Two Worlds 2 Review

This is for those who are debating getting this game or want a new RPG to play. WARNING! OBLIVION KILLER! (note, this game is not out for PC in the US yet. It should be out next week)

Many of you have heard of the Two Worlds series and many have not. For those who played the first one, I'm terribly sorry. It was a failure. A disgrace to RPGs everywhere. But, unlike most companies, the people over at Reality Pump said hey, what can we do to make this the most epic game of all time? Whatever they did, they did it flawlessly.

First off, let me say that this SERIOUSLY reminds me of Oblivion, Fable, and Assassin's Creed combined and on steroids. I've just began digging deeper into the game, in fact I'm a good 20 hours in and haven't even touched the main land yet, nor have I completely explored the island I'm on yet. It reminds me of Oblivion due to the limitless character customization. You can perform alchemy, and let me tell you it's worth it. I went on a Varn slaughtering spree to realize later that I had about 100 Varn hearts, which when 2 combined together make a gnarly health potion. Thats a lot of potions! There is also a ridiculous amount of gear you can get, and it all looks fantastic. You can get pigments to dye your armor so you'll never look like your a WoW character. The weapons are plentiful, you can get any range from sword and shield, dual wielding, polearms, and two handers, and there are A LOT.

By far, my favorite concept is the crafting. Say you just got out of a dungeon, bags filled with endless garbage loot that you have to drag all the way back to town and sell. Well, never fear! You can break down ANY armor and weapons you get into its bare materials, and use the materials to upgrade your current weapons and armor, adding bonus protection and gem slots. It really makes it fun to get garbage loot especially when your low on that iron you need to upgrade your new sword to full capacity.

The interface is a bit confusing at first. The item stats are all based on symbols that I myself had to look up on the internet. But compared to the first one, its a huge step up. Your items are exact pictures, so you know what they look like. The crafting is easy, with a quick hotkey combo to break them down faster instead of having to go to the (also fast) craft menu. The alchemy is simply another inventory tab (you'll get A LOT of ingredients), and you combine at least 2 ingredients into your cauldron and BAM! You made a potion! It even lets you save and name your recipes.

Combat is definitely clunky at first. On the starting island, I died A LOT. Luckily its easy to learn, and becomes ridiculously fun. You'll start upgrading your arsenal right off the bat and become a lean mean killing machine.

Graphics are AMAZING. This is a stop-and-stare game. The lighting effects are flawless. You can look under your characters shoulder pads and see his shoulders underneath, or (if you want?) look under his legs and see his crotch. Of course, meaning that in most games when you do that all you see is glitched pixelatedness. There are, however, some flaws. Framerate issues on the best of computers (and consoles too), and though the loading times are no burden, sometimes the city won't load fast enough and youll have character models sliding through the streets with their heads on the ground in front of them. But, nothing too serious.

I could literally talk all day, because there is so much about this game that you honestly need to play it. But the last thing I want to point out is the multiplayer. You create a new character online, choosing race and class, and can do standard stuff like deathmatch. But, there's a mode called adventure, where you can team up with up to 8 people and take on the long, 8 part, ridiculously fun raid-like experience. It's a blast. There's also a village mode where you get to run your own village, but I haven't tried that yet.

I'm giving this game a 10/10. Honestly. Not just because it's new and I'm stuck on it. This is seriously an amazing game, and ANY RPG fan out there needs to play it.

 

So. Skip the first? Play the second?

 

Definitely. I barely even played the first one but I don't feel like I'm missing anything story-wise. If you really need to know the story, its not complicated at all and can easily be found on the internet.

 

@JT - please correct me if I'm wrong. The early reviews from console in other countries is that the game is NOT one large open map and that its very story driven and not OPEN. Is this true?

If it's true this defeats the purpose of having a large, open ended RPG. That's what made Oblivion so special.

I do appreciate the review and look forward to hearing more about the game.

Best Wishes,

StevenX

 

Well the map is HUGE and open, but to advance the story you have specific quests, if you stray from this quest you only get side quests which does not advance the story.

