12.7.2008

I started out by renting this game as it had such mixed reviews. I love games such as Zelda and Fable and I was hoping for something on the same level, which this game isn't.The general plot of this game is simple and predictable and not the reason why you will play this game through to the end, which is a shame but not critical as the side stories are good enough to keep you exploring. Basically you play a mercenary who's sister is abducted. You must follow directions in order to discover a family secret which has resulted in you and your sister being targeted. The main plot is not very long and in itself would only take a few hours to complete. However, there are many,many sidequests to keep you busy and enable you to earn the skill points needed for levelling up.It begins poorly. Firstly there is no tutorial session which is really needed in a game such as this. Although your first encounter involving you fighting a few 'groms' is in itself unchallenging, from then on the game becomes much harder, with almost any battle ending in death for our poor mercenary. If only a small tutorial session had been included at the start to help explain the many menus and just how important levelling up is in this game it would make this game much less frustrating at the start.Renting a game never gives a player much insentive to stick with a game and after about an hours play I switched off the xbox irritably. However, I re-read some of the reviews on here and decided that I would give it one more go, after all it's months till Fable 2 comes out!!After a couple of hours playing this game it suddenly got alot better. As soon as you start levelling up in your chosen area(s) - vitality, strength, dexterity, magic - you find battles becoming increasingly easy.This game is simply HUGE. Other people have commented on how difficult the maps are to read but I have to say I did not find this at all. Once I had started to explore the world properly I found the maps extremely useful and easy to use. The other menu screens are also great, although they do take a while to get to grips with and I found myself flicking through the instructions, which is something I rarely do with games. There is an inventory screen, where as you would expect you can see everything you are carrying and what items you are currently equipped with. The range of items in this game is truly staggering, I am about two thirds of the way through it now and I am still finding new things all the time. You get new items from chests and cupboards found in people's homes or in enemy camps, along with the bodies of your victims once you have despatched them. There is an enourmous range of armour, weapons, potions, gems (which can be cooked in you alchemy pot to form magic potions which make your weapons stronger), money (there are traders throughout the world where you can buy and sell items) and other useful items which you will need. You are limited by the weight of the weapons and armour and levelling up in strength is needed to carry more. You can also combine two of the same items you have found, making your armour or weapon even stronger. I'm a female gamer and reading about weapons and armour would normally make me yawn but this aspect of the game is really great (and essential for surviving battles with necromancers, bears and ogres!).The other menu screens include your skills screen and your ratings with the many guilds found throughout the world. Your skills screen is split into two sections, one showing your four main skills (vitality etc) and the other sections showing a array of less important skills such as horse-riding, swimming, balance, lock-picking, archery, and so on. I haven't counted all of these but there are lots and only a few are unlocked at the start of the game. Levelling up in these areas are just as important as the four main areas, and the ones you chose will often depend on what route you have chosen for your mercenary. For example, if you have gone down the path of a warrior you will value skills such as balance and ability to weild 2-handed weapons, where as if you have decided to become a mage skills in magic (fire, air etc) will be of much greater use to you. Magic forms a big part of this game, there is a menu screen devoted to this which shows you all magic cards that you have picked up or bought. Simply owning a magic card does not enable you to cast that particular spell, you must continue to level up in order to be strong enough to cast them. Additional items like magical cloaks and staffs may be used to increase the strength of these spells as well.When playing this game you can follow the main story or you can wander off and explore the world and meet its many creatures and people. Other people have commented on how alive this world seems and I want to reiterate this. There are SOOO many animals running and hopping around this world that you really feel part of a world rather than running around an empty world full only of baddies or people essential to the plot of the story. Many of the animals, such as bears and wolves will attack you, and can prove something of annoyance at the beginning when 3 wolves can easily kill you and you find yourself running in terror from an enourmous grizzly bear. These get increasingly easy as you progress however and soon prove little distraction. Many other animals are harmless however, from the birds singing in the trees to the snakes wiggling across the forest path in front of you. I have even stumbled across a deer grazing innocently deep in the forest.The world itself consists mostly of forest, with towns and villages dotted throughout. Bandit and orc camps are found frequently alongside forest paths and the many caves provide great opportunities for levelling up with an abundance of enemies to fight. The graphics are great, maybe not as good as they could be considering the console's capabilities, but very good all the same. I'm playing on a HD tv so have had no problems seeing the writing on screen, something other people have reported. Overall, I think the graphics are great.One major gripe I have with this game, and something that nearly caused me to stubbornly never play it again, is the voice acting. Perhaps americans don't notice it as much as a british person, I don't know, but there is nothing good about a VERY american accent speaking olde english/pirate lines. I still find this very irritating, especially as it seems the makers have gone to great effort with the dialogue. However, it shows how good this game is that I can see past this problem (just). One liner's like 'looks like my mother-in-law' when he sees an orc only makes this worse!When interacting with people you have freedom to do as you wish. You can steal from peoples houses but be warned, do it out of sight as the villagers will all fear you after and if you are in a town they will chase you and kill you. If you fight back, as I did in one major town where I had quite alot to do, the city guards will then come after you and you cannot safely return to the city.There are 2 kinds of person, people will either give you advice in response to an array of possible questions you can chose to ask or they will give you a task, usually in payment of money (well you are a mercenary) or respect within that particulary guild. If you can't resist stealing, don't worry too much if the person present is a task setter as these will quickly forgive you once you have run away and returned. Other people don't seem to forget however. I tried killing a man who asked me to kill someone else for money, thinking that I could just take the money he was offering directly. Here, realism is lacking however as after he died he disappeared (unlike anything else in this game, where the bodies remain throughout the game) and I had 'failed the task'.When wondering round you come across enemies which you quickly realise are too advanced for you at your current level. That is what I love about this game, you are completely free to do what you want to do - if you stumble across an enemy that is too difficult you can simply wander off (or run off) and come back later when you feel you are ready. There is definately no linear pattern to this game and no pressure to do anything other than explore if you want to.Overall, this game is well worth buying for fans of this genre. I have not yet played oblivion so I am not able to make the comparison that everyone else has made (although I will of course be purchasing this game in the near future). I can only compare it to Fable, which although is far superior game is at least a good indication as to whether you will like this game. Definately worth buying but remember that levelling up is essential (horse-riding is near impossible without levelling up a couple of times in it first) and you will have alot of fun!!

