmPoE's mediocrity, and that didn't improve one bit on those older games.

 

[Stormcrowfleet]

I agree with 99% of the review, this game feels ''useless''. I don't see why I would play this instead of other Obsidian title, or even IE titles. It's not even fresh enough that it got that ''something which is not in the other games''. I finished it but I will not play it again, compared to the old classics. Hell, I even played Mass Effect more than once because even if it was flawed as hell, it was fun. This game was just tedious.

 

[tyrannosaurus rex]

I have to ask, why did the codex feature such a praising apologetic review of Wasteland 2, which was arguably a mediocre product, but then an Ok RPG by all standards, gets bashed mercilessly?

Tell me some here aren't bet on sucking that fucking greaseball's snake oil salesman dick.

 

[Kz3r0]

all together?
I can't think of any

Dragon Age:Origins.

A game that got Codex' GOTY award thanks to VD glowing review.
People complain about Roxor shit taste in games and past reviews but le'ts look a t VD ones:
DAO, great roleplaying, there is still hope for Bioware.
WL2, great roleplaying, Fargo did it.
PoE, great roleplaying, a modern classic, Obsidian did it.

 

[ZagorTeNej]

I'd have to agree. While D:OS and PoE are both fun (for whatever that's worth) I've failed to stay interested long enough to finish either game before something else caught my attention. The Shadowrun games are fun, but they really don't quite cut it. WL2 was a disappointing jumblefuck. I'd really love to say "I'm sure Torment will be AMAAAAAZING" but, y'know....

TToN could easily turn out to be great (I don't buy the "too many cooks" theory), so could PoE 2 for that matter (if they make a sequel which I see no reason not to given the warm reception overall). There was always danger that the first batch of Kickstarter RPGs was gonna be somewhat underwhelming in many areas with the short development time, limited budget, unfamiliarity with Unity etc. Not to mention the inevitable comparisons with old genre classics these games are (supposedly) inspired by, those are some high standards to live up to. I still see those games as a step in the right direction given that genre has been mostly dead for a decade.

 

[Immortal]

If this review is mostly correct on its details, then Drakensang: The River of Time is definitively better than Pillars of Eternity just like it is definitively better than Dragon Age.

Why has nobody mentioned this game? I found it by happenstance and although it's not like my favorite game of all time.. I really enjoyed Drakensang For What It Was™

 

[tyrannosaurus rex]

http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=9686

And In Conclusion

We can analyze the design to death and rejoice finding various shortcomings, but here is a simple and honest-to-God reason why I really liked Wasteland 2.

Like most people here, I play a lot of RPGs. Recently I played 4-5 games that shall not be named and couldn’t really get into them. Naturally, I suspected that maybe I lost my ability to enjoy games and get immersed due to age/kids/stress/etc.

Then I tried Wasteland 2 and couldn’t stop playing. The more I played, the more I wanted to. It’s a wonderful yet rare feeling that every gamer can relate to.

Does it mean that you’re going to like it? It depends entirely on your expectations. If you expected a long overdue sequel or a game that allows you to chart your own course, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. If you expected a game like [Fallout / Jagged Alliance / ‘best game evar’], you might be disappointed.

Fallout was a game where you explored the setting and could kick some ass if you chose to. WL2 is a game where you kick ass (i.e. combat heavy, which is the very definition of old-school design) and can explore the setting if you choose to. If you don’t, your mileage will vary.

Lastly, it's important to understand the context of Wasteland 2. RPGs have essentially been dead since 2005. Wasteland 2 is the second game and the instigator of what is probably an RPG renaissance. Wasteland 2 isn't just important for being a good game, it's important for being the first stepping stone on the way to Wasteland 3, Pillars of Eternity, Torment 2, countless other RPGs that would have never been made if inXile hadn't taken the risk to show that people still care about this genre. Wasteland 2 is the game that reopened the floodgates for RPG development.

Real RPGs.

Sure a... different tone!

So How Much did this Lemonade Stand cost Fargo? Uh DarkUnderlord you fucking douche.