 

How's the humor in the game? I can't stand a dark and grim game (Oblivion). Looking at the Sordahon videos the company seems to have a nice sense of, but it obviously doesn't show any gameplay.
Also, how is the story and NPCs? Hopefully not empty like Oblivions...

 

nikolai is correct. The map is gigantically huge. But, you do need to progress in the story. The purpose is not defeated with this however, as there are a lot of side quests and from what I've got so far it is LOOONNGGG. Like I said, I'm on an island that literally is nothing but a teeny tiny chunk out of the mainland (not to mention maybe 3 more islands the same size) and I'm a good 20 hours in. I haven't even explored the entire island yet. Trust me, on the scale of Oblivion this definitely compares

@Insanechinaman, the humor is great! It definitely has its moments, not to mention they swear a lot. I've even heard "shut the f*ck up". It's not gonna win a golden globe for best comedy writing, but it is satisfying. The story has more depth then Oblivion, because in all honesty the fact that Oblivion was SO open ended killed the story, because I mean come on, how many of you got out of the sewers on your first character and went, "awesome! do I do now!". Don't get me wrong though, Oblivion is my favorite game of all time.

Most NPC's are just kinda walking around, but when it comes to character development it delivers. Story characters have personalities and different voices. From what I've seen none of them look the same at all. The conversations in-game are like Assassin's Creed, i.e you can walk around in an area around the person your talking to, while your head stays facing the person. It also gives you conversation options, some just to find out more information or some to make a game-altering decision. Decisions are important. I ended up killing someone who was making an offer to me that I didn't want to take, and there ended up being a whole side quest about that persons ghost coming back for revenge.

Sorry, there's so much to talk about in this game its ridiculous. I hope that information suits you guys, any more questions feel free to ask and I will answer in as much detail as possible! I will continue to provide updates on how everything is going, the good and the bad.

 

@JT - I know it doesn't officially come out for pc until feb 8th. How does it perform and what type of setup vs FPS are you getting? What in game settings do you use?

Best wishes, StevenX

 

Ok, I just have to step in before people go all crazy.

Note: I've played the game's (EU version) single-player through completely, not just the first island. The US and UK versions have been held up for release until now, but the rest of the EU (mainland, as it were) has had access to the game for months - it was released in synch with Fallout:NV (and pushed back for uk/us because of some publisher issues and lack of desire to compete with NV).

The thing with this game is, it can be split in 5 'chapters'.

1) Tutorial island. linear quest in an open-ended, small island.

2) Savannah island (2nd in game). Has several major cities, lots of ground to cover, a boatload of content - about 20 hours on average to get through, I'd say.. The best part of the game.

3) Asia-themed island. More greenery, but ! less content than #2, both in size and quests; the main story kicks in and begins to get a bit raailroaded again. Overall, I can honestly say this part has about 2/3rds amount of content, compared to #2 (so.. 14-ish hrs)

4) The part where everything goes horribly, horribly wrong.

Okay, the game's map shows a big, huge, massive island in dead centre, easily twice the size of the savannah island. When I played the game, I was so anxious to get there, to have 'the real thing open up', as before it seemed like a very cool lead-in.. Er, yeah.

Turns out you are - by 'storyline' mechanics - locked in a tiny gated area within that island, with only one (main) quest and no side-quests at all, forced on a linear path to just mill through. I can honestly say I did this part - with significant backtracting and exploring, mind, unwilling to accept the fact that I'm locked out from doing my own thing - in about 5 hours.. I presume a 3hr run wouldn't be far-fetched at all.

5) Final part. This is, literally, a single long-ish dungeon (with a bit of a 'path-tunnel' leading up to the entrance). No extra content, no nothing. Just a final dungeon romp, culminating in a fight against the boss where your stats barely matter at all

Spoiler

////fighting a flying dragon with ballistas - your equipment and build, besides fire resistance, barely matter/////

That's it.


Now - what I am saying here: The game in singleplayer does NOT have Oblivion's freedom, nor content. It is, essentially, a set-up - the first parts of the game are really quite open and promising - as the OP has said - but the in-game map is a big cheat, promising you the big landmass you never get to in single-player, and the only open-world side-quest gameplay is on the first and second islands (after tutorial island, ofc).