8.10.2007

Before venturing out to my local Computer Exchange and trading in Blue Dragon for this game I spent a while reading the reviews on various websites and knew that I was taking a risk with Two Worlds, but it was one that, in my opinion, has certainly paid off.Firstly, you need to give this game time. I would say at least between 10-15 hours before you start to realise that its actually very good. I was going to try and write this review without mentioning Oblivion but that is going to be impossible so I am going to list the reasons why I think its better, and why hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I am.The Map - As an avid RPG fan I love the free roaming experience, exploring and finding new terrorities,turning round the corner to be comfronted by a huge castle or abandoned theives den, or perhaps some ancient Dwarven ruins that have not been looted and this is a constant occurance in Two Worlds. There is so much more to the map, in Oblivion you could walk for miles without anything being around - Yes the scenery was great but in Two worlds you may see a rabbit or other wildlife dance suddenly in front of you, hear some wolves howling over a distant creek, watch some orcs sit around a campfire and so much more. My point is that the world is so much more alive! The settlements and villages feel real and there are so many of them its easy to forget the MQ and concentrate on increasing your reputation with the 8 (yes, eight) different guilds on offer. The Capital is amazing, each village and town has plenty to offer, there are mines, caves, ruins, isolated houses, fishing villages, islands, villages that have been burnt to the ground, grom (goblin) camps, castles, war fields and so much more to be explored, conquered and visited.The amount of armour and weapons is endless. You are constantly adding new breastplates, helmets, trousers, boots and gloves all with unique stats and every single one looks different on your character - He can have the appearance of a horned devil or wear the white mage robes of an angel. Customisation is an absolute joy, you will never get bored of it. The armour graphics are pretty impressive, its enjoyable to see your hero in a new set of armour that looks completely unique and different to the last outfit they were wearing.Similar items can be combined in your inventory to produce even better ones. This makes every item useful in some way and easier for you keep creating that perfect weapon. Basically if you don't sell it to make money, use it to enhance your own equipment You can add fire, cold, spirit effects to your weapons to further enhance them and weapons with elemental damage will flash and shimmer with their elemental colour - A simple but great touch and the variety of weapons is simply brilliant.Levelling - One of Oblivion's biggest complaints was the fact that you could, in theory, complete the game as a level 1 character. In Two Worlds, just as you think your hero is indestructible, you go toe to toe with a Cyclops and he kills you with one swing of his fist. They are many more enemies too, including Dwarves and Dragons, and the variety keeps you interested, intrigued and hooked for ages.The storyline of Humans Vs Orcs is not hugely original, but there are enough twists and turns to keep you engaged and for those like myself who just enjoy heading off the beaten path and just doing your own thing, trust me, there is more than enough to keep you going. Much more than Oblivion had to offer, much more.The fighting is better than Oblivion. You can hack'n'slash your way to the top (and learn mountains of different sword skills from trainers) or use potions created in your own alchemy pot and magic learnt from The Society or Necromancers to magic your way to ultimate supremacy. You choose - (Did I mention you could be a thief with the sneak mode too?) And the magic is simple to understand with a decent interface.For those of you who are still reading and shouting out about the graphics, the loading times while travelling and of course the map interface - Relax, the rose tinted glasses aren't glues to my face and I realise there are drawbacks and glitches. The map is difficult to understand and navigate at first but come on guys, we are gamers! It does not take us long to master such trivial matters and Two Worlds was no different. Difficult at first but after a while you will be using the LT and RT with the same sort of fluidity that Oblivion offered.To summarise, its a great game but maybe perhaps not best suited to the casual RPG player. Its intelligent, playable, interesting and has a world that keeps on offering new challenges, new ideas and new ways to enjoy yourself. The graphics are definately next generation and I think offer a bit more of a darker atmosphere than the gloss of Oblivion. Some reviews suggest its a combination of Morrowind and Oblivion - This is not completely inaccurate but it certainly carries its own identity well.Buy it, give it a chance to breath, then enjoy the life that Two Worlds will offer you.

