FooJones

I wanted to give this game a 10, but I have to be fair and give it a very solid 8, because there's always room for improvement. That being said... The Good: The gameplay is fun and I actually really enjoy the combat. There are waypoints you can unlock for fast travel as you progress. The game comes with two difficulty modes (normal and hard) that can be adjusted at any time. The puzzles aren't that challenging when you think about them. And for those who hate puzzles, they did include a digital guide. The soundtrack is one of the things that hooks me. Those who loved the trilogy will probably find more gripes with the lore and some retconning, but I personally am not bothered by it. I've been watching the story unfold in my 13 hours into the game. Character customization is fair as there are four classes to choose from and many skills to develop. You can also choose from several races. You can swap out party members in town and create your own with mercenary tokens you acquire. The characters will also have witty banter with each other randomly. Kind of reminded me of Wizardry 8. Combat is pretty cut and dry as far as mechanics go, but you can definitely add for some customization and change things up with swapping out skills. While the graphics aren't top notch, they serve very well for a game that was funded by a kickstarter. The map comes complete with many icons to help you remember where and what things are. The compass that shows your location in the minimap can have the rotation turned on and off. For those who want grid-based movement, you'll have to wait. That wasn't implemented at launch and is coming with a mode for that later. What needs improvement (i.e. the bad): Performance is a bit lacking. Running the game with a 1080ti, I'm finding a few huge performance dips in 2K. For the amount of GPU power this game requires, it shouldn't be an issue. I see some heavy frame dips in places, even with shadows and AA turned down. InExile has patched out some of them, and I believe they are doing more in the next patch. I have noticed a big difference since the first patch, but more needs to be done. Character customization could be better. There aren't really enough portraits for my liking, and the Elves, Dwarves and Trow portraits all look male. I also don't like that I cannot create a full party from early on. The maximum amount of characters you can have is 6, and currently I'm only allowed to have four. This is a personal pet peeve of mine. The slots unlock as you progress. Normal combat kind of disappoints me a bit. There are times that my characters are near death and the AI stupidly ignores them and just attacks the nearest target, instead of strategizing. I imagine this would change if I bumped my difficulty up to hard. I'll do that next playthrough. Although there are times I don't feel like doing things again and with the save system of this game, that's a blessing. To my next point, the save system is kind of iffy. You have to save only at markers (or when you quit the game). You can choose to consume the markers (which destroys it) for extra XP, or you can choose to bind it and use it as a save point. While this isn't terrible or anything, it's just not what I really like - personal taste and all that. Lastly, the mastery system bugs me a bit. You can only have up to 4 combat masteries at a time. When you are in combat, you get six total: four skill masteries, one trinket mastery and a move mastery. These are all you can use and you cannot swap them during combat. While it's not a deal breaker, sometimes it can be annoying and I wish it could be handled differently. I'd like to be able to waste opportunity points (what you use to take actions during combat) to swap skills in combat. I think that would be a cool option. Would help with the micromanagement, or have the option to be able to have more than a max of four skills for use at a time. Overall, I think the game is solid. It looks great for what it is, the characters are charming, you do have options for character customization, the combat is pretty much just right, the puzzles aren't unbearably boring and the game is overall a lot of fun. I would highly recommend giving it a try, even if you wait a month or two for the patches to stop flying. Bonus: Mean Drunk is just one of the favorite Bard talents you can choose from, in my opinion.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

This game is great for anyone, but especially for those of us who are over 30 and remember both the excitement and frustration of side scrollers in the 80s and early 90s. It's also great for small children. Color Guardians is a side scrolling adventure that has you navigating paths to collect color orbs (red, yellow, blue, multi). While it sounds easy, it can get intense sometimes as you have to change your guardian to be the appropriate color to follow pathways, jump on certain platforms, and collect orbs of each color. While the game itself is very easy, I should clarify the intense part is if you're trying to collect all of the orbs and get a three star rating for each level (and a high score if you're an old Atari fan and that matters to you). Keep in mind that I have only played and finished the demo, and have not done any boss levels of any kind. What I love about this game is my 4 year old son can play it, and he's actually quite good at it. It's helping to build his hand/eye coordination, and he's figured out as he goes what he needs to push when and where. It's something we can do together. The price for the full game is reasonable, and my son enjoys it so much I've considered buying it. If you're looking for a cutesy type game to play with your kids that's easy for everyone, or you want a game that doesn't require a ton of skill, this is the game. It will definitely keep you entertained for hours. However, be prepared for some control slamming/throwing if you're that kind. Luckily, I haven't had any of that yet! At least check out the demo. It's free. You won't be disappointed. If you are, then blame me. It's fine. I won't hold a grudge.