And, of course, with game reviewers being too lazy to play through games properly (I don't mean the OP here ), they will claim the game has open-world and massive content, while in reality it does not - what you see in the first 20 or so hours is, realistically, what you'll get - period. So as far as single-player's concerned, it is a relatively short, mediocre RPG, with a very strong start and a very, very disappointing second half.

So if you are wanting to get Oblivion 2.0 - This game is nothing like that

 

@X2 - Thanks..! This is exactly what I had heard before. Thanks for the honest review. So to recap what you said to make sure I heard you correctly... Story Driven, Mediocre RPG that starts great and finishes weaksauce.

Best wishes,

Steven X

 

Yes, that's about it. I guess, on the upside, you can get a decent 40 hours or so - but comparing that to Oblivions 100+, entirely unlimited options, well, that's taking it way too far.

The game is rather well-optimized, mind - ran quite well on a 9700m GT card.

 

How's the crafting system in this game? (If there is any) Also can you hire people as your companion to be a part of your army? (if you could have one)

 

Err..............sounds like a lot of rpg's to me, then.

The only other game I got bored with, faster than Two Worlds 1, was Boreblivion and Rpg's are my favorite genre !

 

Crafting system - it's quite decent. Basically, you can break down any item to it's components (Like iron, blade edges, cloth, wood, and so on) - and then use those components to upgrade anything else (as long as you have enough materials, ofc).. So break down about 3 swords, and you can upgrade your halberd +4 to +5, boosting the damage a bit and extending the enchant slots.

In total, there is a +20 max (iirc), and the full version will make it a bit stronger than the next tier's +4 weapon of same class (and with a lot more enchant slots, which are quite important).

 

I honestly lol'd at "graphics are amazing" part. It looks downright mediocre even with everything maxed and 8xAA.

 

Heh, That I would agree with.. No real headway over, say, ArcaniA (s) or Divinity 2.. Standard 2010 fare, in fact - and the blur/glow/depth of field really need to be scaled back to get a sharp picture.

Anyway, one thing to note, this is how the interface looks like: http://www.galagogame.com/wp-content/uploads/Inv.jpg
Not something I'd call pleasing, frankly - in practice, managing character equipment (especially with defensive items) is a bit of a pain.

 

Hmm, not bad. However, is the game enjoyable to play?

Some WRPG's, such as Witcher or Mass Effects were just a bore, no real motivation to play and just felt dumb. And then other WRPG's such as Fallouts or Elder Scrolls are enjoyable and fun to play from the very beginning..

 

Well. For me, it was pretty dull. On the other hand, I liked ME, Witcher and TES games, so I don't think Ihave the same definition of dull/bore as you.

 

How can an rpg fan dislike Oblivion? That game defines RPG....

 

It is what it is !

To me nothing in the rpg market compares to the past............Fallout's 1 and 2, Planescape: Torment, IWD, Baldurs Gate, i.e.

Just about all , first person perspective rpg's anyways, seem to use the same generic formula, light rpg elements, more FPS aspects !

Hopefully the new Deus Ex will offer more than some of the latest rpgs have!

 

How can you compare Oblivion and Two Worlds to games like Baldur's Gate or Neverwinter Nights though? Yes they are all RPGs but the former are very individualistic whereas the latter are party-based. It makes such a huge difference to me. I can't exactly say why but I really dislike the experience of playing a party-based RPG like BG from that of playing a single-character game like Oblivion or Two Worlds.

 

All I can tell you is I've tried getting into Boreblivion twice and managed about 10 hours before un-install.......................maybe it had something to do with the in depth dialogue......................can you say "Rumors" ?

And Mass Effect, played both all the way through and both were decent games, at least a different setting, no wizards, trolls or goblins, but again felt like all other RPG's trying to be a FPS..................looking at you FO3 !