17.9.2007

Firstly, lets dispell a few myths and a few things other reviewers are bangin on about. Basically everyone is comparing this to oblivion. However, Oblivion is not some godly game that is perfect. For sure it is a great game but it actually has some very limiting flaws due to the style they aimed for, which is a watered down rpg aimed at consoles. Two Worlds is a more ambitious attempt at an old school style pc rpg game. It is a good attempt but needs some work. It certainly is not Oblivion 2 which is what a lot of reviewers seem to think as it is trying to tackle a different style to Oblivion.Oblivion is actually from a very large and long running series of games (such as elder scrolls, daggerfall,arena). It has been developed over decades. So if oblivion was not a well polished great game it would be a disgrace. Two worlds is this company's first attempt at this! Given that it is a great achievement in my eyes.So lets compare a few aspects in favour of two worlds;Oblivion is smaller and Two Worlds is huge.The game play in Oblivion isn't open really at all. Everyone ends up doing the same stuff. Two worlds is vast and your actions will change how you can do the game. I could see someone playing two worlds multiple times doing it different each time.Oblivion had a very limited set of items, skills and spells. Very limited in rpg terms! Two worlds has a huge array of items, and offers many skills and spells which make you able to create unique characters.The combat in oblivion comprises of hacking, healing and running away largely. Two worlds again is a lot of hacking but it offers skills and spells which make you feel like you can develop techniques and methods to fighting. Still not great to be honest but its a start!Oblivion has very little character development, Two Worlds has plenty.Ok lets go for the bad for Two Worlds which Oblivion does well;Oblivion is superbly done in terms of getting you started and is so easy to pick up and play. Two worlds offers nothing to help and the menu system is very confusing if you are not a rpg fanatic. It is in desperate need of some good guides to explain things such as weapon damage etc.Oblivion does not have many bugs. Two worlds seems to have a fair few.The menu systems in oblivion are way easier to use altho aren't perfect by a long way.Oblivion has a very clear path and strong storyline to follow. Two worlds you can easily get lost doing other quests and stuff for days (is this a bad thing?!)Travelling in oblivion is easy, Two worlds it can be painful esp since horses are hard to work.Character generation is very detailed in oblivion; Two worlds it is pointless but I have never thought this adds to a game anyway!Oblivion has better sound and better graphics overall.Saying that, the graphics in Two Worlds aren't bad. The environments are nice and the buildings look good. The characters aren't bad either. Altho the blood splattering in fights is simply abysmal. Showing damage or something would have been much better.The sound effects are shocking altho I actually like the chessy ye olde speak all the characters do. It adds personality to the game. The fact your character speaks also is a nice change.Overall, yes this game would be a horrific pain to those not used to rpg's. It is a game to spend days playing getting lost in quests and trying to get better equipment. It really is an old school rpg pc style game. Anyone who says it is terrible clearly did not give it a chance.So if you want a nice and easy pick up and play rpg game to get into the genre then buy Oblivion. It is a great example of modern gaming. If you want something that offers much more of an open experience with more potential get Two Worlds but be prepared to stick at it.I myself have been playing rpg's on pc's for years. I completed oblivion and it was a very good game but I have only started two worlds and I already feel it offers more for me to get into as a full blown rpg. In some ways it really is a very charming game and the sometimes daft/strange dialogue/storyline/style just adds to this. It also seems to be strangely addictive.

