nulsul:I havent played NWN2. Is it as good as 1?
In some ways better and some ways worse ... but sadly the toolkit and multiplayer fall in the 'worse' category. Fortunately they are catching up. The patches have helped quite a bit ... and the expansions look to add even more.
From my original review:
Why is this a concern and what does it have to do with Neverwinter Nights 2? It is a concern because there are very few 'traditional' role-playing games made anymore - most are action RPGs, hack-and-slash adventures that look like Diablo or Oblivion, with simple quests spoon-fed to players and explicit map systems making completion as simple as killing everything between point A and B. Neverwinter Nights 2 can play like an action RPG in some ways - a characteristic that brought the original game simultaneous praise and criticism - but underneath the hood there is a fully implemented turn-based party system RPG that shares much with games like Baldur's Gate 2. These games ask you to actually play a role - to be good or evil, lawful or chaotic - in other words, they expect you to become a person within the game world and assume a full set of moral and behavioural characteristics that you will strive to maintain throughout the game - even if it means skipping quests, losing experience and being unable to make use of a particularly cool bit of 'phat lewt'. Your Paladin won't likely find himself in the brothel, while your rogue will find herself losing bits of conversation in distraction at the nice watch on the jacket pocket of the local innkeep. I personally hope that both types of games can continue to be made - but reality tells me otherwise. In the real world, a game that sells tons of copies by appealing to action gamers, FPS fans and RPG fans alike on both PC and console platforms will definitely turn on more light bulbs in the minds of publishers than a relatively strong selling PC-only game with little appeal outside of traditional RPG fans. I see the success of Oblivion translating into fewer games like this gem, and placing more onus on independent developers like Jeff Vogel at SpiderWeb Software to carry the ball for fans of traditional role-playing games. I hope I'm wrong and that in a few years time I will be playing sequels to Oblivion, Gothic and Neverwinter Nights again in the same year. Until then, I need to get back to toasting some Githyanki with fireballs from my female Sorcerer named Trislyn - wish her luck!
-- Mike Managing Editor - GamerDad Editor - RPGWatch
chris100185: Not ever series can bat 1000, not even the best ones. What are you least favorite games in the series you hold most dear.
Not ever series can bat 1000, not even the best ones. What are you least favorite games in the series you hold most dear.
Well I hated the original Dynasty Warriors.
My favorite series is Metal Gear, and MGS3: Snake Eater was my least favorite.
If you include Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake for MSX, then my least favorite would be MGS3: Snake Eater.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It completely paled in comparison of the games before it, with its repetitive gameplay, horrible console-oriented UI, and weaker plotline.
Shadin: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It completely paled in comparison of the games before it, with its repetitive gameplay, horrible console-oriented UI, and weaker plotline.
Quoted for absolute truth ... but I didn't think Morrrowind was all that great either.
I played Morrowind for a while. The world was large and expansive. But it just felt so lifeless and fake.
Oblivion was the opposite. Just so much to do and interact with. i stopped playing after spending 5 hours in the first city trying to pick locks and break into places.
DMC2, Twisted Metal 3 and 4, Street Fighter EX, GTA Liberty City Stories, Resident Evil Outbreak, Deus Ex Invisible War...
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kube00: DMC2, Twisted Metal 3 and 4, Street Fighter EX, GTA Liberty City Stories, Resident Evil Outbreak, Deus Ex Invisible War...
now that list is fixed!
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nulsul:Final Fantasy X.... hated it.
Final Fantasy X was my favourite in the series (that I've played) FFI or FFVII would be the worst for me.
Thunder Bay
Resident Evil outbreak is crap on a crackerFF8 was the worst, followed closely by FF10
My least favorite FF would be VII, Followed very closely by XII. VIII falls about middle for me.
I think I hated FF10 the most because it was the most linear... a-b-c-d NO room for going back until the end force you to watch 40 min of CS followed by 10 min of play followed by 40 more min of CS. Thinking back did you really 'play' FF10 or watch it? Seriously everyone who loves FF10, I challenge you to go back, play it again, and not skip any CS’s. +
Not that this is a bad thing MGS4 was great... I just didn't care for it in my FF series.
I liked FF12. It had plot, wasn't a love story... & it had plot. It also helps that I actually am one of the few people who liked the battle system.
On the same note as FF10, I hated kingdom hearts 2.
"Where's Riku" "I miss Riku" "You saw Riku? Really? Where?" "Orginzation 13 has Riku?" "Oh yeah Kari, I almost forgot about her" "Now let's go find Riku" "Riku, Riku, Riku" *
It seemed like they just threw it together, every level was beatable in 1 hour... and it just was lacking.
Sure the controls were improved, the graphics were smoother... but if a game doesn’t have a decent plot, you've lost my interest.
+Note: most JRPGs are very linear, and the FF series has set a standard for CS’s. I felt that 10 was excessive and found lacking actual game play.
* Note: not an actual conversation or quotes from the game. Names may have been changed to protect the innocent. Fanboys of Riku need not reply. Actually taking my reviews completely seriously may cause bleeding, nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, and in rare cases death. You have been warned.
FF XII had a decent battle system. Funny thing is that was the one thing I was hesitant about with it. turned out to be the only thing I liked. The story was boring, the characters even more so. Boss battles quickly devolved into quickening spamming, with one boss that being the only reliable tactic.
The Art direction in the game was disappointing by regular standards, put up against the creative stuff we got in previous FF games, it's just plain horrible. Nearly all the evironments look like something that was ripped out of Free Korean MMO #32.
And the level design was worse. I always had fun exploring the creatively designed dungeons of past FF games. The dungeons here are just squares linking to rectagles linking to more squares. There's just no creativity to their design. They feel like they were just slapped together like building blocks. And even if they weren't incentive to explore is gone, since the treasure chests are now random and filled with crap. I used to love exploring dungeons trying to find that hidden chest with the really strong weapon for the point of the game. Now you open one of the randomly spawning chests you come across..... "97 Gil" Wow, that's so useful midgame.
nulsul:I think I hated FF10 the most because it was the most linear
I think that is why I enjoyed FFX so much It was also the first non-sports title I played. I've played through it 3 or 4 times, always with 80+ hours on it and I quite often found myself just playing blitzball. I find the lack of direction in RPG's a little overwhelming, which is why I'm still in the Citadel in Mass Effect
I don't think the CS's compare to Xenosaga though, I watched some of those when my wife played them and I couldn't believe the length of some of the scenes.
The one thing I didn't like about FFXII was the battle system. Chris100185 makes some very good points that I agree with, but overall I was pleased with the game. It was disappointing for the last FF on the ps2. Not my favourite FF game, but it's right behind FFX and FFIX (for me).
Chick with bunny ears beats anything FF10 had. Game, Set, Match.