Old CRPG fans rejoice! New fans...probably not so much. As a CRPG player from the 80s, I can say that I've had my share of both good and bad CRPGs, forgiving and what might have ultimately felt impossible to finish. Lords of Xulima brings the old school back with a vengeance, but with that little bit of new flavor that's enough to feel fresh for us old timers, and possibly enjoyable for younger CRPG fans (and by younger I don't mean your age, but number of years you've been playing in the genre). The story is nothing to write home about, as you are a hero who has been assigned with a task to clear some temples built by Gods that are being abused by an evil prince and witches, but the story is still gripping. The writing is a tiny bit cheesy, but it's nothing to complain over. Personally, I'm not bothered by it, and I feel it sets the tone for the game. The game play is also nice. You have a party of 6 adventurers; the hero which is pre-made and 5 fully created characters of your own. There are several classes to choose from, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, and while you can't really customize the skills and stats at the front all that much, you can fully customize as you level up. Also, if you get tired of your character's ugly mug, you can change it on the fly with any of the other portraits available (I do like this feature a lot, though it might seem silly to some). Your party is identified by your main character traveling in an isometric view of the world. You can interact with people, items, etc. Food storage is important in this game. Those who played the older Might and Magics or even Ultima Underworld I & II will remember how important food was. The biggest gripe I have about it in Lords of Xulima is that EVERYTHING you do uses up food; from just walking around, to bashing open chests and of course, resting. While consuming food while resting is great, I feel just walking around and using up food stores is a little bit too much of a pain in the butt, especially since gold is limited in this game. There are other alternatives though to this food issue, providing you're patient or resourceful. Combat can be VERY unforgiving in this game. It's turn based and does require some strategy, which old fans like myself of the genre will enjoy. However, at the beginning of the game, you'll find yourself being beaten down by the easiest of foes if you're not careful. A lot of this is due to the game not pointing out buffs you can receive in the first village. If you're willing to pay for these temporary buffs, they will make combat more manageable in the beginning, but they add up in expense quickly and again, gold is limited in this game. Lastly, my final issue with this game is the loot. Most loot you come across is "meh" at best, and a lot of your bigger and better items will come from lucky rolls at the shops. I'm glad this game isn't a gear grind of boring farming for hours to find one piece of upgradeable equipment. Don't let my review deter you though, if it sounds negative. Overall, the game is actually quite good, especially for the money. It's definitely challenging, and might disappoint those who thing this is a game you can just steamroll through. It does take a little bit of thought and careful planning, but it's definitely worth at least one playthrough. I give it 8/10 because of the somewhat disappointing loot, and the food system is a little too much for me. Give it a try!

Don't Believe The Nay Sayers! Divinity: Original Sin was the RPG I've been waiting **** a LONG time. I just want to put this out there really quickly, that I am an RPG veteran, dating back to the mid to late 80s, so I've had my fair share of CRPGs. Anyhoo... Divinity: Original Sin is the prequel to the first Divine Divinity. Like the first game, I had no idea this one even existed. I had never heard of Larian Studios at the time of release for Divine Divinity, and happened to pick it up at Best Buy one day, and fell in love right away. The same happened with this game. Somehow, I never knew it was coming and just saw a Web ad one day and immediately downloaded it. Character creation is very solid, and can be daunting for those who don't really like to get into too much detail (though not nearly as hardcore as a D&D game). You create two main characters, picking sex, face, portrait, hair, voice, starting skills, attributes, and 2 talents. Depending on what class you pick, these will all be pre-assigned, but you are free to modify and rearrange them if you wish. As the game progresses, you can build your character in anyway you choose, and either stay on the path you chose, or create a hybrid class. Hybrids will not be overpowered machines, but they can easily be viable and fun. The story isn't anything extremely original, but it is engaging, especially if you've played the other games. Fans of Divine Divinity will get some chuckles out of Larian's usual humor or some old references, but you don't need to have played the other games to understand this one or enjoy what's going on. The NPC's do feel a bit one dimensional, and there isn't a lot of voice acting, but it's still engaging and there's some lore in books that you find. You can also make your characters argue with each other, and the dialogue options that you pick will alter personality traits, which in turn alter certain skills. This is quite useful to help beef up some skills without wasting valuable skill points. Combat is turn based (which I love in an RPG), and does require some thought. Early on, you can't just go off and think you're going to steamroll everything (though towards the end you might be able to do so. I always found battles much easier as the game went on, save for boss battles). You can use objects and the elements to your advantage. Spill water on the ground, toss a lightning spell and electrocute/stun your foes! Great times! If you've played Fallout or Fallout 2, you'll kind of feel the combat system in there a bit, as everything is done with action points. The good news though is you can adjust combat difficulty at anytime, even during combat, if something is too hard and you don't want to wait to try it later when you're better prepared. Spells are quite fun, and there's a lot of useful ones. The only downside to this is that sometimes there are too many spells to deal with, and a lot of them become useless later on as you gain more powerful spells, but that's usually the case with most games. For most modern day gamers, questing might be one thing to upset you. Be forewarned that this game isn't a hand holder like today; You will not get direction as to where to go or what to do. You will be given a few hints here and there, then the rest is up to you. There is a journal though that records quests and conversations so you can refer back if you forget what to do. My only real gripe with the game is the rock-paper-scissors mini-game. It's fun at first, but it's completely random. Even if you seem to have more points per victory than the NPC you go up against, the computer always seems to win no matter what (maybe I just have bad luck). I rarely ever get a victory. While most people seem to hate the camera angles, it doesn't bother me. I get enough of a zoom in or out, and am able to rotate the camera just fine. If you need a full top down view during combat, just press the "B" key (I believe that's the default) The graphics are pretty and the world is large and lush. There are several large maps you will travel throughout the game. Those who played Divinity or Beyond Divinity will understand this, and probably relish in it. Just like Divine Divinity, monsters do not respawn during the game, and it isn't like Diablo where a whole new game starts every time you log in. The single player mode saves and stays in the same state. The level cap is somewhere in the 20's, so it's pretty short in terms of leveling, but there's enough content to keep you going for hours. To sum it up, Divinity: Original Sin might not be for the faint of heart, or those with short attention spans. It does require quite a bit of thought and strategy, but the game has so much to offer. I'm hoping Larian takes it even further with mods, because there's so much more that can be done with this game. The story is good, the combat is good, and the puzzles are fun and challenging. I highly recommend this underrated gem.