One massive aspect of any role playing title is leveling up, indeed it’s a personal aspect which can affect the overall enjoyment of a game. As players explore the vast world of Antaloor they can collect skill books which unlock various skill trees, unlocking new skills or spells in the process. Similarly they can find magic cards which allow your character to use and combine magical spells and elements. The real leveling up comes from fighting enemies and completing quests and I was very impressed with the upgrade screen, it was tidy, organized and very clear. Veterans of the RPG genre may find it rather more pedestrianized than they would like but the inclusion of the magic card system will likely bring some enjoyment for the collectors among us.
Visuals are far from the best available on the marketplace, however credit must be given for the expansive and diverse nature of the environments. Two Worlds II stretches from the usual rolling green pastures, to dinosaur filled jungles and Asian inspired towns. It doesn’t look half bad either, it’s a mammoth leap forward from the first game and some of the visuals rival the likes of Oblivion and Dragon Age. Character designs, although clichéd, look excellent and are solely responsible for any of the atmosphere inherent in the game.
Although not traditionally a medium for multiplayer gaming, Two Worlds II attempts to bring the world of online gaming and fantasy together, perhaps hoping to mirror the success of the WoW series. It does not succeed. TW2 is a game that simply does not warrant a multiplayer mode, there are indeed plenty of lobbies to enter, lots of coop missions for you and seven other team mates to tackle but the whole experience feels rusty, sloppy and rushed.
For a start, your online character is not the one you pour all your time into in the single player mode, so once again the whole concept of immersion is shattered. There is no form of level sorting system so expect to be pummeled into a fine dust for the majority of online excursions. All these annoyances could be forgiven if the online mode offered something new or original but it simply doesn’t so we are left with something more broken than the single player campaign and far less enjoyable.
Pros:
- Huge world to explore with a wide range of vistas
- Enjoyable and intuitive upgrade system
- Excellent multi-class character system
Cons:
- Bland, dull, cliché ridden narrative and characters
- Gameplay and AI are weighed down by glitches
- Multiplayer is a waste of disk space
The game is filled to bursting with flaws and yet I found myself becoming curiously affectionate towards it. Yes the AI are baffilingly dim, gameplay is incredibly inconsistent, characters and plot are both clichéd and dull, graphics are nothing to write home about and the package as a whole does nothing to warrant your hard earned cash.
However, as you progress through the game, these deficiencies can become less pronounced and the initial annoyances turn to heart-warming foibles, the game is a genuinely enjoyable experience despite all of its many problems. Like a guilty pleasure movie/game/CD it’s a profoundly personal enjoyment and one that’s not likely to be shared by anyone else. You mightn’t be able to validate your positive feelings but you’ll have a great time enjoying it, nonetheless.
aerobes
Sounds a game of two halves, let alone two worlds. Though despite its many, many issues, I find myself quite interested.
Maybe when the price is forced down, I’ll give it go during some barren Summer days.
hazelam
so it’s better than the first one? well it would have to be wouldn’t it?
i find myself kind of interested in this one, despite how much i hated the first.
i wouldn’t risk buying it at full price of course.
mind you there seems to be some doubt if it will ever get a uk release.
hazelam
ok, a bit of digging, on google :) , reveals that apparently they’re only selling it through amazon in the uk.
doing preorder bonuses exclusively with a single retailer like that is one thing, but making the actual game exclusive to a single retailer?
somebody somewhere seriously has no clue about marketing and selling a game
guess i’ll be waiting for a preowned copy.
tonycawley
I could swear I saw it in the pre-order section at game yesterday
YOURMUMANDME
You did, I seen there for pre-order two weeks ago : )
skibadee
they confirmed yesterday when I asked that amazon is the only UK retailer to have it.
sanmartinez
Good to see its also released in UK, been playing it for about 2 months here in Netherlands, and was waiting for player for the online part
YOURMUMANDME
Is if my fault you had to review this ? I pestered Peter as to why I hadn’t heard about it before, he said it was a horrible game :D
Smallville2106
Still interested though. Hopefully will drop in price quite quickly and then I’ll pick it up.
matthangzhou
Can’t but help feel some of the comments on this game are overly harsh. I mean having a go at the graphics – what was with Dragon Age’s?! They were awful and as for breaking immersion, how about the first time I tried to walk in a puddle and was blocked by an invisible.
You also say the multiplayer offers nothing new or interesting, but the build a village mode is both original and unexpected in a standard single player RPG?
Still, an interesting read.
LABYRINTH
This reminds of Sacred bought it at full price, reviews were low/medium but I liked it. Spent over 100 hours on it, hope Two Worlds can do the same but at a lower price as I cannot simply take the risk.
Smartlover
Will pick up a used copy. Interested, but not risking buying it at full price.