Two Worlds II
Crafty.
The difference, of course, is that you can do the whole thing co-operatively. However, there's no level cap on co-op play, and no XP modifier for partying with higher-level players, which is an unbalancing factor. It means that a level 1 character can run through all seven of the Adventure maps behind a level 50 behemoth with no XP penalty, and level up in no time. But it's still a lot of fun, and involves all the crafting and character-progression detail of the single-player game. Like MMO instances, it's best played with a group of similar-level pals on Skype.
Using the same character, you can also start your own settlement in Village mode, the world's first FarmVille for hardcore RPG gamers. It's essentially a management game in which you build structures – farms, ranches, guard-houses and so forth – to attract settlers, improve trade and build a booming economy. It's surprisingly detailed, remarkably compelling and needs regular check-ups, since once you start a village, it's persistent. If there's not enough bread in the shops, villager happiness drops; if there aren't enough guards recruited, monster attacks will whittle the population. And woe betide any tavern that runs short of ale.
Every six hours, a complete stock-take is performed automatically, and your overall villager happiness is calculated. The more contented the populace, the more money they spend, and bigger revenues mean more upgrade-investment possibilities. It's very cute, and you can invite other players to your village to buy and sell supplies, or help you beat off marauding mobs. The multiplayer modes are rounded out with a bit of player-versus-player via Duel and Crystal Capture (essentially capture the flag).
All of this is enormously entertaining. Even when Two Worlds II isn't innovating, it displays a keen understanding of constant player reward. That makes the game's failings difficult to swallow, and while each irritation is relatively minor in itself, they aggregate into a noticeable and chronic series.
The inventory is pretty awful. Items are displayed too large, in a grid format, upon a translucent background, and the whole thing is just a confusing mess. Considering the sublime crafting system and the amount of time you consequently spend tinkering on the inventory screen, functional design isn't just a luxury, it's a necessity. While picking through your assorted swords and staffs, you find yourself longing for Bethesda's simple lists.
The map follows suit, and the way it tracks quests is next to useless. Click on a quest in the log (which doesn't visually distinguish ongoing from completed quests, annoyingly) and it brings up the map, but doesn't give you a nice clear marker, just a bunch of identical points of interest. You find yourself scouring it continuously, looking for the relevant marker by its hover-over tooltip. It can be infuriating.
The dialogue shows a marked improvement from Two Worlds, and many of the key characters' voiceovers are perfectly professional and well-delivered. It's still hammy though, and some of the small NPC parts are voiced pretty poorly. The vendor-barks are a particular low-point.
Perhaps the worst aspect is the sense of feedback in combat, which is largely non-existent. Melee players will feel this more than bow-users or spellcasters, as none of the weapons feel like they have any real weight or impact.
Certain foes will block endlessly as well, which is rage-inducing. One of the melee skills, Block Breaker, crashes straight through their defences, but it fails to open them up. Follow the strike with another, and their guard is right back up up again. You flail uselessly against them like John Inman pattering ineffectually at a window-pane – hardly conducive to feeling like a war-god.
It's galling, because Reality Pump clearly knows what makes an RPG tick. I sincerely hope these problems are recognised because a patch could fix them all and elevate Two Worlds II above the budget effort it currently resembles. It deserves more. [Editor's note: Indeed, Topware Interactive has been in touch to let us know that a patch is in the works which fixes some combat issues, including blocking, as well as the levelling in multiplayer. It should be ready for the game's UK launch.]
There is real innovation here, and there are some ballsy forays into game-styles that are way outside the standard tick-list of features for the genre, both online and off. There's also a great deal of absorbing content to enjoy, not to mention consistent, meaningful progression, creative quests, and empowering customisation systems that let you craft your own rewards form a plethora of resources. If you can live with the lo-fi elements, there's an awful lot to enjoy.
I sincerely hope it does well enough to fund a bigger-budget sequel. Because at this rate of improvement, Reality Pump could be snapping at the heels of the big RPG developers next time.