 

hmm il have to check it out... Two worlds 1 was a joke... think i had a archer set up that killed the endgame boss in 2 seconds lol.

iv noticed non have tried comparing this to DoA one of my fav rpgs... whats up with that =P

 

@X2Eliah, all i can say is holy crap. the entire beginning is just a damn illusion? I feel terrible! I haven't had much time to play (new semester of school just started). Thanks a bunch for the info, but in the back of my mind I'm really hoping your wrong. That mainland seriously looks beastly but if you can't even explore it, . Everyone else, please kick this thread to the curb. It is misleading and that is my fault. Sorry

 

I rented this tonight for 360 after reading this thread and seeing it on Joystiq recently... I don't know if I'm going to put down the $50 just yet, I really wish there was a PC demo.

The 360 controls/interface is clunky, but after looking up a few reviews this is mentioned often, that the PC version controls a lot better.

 

I'm curious - did you play Fallout 3 or New Vegas at all?

 

It is an admittedly long illusion, of course. Just that the Savannah and the Oriental islands make up about 80% of the game, and the in-game third island is very largely inaccessible in singleplayer, that's all.

Here's a picture of the map taken by someone who swam around the whole island with a boat, looking for ways to get on land... The central area is the one I mentioned for Chapter 4 (or, chapter 3, if you count tutorial as 0) - completely gated off area with no sidequests -, and the bit on the bottom peninsula is the lead-up path for the last chapters final dungeon.

All the areas in, well, unexplored white are inaccessible in SP.

http://b.imagehost.org/0007/SCREEN_0001.jpg

And here's a thread on Two Worlds 2 dev forum debating this issue with over 1800 replies..
Eikronas largely used for MP - ZuxxeZ Forum

 

If this is true, SouthPeak and Reality Pump are gonna get a lot of hate mail from me. How could you spend all that time convincing people the sequel to your terrible game is gonna be better, then make the actual game really good and then just blow the whole thing by stripping you away from the open-ended aspect?
I guess when I'm done with this I'm returning it. Probably for Rift. Then I'm gonna go back to Oblivion to play through it with my mage.

Other then that, I think the Savannah area is great. The controls are clunky at first but you really do get used to them. And what are people loling about the graphics for? They're amazing! Sure the character models and mouth movements could be better but the environments and player character armor always looks awesome. I'm gonna keep playing this and get back to this thread on it. But that pisses me off big time that a gaming company could just put in a gigantic island that you can barely even explore in all its RPG glory and just expect gamers to not care or not say anything? Like were you thinking dude

 

This game has an AMAZINGLY OPTIMIZED engine. The graphics and physics look much better than Assassin Creed's, yet I get double the framerates in this game at max settings (~45 to 50 fps) compared to AC (~25 fps).

 

Can I ask everyone a question.. does this game control like WITCHER?

Thanks,

StevenX

 

In a way, yes and no..

Melee weapons work in a similar way to the witcher - every attack you must initiate via the mouse button, there is no autoattack. You can use skills, of course, but it can end up as a button-mashing. The game says you canbuildup combos (similar to the Witcher's core attack sequences), but I never was successful with that, didn't notice any cue when it ought to be done.

As for magic attacks, they are a bit different, since you aim yourself - you don't 'click on an enemy'. And, of course, the perspective is a close over-the-shoulder one, so the overall feel is different.

In general - some similarities aside, the controls do feel different.

 

True had no problems at all with the performance

 

I honestly wasn't able to enjoy witcher too much because there were too many mouse involving action. I hope this has a better feel to it.

 

Yes.. i purchased witcher for 3 bucks and it's a waste for me. I dont like the controls at all.. The way it's stacking up I think two worlds is going to be a "SKIP" for me... So.. guess I am still waiting for HOMEFRONT!

 

I wanted so badly to like Witcher, I really did. Cool sounding story, beautiful environment... and then those odd controls. =\

 

eh the controls in the witcher arent that bad. I can't really get into it cause Oblivion has literally killed all single player fantasy setting open ended RPGs.

but, the controls in Two Worlds do feel a bit clunkier than The Witcher.

cheap trick right here (Two Worlds 2), if your melee and your fighting something big and that will kill you in 2 seconds, use a skill every time its about to swing at you and it won't hit you. its ridiculous