AwfulGame

As soon as I read the above, I knew what to expect in the blinkered fanboy's post.

You need more than the ability to assign dots to skills, the ability to select from several tenuous backgrounds and the chance to change the look of the man you'll watch mince across the screen. A story that is in some way interesting would be nice, a protagonist that is also interesting and that you've got some affinity with as opposed to the cardboard cut-out operative. Being lead through a story with the ability to be sarcastic, smarmy or angry isn't an RPG (in my opinion). It is merely a choose your own adventure where instead of flipping to page 213 to see what happens when you backchat the local Burgomeister, you press X to be smarmy. Wow, next time one might be really devilish and press Y to be slightly annoying. For me, I need to feel something for the person I'm playing and in FPS' I don't feel any affinity and that is what this is. An FPS with the chance to perform a few annoying mini-games, chat to set characters and proceed through a game. The chance to put ones mark on the character and some might well find they can do that with what is on offer, but for me, I find myself with absolutely no interest in the main character. But then that is "My Opinion".

It'd be a more legitimate criticism if he could find something to complain about other than graphics and a minigame. The game as a whole is poorly made and combat is awkward and poorly realised. It seems clunky and ham-fisted to me and removes another dash of fun from one aspect of the game. Perhaps I've been spoilt by playing games that are fun from the outset and decently made. But for 40 pounds sterling I think every gamer should expect something more for their pennies. The interaction system simply doesn't flow, I find it lazy to say the least. Quick-time event conversations simply don't work in my opinion. I find myself detached from the whole thing, were as conversations in Mass Effect 1 and 2 flow and you feel you're actually a part of it. Hell some people might think they are basically the same system barring the timer, but AP's version seems cobbled together and a poor relation to other such versions. Movement and so forth is odd and lacks the grace and finesse of other games (as mentioned before) and since one can't help but not look at the main character since he occupies a good portion of the screen, is as distracting as it is off-putting. The simple fact is this game is not fun, not worth the money paid for it and graphics (say what you will) make a huge impact since they are the first thing anyone lays eyes upon. I must admit I found my interest waning the moment I saw the main menu screen. I wasn't aware I'd been teleported back to the early 1990's as I said in my first post. But on I played hoping for a spark of fun to ignite my interest. As to it being a legit criticism, the mini-game and the graphics are but two pieces of a very sorry puzzle that are indicative of the laziness of the game developers and the people who even approved this as a finished product. As for it being an RPG, I'd say no to that. Mostly down to the fact I found myself not giving a flying fig for the protagonist from the outset. RPG it ain't. A poorly designed shooter with delusions perhaps. RPG. No. These are my opinions. Nothing more, nothing less. Some folks will love this game, some folks will hate it. Other folks such as me will wonder how on earth this ever passed muster and found its way onto the shelves of the local gaming store. I could have griped more in the first post, but I figured I'd focus on two huge gripes for me. But lets face it, whatever my opinions, other folks will love this game and I wish them all the fun they can milk from it. Not everyone is the same afterall, it would be a boring world if we were.

I honestly expected a game that would be playable. The company that made this game (a game I truely looked forward to) are responsible for games that I adore beyond all reason and yet this game... this... travesty of a game is clearly some half finished filler designed by the Z-listers of the game development department. The ones they don't normally let near the computers for fear they might use the CD drawer as a coaster for their coffee mugs again. I'm appalled at myself for having forked the money over to be quite honest, the graphics are sub-standard when you consider the glorious games that are produced for the xbox, PS3 and PC these days. Red Dead Redemption is truely beautiful, Mass Effect is astounding and other such games border on works of art, but this game seems to grab its graphics from the dark days of the early nineties (my trusty Amiga could manage better graphics than this) and makes little use of any technological advances we've had for a good while. The main character minces when he walks, seems to require the momentum of flinging his arms wierdly forwards in order to run and whilst crouching he appears to be auditioning for the part of King Richard the Third, hunchback and all. Not all games require beautiful graphics, but this one is so lacking it is unbelievable. Hacking... I think my eyes bled, withered and melted into the deep recesses of my skull upon having to even attempt this awful mini-game. It is so badly designed that whoever approved it clearly has no concept of fun. This game is appalling, there really isn't any other word for it. The fact it has been released is a travesty and despite the fact I was ready to pounce of Fallout: New Vegas, I think for the first time ever I'm going to seriously hesitate when it comes to any game produced by Obsidian. With such a catalogue of games under their belt, this is one that truely needs to be re-written, re-worked and re-released as something fun, beautiful to look at and enjoyable to play. As it stands, I could not recommend this game and its huge flaws and the inherent laziness evident within its entire design. Woo, vented.