20.3.2011

When writing this review, I find it difficult where to begin when describing this game's enormity. I came to this game expecting the worst, and boy was I in for a surprise. I've spent at least 4 hours playing this game, and i've only covered about 8 percent of the map. Don't believe IGN or any other "trusted" reviewers when they talk about this game, because they don't really know what they're talking about. When they constantly go on about how this game is "too hard", it's because they don't understand what a true RPG is actually about. I could go on forever with how amazing this game is: Excellent Magic System, Inventive levelling up system, Awe-inspiring world which is at least twice as big as Oblivion is (I own both games,and I know what i'm talking about) and so much more, which I won't reveal as I want to leave it to you to discover the many other brilliant aspects of this game.BUT, this game is not without it's problems (sadly):1) The Frame Rate in this game is absolutely Appalling. Upon originally starting this game up, my typical frame rate was constantly varying between the nice smooth rate of 30fps and a disgusting 5fps. HOWEVER, there are ways I've learnt to combat this to get a constant 20-25fps with occasional hitches for area loading. If you go to the pause menu, and go into the video options, TURN UP THE HDR TO THE MAXIMUM. This will, despite making the lighting a bit more pronounced will leave you with a stable frame rate allowing you to enjoy the game without much bother.2) Glitches are common in this game. During my time in this game I have come across enemies hiding in rocks and shooting you with bows (run away and they'll come out allowing you to kill them), when moving forward you're legs don't move and you "glide" across the ground, and sometimes words or even whole sections of dialogue are cut out during conversations. I haven't come across any game breaking glitches though, some thumbs up for that!3) The controls aren't always responsive, but i've only encountered this once, and that was when my character continuously ran in a straight line when i told him to stop moving.4) Character Models aren't up to the standard of 2007 (the year this was released), which leaves for some wishful thinking about what this game could've had done to it in the time it had.But other than this it's actually really good. Coming from an independent developer, and being released less than a year after of the almighty Oblivion, this isn't actually a bad game. After a extensive comparison of this to oblivion, i've come up with a conclusion to my findings. If you buy this expecting another oblivion, don't get your hopes up. However, if you're looking for a truely hardcore RPG, then by all means, roll on up, as this is your game. Is this Oblivion on Steroids? No. However, it IS a truely fantastic RPG which any fan of rpgs or open world games will enjoy. I'm loving this game, and i'm looking forward to buying the second one!

20.9.2007

Two Worlds is often compared with other role playing games like Oblivion. Gamers who loving Oblivion, often disappointed when they play Two Worlds: only one race, no class selection, no primary/secondary skills. After a hour Two Worlds looking more like Diablo. Combat is stupid: hit, hit, enemy dead. Sometimes the hero needs a potion, but the combats are simple like diablo.But Two Worlds is a game that needs more hours to play, to get a chance to show what it can bet!My first impression was: what a stupid game! The enemies don't level with the hero, like Oblivion. The skills doesn't rise when using, you can put earned skill points as you like in each skill. The combat is really simple: fight and win.

15.2.2008

I cant understand all the negative reviews. I bought the game about a week ago and my only regret is that I waited so long to buy it because of all the negative reviews. Sure it has some flaws but which game hasnt? Other reviewers have mentioned the following negative points as reasons not to buy the game.Graphics: The graphics may not be as consistently excellent as oblivion however they are very good considering the sheer size of the game. The level of detail on the armour and weapons is great and the animation of your character is also good. There is nothing cooler than watching him draw twin blades from his back and twirl them around like a real bad ass.I think people who have been dissapointed had unrealistic expectations because of all the hype surrounding the game.

20.9.2007

When I first played two worlds my impression was its rubbish. But after just half an hour - an hour of playing I realised what a great game it is.The way you increase level and choose your own skills and level options is very good rather than being stuck to the skills you choose at the start as in oblivion. The levelling up system is much better than in oblivion where you get experience points from completing quests and killing people to level up rather than using a certain skill.The ability to combine weapons, armour, rings, bows, quivvers, everything that are the same is extremely useful and helpful it means you can hold more and make weapons more powerful.

