Just got Arx. Finally. - by Brad Schoonmaker
Brad Schoonmaker on 30/11/2002 at 03:33
Yeah, just got back from riding the bus to EB. I'll post my first thoughts later.
Brad S.
Daljord on 3/12/2002 at 06:03
Hi got the game for a week ago and have finished it and i think it is wery great so happy gaming Brad :thumb:
Brad Schoonmaker on 4/12/2002 at 05:28
So far it's good, but I have real issues with the sound quality. My setup is descent enough so it must be the game's audio itself. It's not Thief, but it's close enough to the original Underworld games to be a lot of fun.
Goods:
The whole play style is exactly what made me start playing Underworld. Great time exploring dark areas and managing inventory. I like the way lighting is handled. Not perfect like so many have tried before, but like the Underworlds it's just enough to make you accept it and enjoy.
Story is driven nicely, me thinks. I'm not feeling like a dog on a leash or such. I do get lost a lot, though. The minimap that the 1.15 patch adds isn't as helpful in the mines as it is in the inhabited areas. Mines=maze, lost and confused. Inhabited areas=recognizable, square and uniform.
The shopping spree I went on with my 9000 + gold was fun! Weird sounding armor that plate. Like squeaking rats inside.:erg:
Characters are nicely rendered and given this game is translated into at least three different languages, I can overlook the lip sync being off <small>in "not even close land".</small>:cheeky:
Bads:
As I said above, the audio is a bit off. Dialogue is not only some times hard to hear, but also not too well performed with many characters. Also, the transition points for the different sound environments is either on or off unlike in Thief and Shock 2 where the sounds carried far and were consistent. I'm spoiled with the quality of those games' audio.
It may be my vid card (Lord knows it's given me troubles with other games), but there are times when the graphics aren't displayed right. Hard to explain it, but like a rip in the virtual world was visible. I don't know.
Verdict:
Fun and holds my attention like the greats of LGS. Only without the level of refinement those games excelled at.
Brad S.
Uncia on 11/12/2002 at 20:55
Quote:
Originally posted by Brad Schoonmaker Story is driven nicely, me thinks. I'm not feeling like a dog on a leash or such. I do get lost a lot, though. The minimap that the 1.15 patch adds isn't as helpful in the mines as it is in the inhabited areas. Mines=maze, lost and confused. Inhabited areas=recognizable, square and uniform.I don't find the mine navigation such a problem, but the area around you that uncovers the fog-of-war seems a bit small; many times I missed a passage I never travelled through, just because half the walls of the map had black spots on them. Now I just tend to walk side-by-wall around all caverns to avoid that. :p
The only possible minimap problem is, it's too small [or too zoomed in] to be that useful in the mines. The corridors are so long, you don't really see how they connect on the minimap and have to pull up the full one to help you [add 5 seconds to figure out where you are], reducing its usefulness.
Brad Schoonmaker on 12/12/2002 at 02:16
Totally agree. There are problems, but overall the game is better than the Underworlds. Story and dialogue are the only drawbacks. Since it has way nicer graphics, I can excuse some strange glitches in comparison.
Brad S.
Uncia on 12/12/2002 at 12:49
Personally, I'm in love. The number and variety of NPCs [even generic guards have different voices and will comment on different things], the focus on exploration, story and puzzles instead of battles... Pure joy. Too bad the city of Arx chokes my GF2MX card though... From the smooth caverns to some 4 frames per second was quiete a shock. *g*
...I also seem to have a tendancy to "break" the scripting... I broke into the Snakewomen's lair through the back entrance and since I couldn't survive the battle I used an invisibility potion, walked inside and triggered a scripted event I seriously doubt I was supposed to see at that time. :p
twisty on 12/12/2002 at 13:56
Yeah, sneaking through that temple was actually quite scary. Their voices remind me of one of the villians off Dr Who.
Shadowcat on 12/12/2002 at 19:38
I'm erring on the side of caution as to what constitutes a spoiler here, and have edited the last two posts in the interests of keeping the experience fresh for players who haven't seen that bit yet. Remember, if you're talking about a cool bit of the game, keep in mind that some readers probably don't want to know about it in advance... thanks :) (and if anyone doesn't know, see the <a href="http://www.ttlg.com/forums/misc.php?s=&action=bbcode">vB code</a> page for the how-to on using spoiler tags.)
twisty on 12/12/2002 at 22:26
Sorry about that.
Uncia on 12/12/2002 at 23:37
:sweat:
