Two Worlds

Anyone else check out this new 3rd person action-RPG title, Two Worlds? It’s kinda like Diet Oblivion, as it has harvesting raw goods, brewing of potions and weapon modifying items, a spell system that lets you modify existing spells using special cards you pick up, etc. I lost about two hours to playing it last night; I think I’m level 5 or 6 now and I upgraded all my gear at the first town merchant. It’s interesting that some enemies are more resistant to certain damage types (slash/pierce/bludgeon) and that weapons can do combinations of damage types. There are sword-breaker off-hands, which can be used with a skill later and also for blocking, active-defensive mode, dirty-trick (kick sand in their eyes), and weapons seem to each have a few different animations that go in a “combo” (just keep clicking, as far as I’ve seen). Combat seems relatively easy so far 1-on-1, with bears repeating a pattern predictably that is simple to dodge and small packs of less difficult enemies being rather easy to take out with a few sweeping strikes that hit multiple targets.

I goofed something up though and made my main spell selection the heal instead of the fireball, and I’m not sure how to get it back. I think to get the auto-aim lock-on you have to have it selected as your primary spell (ie mapped to RMB instead of requiring the hotbar keypress).

Huh? this came out already? Does it have the mmo-lite features the 360 one has?

German release has apparently happened already. This is a PC game first.

http://www.2-worlds.com/

Zuxxez has always had strong graphic engines for the Earth 21xx games. I’m looking forward to playing this.

There is already a lot of discussion over at RPGWatch about this in standard and ‘already finished’ threads. I’m looking forward to this one as well.

The International edition has an install option for English voiceovers (which are admittedly pretty horribly scripted, although not all horrible VO actors themselves) and English subtitles/interface/etc.

Yes, it has some kind of multiplayer thingy but I haven’t touched it.

The physics for walking up/down hills and how jumping works is a little frustrating.

Additional preview style info from this thread:

http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?t=32228&highlight=worlds

I’m looking forward to playing, but I want to see some reviews first. Of course, if I read reviews, I wouldn’t have played Gothic 3, a game I love.

Unless you read my review in PCG, since I also love it.

Good God, riding horses is an exercise in frustration. You’re galloping around at full-tilt (horse speeds up the longer you ride and tap forwards), whipping your machete at wolves that nip at your horse, and suddenly you come to an abrupt full-stop (complete with horse rearing) when the hill grade is too steep. Starting your horse up again requires backing up, then separately turning, then separately starting forward again at a slow walk, and building up speed all over again. Ugh. Note to self, get off horse if you need to go off the paths.

I kinda wish I knew where to buy some more lockpicks, and where to get training in the other schools of magic.

So it sounds like the typical European interface clusterfuck? Geez, they’re such masochists over there…

I gave Gothic 3 a good score and praised many things of it in my review too (but for a Spanish magazine).

You seemed ambivalent when it first came out, or maybe I misunderstood your comments on one of the threads.

I should probably snap up Gothic 3 before it goes away forever. I loved G2 but the reviews of G3 were so negative as to make me think twice.

Also, is it a serious system hog? Maybe I should wait till I upgrade before playing it.

Yeah, you misunderstood if you thought I didn’t like the game – I gave it the highest rating of any of major gaming media sites despite its warts, as I actually think the game is fantastic. It lost marks for being so unpolished - I actually waited for the American release to play it, by which time the most egregrious combat quirks like the “hog hop” (where you could get stuck in a knockdown loop and never be able to get up) had been patched - but it’s still not as polished as Gothic 2 (although far more ambitious, and much, much bigger), and the new combat system still doesn’t work as the designers intended, and there are still bugs – another patch has been promised since December.

You should definitely wait until you can upgrade to play it – my system, which was played Oblivion o.k., and was manageable for the initial hog release of NWN2, was completely destroyed by Gothic 3. It is by far the most system-demanding RPG currently available - the system requirements listed are preposterously understated. On my new system, it looks and plays great. It may feature the most ambitious and interesting gaming world ever, as gameplay is completely non-linear and yet the consequences of your actions are dynamically reflected.

You have to get it if you loved Gothic 2 (and otherwise knowing your taste in RPGs). The end.

the new combat system still doesn’t work as the designers intended

I think the system actually works (close to) the way they wanted it to - it’s just stupid compared to the one they had established in the previous games. Last I heard that there won’t be any major battle system tweak anymore, at least not 'til the add-on.

-Julian

The knockback combat in G3 is stupid. In fact, the combat itself is stupid. You either win by attacking first or lose by attacking second…basically. You can sometimes manage to run away and start over, hoping to attack first…

Despite that, the world is so well realized, that I am in love with the game. Brilliant atmosphere and feel.

I kinda feel like the reach distance of the swords in Two Worlds seems a little short. They look like they should be connecting but you just swipe the air instead.

Everything that I’ve seen or heard about this game tells me not to buy it, but multiplayer may just sell me.

Overall, I’d say pass on this one. Totally not ready for release, I think it needs some serious polishing time. The player character face looks pretty bad using the preset choices even (camera zooms in occasionally during in-engine talky cutscenes).

Arrives in July.

Hurray?

Well, hopefully that translates in Americans getting an overall better release. I wouldn’t hold my breath though, from what you guys are saying Gothic 3 wasn’t miles better after extra polishing time (although it was a little bit better).

No big deal. Forza 2, Overlord and The Darkness are right around the corner, and I still haven’t completed the main quest in Oblivion, Knights of the Nine or Shivering Isles.