10.9.2007

admittedly when i first played the game i was shocked at awfull some features were such as character creation and the opening cutscene followed shortly by the jerky introduction to the game my immediate reaction was:why have so many people compared this game (that appears to demand to be hated) to oblivion?and i turned it off in disappointment., (which reflects a lot of reviews that people have already posted)however...i thought i would give two worlds another chance later on in the day and now two days later i am completely addicted. full on knights of the old republic addicted.and so here is my conclusiongraphics: the surroundings are beautiful and the the attention to detail of the surroundings are immense.size: the map is huge!

17.2.2008

My son bought this game, spent half an hour or so on it and gave up. It was consigned to a drawer, but was pulled out and given to me for my birthday.Initially, my reactions were the same as my son's: I couldn't figure out what was going on.Eventually though, it all started to fall into place and I've now spent sixteen, mostly enoyable, hours playing it. I guess that I'm probably about 1/3 of the way through.I would agree with a lot of what has been written about Two Worlds, both negative AND positive:At the lower levels, it is hard, especially given the lack of instructions: I spent £4.99 on a guide (the local game shop was selling them off cheap) and it made a huge difference. To start with though,

20.9.2007

This reviews title refers to a classic bit of hammed-up fake medievil dialogue from the intro to Ultima 3 on the old PC. And no more fitting an introduction could there be to a game like Two-Worlds that never knowingly avoids a horendous fantasy cliche and fearlessly horendous accent. I would have to say that, for me at least, this is part of the charm of this rather ambitious attempt to straddle the world of the single player FRP game and the ever popular MORPG concept. It succeded non-the-less but with obvious reservations and much room for improvement. The single player campaign allows for limited character customisation in terms of appearance that is not significantly enhanced in the online play,

12.2.2008

Am I the only person on the planet that didn't like oblivion? I do love rpgs, but oblivion just really, really annoyed me. Super stealthy ninja that can't kill a commonner in his bed? Rubbish. So I picked up this, on the cheap, just for something to while away the hours waiting for Fable 2 to come out and it is brilliant! Yes, yes. At first you could be forgiven for being disappointed, the acting is abysmal and the character animation while in discourse is akin to thunderbirds puppets but once you get over the initial shock it actually becomes quite endearing. What I really like about the game is exactly what the first reviewer here says - there is sssssssooooooooo much to do!

16.7.2007

as soon as i got this game(i somehow got one on wednesday) i hated it, i really hated it (the cuztomisation screen is terrible, but youll learn it really doesnt matter) i was expecting an oblivion replica and ofcourse it wasnt, but why should it be? i thought i made a big mistake but i eventually came to like it alot its a lot less dark than oblivion and youll need to understand that the best way to show how this game is good is by comparing it to oblivion:oblivion is better because -graphics-characters appearance, races - in two worlds can only be a basic human-simple to understand maps etc - its a real looking map in TW, very complicated, dont worry tho youll get the hang of it-not (so)

1.2.2010

I played this game over 3 months (big time)and thought its quite big then the south side openned up and it almost doubled againI have completed blue dragon (kinda repeats itsself over and over after a while)Oblivion I have but just cant get into it and I have tried many timesGTA's and the likes but none are like this and i almost didn't buy it cause ofthe comments from people who simply have just tried it and not given it the chanceit so rightly deservesBut this game affter you work out whats what and the idea its a roller coasteralways something new happening, fights can be too easy and two minutes later way to hardwhich makes you run off.

8.10.2007

I have to say I had a good read of all the reviews on this game on Amazon and as such said to myself, "Ah, steer clear of this one then". Then whilst bored and wanting to spend some money I thought what the heck and bought a copy.After playing it for what seems like ages now I have to say it's really enjoyable, loads of different weapon and armour styles, a vast variety of monsters and wildlife to fight with and some interesting quests to complete. The graphics are great although some of the collision detection isn't (doors can open through you). The speech IS a bit wooden but it's quiet funny to listen to when you get used to it (It brings to mind an American version of Ye Olde English).Now then,

16.9.2007

I have to be honest, I considered sending this game back within ten minutes of playing due to the awful graphics, wooden acting and the feel that it wouldn't look out of place on a ps1!!However, I carried on and realised that the game needs time to load data into the cache. When it had time to do this, the graphics actually became pretty awesome and now I'm totally hooked due to the large and diverse world that has been created, and the challenges given to you during the story. On the other hand, the acting doesnt get any better and you certainly don't get the realistic character interaction that you get in Oblivion.Despite this flaw, the vast array of customisable weapons and armour,

Two Worlds (Xbox 360) - Reviews

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