I will leave the story out of this review since there was a lack of it (main complaint).
This is a straight-forward button masher and dungeon crawler. Caddoc is the melee character (equipment includes swords, axes, and maces along with a shield) but can switch to a crossbow for long distance targets. E'Lara is the sniper/distance fighter that mainly uses bows, but will use a sword and shield. Both characters start with basic equipment, but you can find stronger equipment left by enemies, weapon racks, or at random places in each level (including armor). I find that you have to change your shields frequently since they will break after too much abuse. They have enchanted weapons scattered around the levels that will help you in the game. Plus you cannot hurt your partner in this game.
The game starts with a prologue with chapters (six of them). Each chapter is divided into a further six sub-chapters (which are further divided into areas). You begin in a forest, then a ransacked town, then dungeons, etc. till you reach Kala Moor (the final level).
Graphics: Gorgeous vistas to gritty and bloody dungeons can be found in this game. You will see lots violence (hearts or eyes ripped out, people being stabbed through, people crushed by falling debris, blood spurting over everything, etc.). The peasants look roughly the same (although I had to laugh at how all the women of the game are proportioned but it is a sell point for a particular market).
Gameplay: The gameplay is linear, but you can branch out into sub-quests. The sub-quests are just for stronger weapons or key items that can get you even stronger abilities. You will be given riddles or hints on plaques to indicate a potential sub-quest is nearby. The enemies do get stronger and more varied as you progress through the game, which makes it less predictable and fun to play. I also like the fact that when you dash in a level and want to find particular cover, you dash to it and your character immediately hides for cover. You can snipe enemies using this method while progressing through the level.
Sound: Voice acting is well done (Lucy "Xena" Lawless as Seraphin was a surprise I thoroughly enjoyed). The music is remarkable, and I felt that it deserved recognition.
Crucible: This is an online, multiplayer option in the game. You can create your own dungeon with the option of adding multiple enemies to them, adding siege weapons (ballista, catapult, etc.), or add limits/buffs to the characters. The only way to get any of these additions is to play the game and collect as much gold as possible to unlock particular options.
Replay value: Medium to high depending if you want to try out the crucible, go through the game via co-op, or just getting the trophies.
Weapons: The enchanted weapons are valuable during gameplay. You are restricted to the number of times you can use a weapon's effect (poison, frost, arcane, etc.). I love the fact that if you hit an enemy once with it, the enemy suffers a sustained effect but will not deplete the number for the weapon's effect if you keep hitting them with it. Once the enchantment reaches zero, it becomes a normal weapon.
Magic: Each character has 6 different spells can be further upgraded by using crystals or 5 pieces of crystal shards. The crystals can be found throughout the levels or shards can be dropped by enemies. You bring them to this rift which is a transaction point to upgrade these spells. Caddoc has a rage (attack strength and speed goes up), dash (lunges and knocks enemies back), whirlwind (lifts surrounding enemies up and slams them back on the ground), brimstone (explosion attack), lightning (connects with multiple enemies if they are close), and pain (a stationary circle surrounds you and damages all enemies that step into the circle). E'Lara has the same brimstone, lighting, and pain spells. E'lara has an exploding arrow spell, a freezing arrow spell (slows down or freezes enemies), and a shield-shattering arrow spell. You can also do a battle spell enhancement (by holding the cast button [R1 for PS3]) early in the game, but you can also use a spell link (chain of energy between the two characters) later in the game.
The Sleg: It's the silver liquid that has monsters and people addicted to it. You have a chance to drink this liquid multiple times to enhance your strength, but it will deplete your health after the effects wear off. If you drink this stuff frequently, your characters will make a dash to the liquid giving the enemies a chance to hurt you.
Complaints:
-I played this as a single player campaign, I notice that my AI partner either freezes in place or wanders away from the main battle where I need them the most. You will notice this a lot of chapter 5 and 6 (this will most likely be corrected soon).
-I like a complex, well rounded characters and both Caddoc and E'Lara have something that can be fleshed out in the game. Instead, you get snippets of their history and was never mentioned in the game again. I like their pasts giving them their drive and doing the things they do in order to make a game epic.
-I was freeing captives when I noticed that I started to hear crying, weeping, and sobbing in surround sound. It was saddening at first, then it got really annoying after some time.
-Playing an RPG (even a dungeon crawler) requires save points, and the only ones offered in this game are at random points at the end of an area. You cannot backtrack to the previous area without playing the sub-chapter all over again.
Overall: The game is excellent, but I feel that it is left unfinished. I believe there are multiple endings for this game, but I am not sure. The game offers at least 25+ hours of gameplay. I enjoyed the bickering between Caddoc and E'Lara through the game (I had to smile when spiders came up in the conversation). I will say that there is potential for a sequel to this game. I would have given it a perfect 5 if the story was more complex.
Personal Thoughts on the game:
-Characters: I believe that what Bethesda Softworks touched on in this game does work. Caddoc evidently had a history of rash decisions (that caused the death of his love) that caused him to behave like a tactician rather than a soldier. He does tend to whine more often in the game than E'Lara. E'Lara is brash and is someone who comes in with "guns blazing" type. Both are evidently obsessed with gold, but I wanted to know the reason why they want gold so badly. Was it because Caddoc didn't have the money to save his love? Did E'Lara could have prevented the destruction of her race with more cash? Unfortunately, the game doesn't reveal this and barely touch upon the main characters which could have been an epic story and game.
My stats:
Gold: 26,800 (Tier 16 of 30)
Trophies: 49%
Magic: Mastered all spells
Crucible objects acquired: 50% Hunted: The Demon's Forge - Fantasy - Bethesda - Action - Adventure'
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