Swiss_Chalamet
2023
Aside from some characterization choices I'm conflicted about, they managed to make Dead Space better. All the new mechanics - circuit breakers, zero g, and peeling - add so much and if they go on to remake the second game I hope to see them pushed further.
I don't think I could ever describe what this game means to me so I won't even try. Incredible experience and easily my favorite game. Sacred and Terrible Air has a couple fan translations out there now (I'd recommend the Group Ibex one) so if you liked this and want more, that and a short story by Martin Luiga is all we'll ever get.
2023
This review contains spoilers
An impressive feat in narrative design and absolutely deserves the praise it gets that I entirely lost interest in by the end of the second act and ultimately quit before finishing.
Act one was incredible with the Underdark and the Mountain pass being such cool surprises. On top of that the main thrust of the narrative felt personal - every quest revolved around finding a solution to your problem. There was time to explore, time to breathe and get to know your party, time to explore these expansive gorgeous zones and just dig into the game. The combat is a fantastic translation of DnD mechanics, everyone was written well enough that I cared. I think in a way act one being so front loaded set the rest of the game up for disappointment, for me.
Act 2 in the shadow cursed lands was such an incredible step back. I can see what they were going for but I found the area so dull to look at. By this point the party is a high enough level where combat really does start to shine so it's a shame it's all happening in such a dull place. After the Underdark was such a neat place to explore this felt unmemorable. The town full of ghosts was kind of cool. It's here the narrative started to spin its wheels. I do a bunch of stuff I can't remember, then fight my way through a tower and get to a villain voiced by J.K. Simmons who sounds like he did it all in one take. It felt so strange, suddenly I'm faced with this guy who I'm supposed to think is a big deal but I really didn't care. So I fight him, chase him into a hole, and then meet two more villains. Why am I only meeting the antagonists at the end of the second of three acts? This is also when it completely lost me narratively, revealing this to be a world domination plot. I think I had an out of body experience of disappointment after raving along with my friends about how incredible the whole game was up to that point.
So then act 3. I haven't played since the game was patched but between the performance, quests bugging out (which only happened in act 3 - a testament to how well made the rest of the game was), and my total narrative disappointment, I stopped when Orin kidnapped Lae'zel. I just couldn't care anymore. I will say the constant tremors added too much narrative tension when players were expected to still do side quests.
The characters (the party) was far more interesting. Well, Lae'zel and Shadowheart were. They are undoubtedly the main characters of the story, holding the strongest connection to climactic events. If they had continued on with the strengths in the first act and produced a story with personal stakes rather than relying on a world ending threat to create tension then I would have finished it. All that being said, you should probably play it. Most people aren't as annoying as I am and will 100% enjoy the game.
Act one was incredible with the Underdark and the Mountain pass being such cool surprises. On top of that the main thrust of the narrative felt personal - every quest revolved around finding a solution to your problem. There was time to explore, time to breathe and get to know your party, time to explore these expansive gorgeous zones and just dig into the game. The combat is a fantastic translation of DnD mechanics, everyone was written well enough that I cared. I think in a way act one being so front loaded set the rest of the game up for disappointment, for me.
Act 2 in the shadow cursed lands was such an incredible step back. I can see what they were going for but I found the area so dull to look at. By this point the party is a high enough level where combat really does start to shine so it's a shame it's all happening in such a dull place. After the Underdark was such a neat place to explore this felt unmemorable. The town full of ghosts was kind of cool. It's here the narrative started to spin its wheels. I do a bunch of stuff I can't remember, then fight my way through a tower and get to a villain voiced by J.K. Simmons who sounds like he did it all in one take. It felt so strange, suddenly I'm faced with this guy who I'm supposed to think is a big deal but I really didn't care. So I fight him, chase him into a hole, and then meet two more villains. Why am I only meeting the antagonists at the end of the second of three acts? This is also when it completely lost me narratively, revealing this to be a world domination plot. I think I had an out of body experience of disappointment after raving along with my friends about how incredible the whole game was up to that point.
So then act 3. I haven't played since the game was patched but between the performance, quests bugging out (which only happened in act 3 - a testament to how well made the rest of the game was), and my total narrative disappointment, I stopped when Orin kidnapped Lae'zel. I just couldn't care anymore. I will say the constant tremors added too much narrative tension when players were expected to still do side quests.
The characters (the party) was far more interesting. Well, Lae'zel and Shadowheart were. They are undoubtedly the main characters of the story, holding the strongest connection to climactic events. If they had continued on with the strengths in the first act and produced a story with personal stakes rather than relying on a world ending threat to create tension then I would have finished it. All that being said, you should probably play it. Most people aren't as annoying as I am and will 100% enjoy the game.