Just started Two Worlds 2

I've just started playing Two Worlds 2 today (the gog version) and I can't help but notice that it's definitely an improvement on the first one. Obviously I haven't been far enough to try many things but so far it looks pretty interesting from a gameplay perspective.

The magic system looks very cool. Basically you can combine different cards that power up your spells and give them different effects. I imagine that there are enough options to keep this interesting in the long run and that alone should be a major incentive to play a spellcaster.

I really like playing an archer in the first game so I've been looking into archery in the sequel and it seems very promising with options to zoom in on enemies and mark targets so you can fire two arrows at once (for a little less damage).

We also get sneak attacks like in Kingdoms of Amalur, you sneak behind a foe and kill it with a well placed dagger attack.

The game also takes into account things like range for combat and allows us to use the craft skill to improve equipment. You can also destroy some items to recover materials just like in Kingdoms of Amalur (which is pretty handy). It doesn't feel as dumb as the crafting system in Skyrim.

Speaking of Skyrim, there is one area in which Two Worlds 2 is clearly better and that's weapon selection simply because it involves spears! I love spears and polearms in general but in most CRPGs they get the short end of the stick (pun intended) and they really shouldn't because they have range and in real life they were great to stop mounted units but also to engage the enemy before he could possibly hit you. Most games simply discard that and make them a poor substitute for two handed weapons usually giving greatswords the best offence and greataxes a little more critical damage. This was a major oversight in bloody Skyrim (seriously spears should be the best weapons to hunt dragons, mammoths and saber cats). I can't comment on dual wielding yet but it can't be worse than dual wielding in Skyrim (falling for the ridiculous DPS scheme when dual wielding in real life is about countering and parrying when entering combat with a light armoured opponent).

The story and the plot seem a bit contrived and I can't wait to get away from the prologue area. Voice acting is a bit underwhelming and the supporting characters don't stand out that much, they fall in the stereotypes that we've seen over and over again but I can't say Skyrim was better with its forgettable NPCs and I can't say that Kingdoms of Amalur was more attractive in that respect either.

Still, Two Worlds 2 doesn't look bad with all the settings maxed out and it runs pretty smoothly. It also supports the Xbox controller for the PC with rather intuitive controls that make the gameplay rather enjoyable (but certainly not as innovative as Kingdoms of Amalur in that regard).

I'm waiting to see how the game goes from here. Going through the tutorial part of the game and the prologue is not very thrilling but the game looks promising and I can't wait to see what sidequests are going to be like. Two Worlds was an engrossing game despite its flaws, I just hope Two Worlds 2 doesn't involve killing as many wolves as the first game.

I loved TW, Morrowind, etc, to Death but I am so damn bloody tired of the medieval setting. It's been done to death, so to me, Fallout is like a godsend. I admit I am having quite a bit of fun playing the Fallout version of an assassin.

Voice acting as well as plotlines were never TW's strong point, so I do not hold it against the game. As an exploration and looting game, it is superb, so I definitively will wait to hear your thoughts on it. It was on my checklist, and I bumped into the console version more than once but I do not own an Xbox and neither do I plan to. I just don't care for modern game consoles.

But yeah... I too hope bloody wolves won't be as much of a pain in the ass as they were in the original game.

I don't blame you, FNV is a spectacular game and I would like to hear more from you on this subject. Have you checked FNV mods yet? I haven't been keeping my mod list up to date but I've been keeping an eye on some new mods that are simply amazing.

I don't get all that talk about consoles though. I don't have a console (or a TV) and I don't plan on getting one. This is the PC version of the game I'm talking about. The gog version actually which comes with no DRM.

So far TW2 is pretty enjoyable. I just hope wolves won't be a problem any time soon.

Well, I've played TW2 for a few hours now, so here are my mixed thoughts.

It's a massive upgrade over the first game yet I still get that TW vibe, which is great.

I like the fact items can be broke down into components. It reminds me of the crafting system is Skyrim but difference is that this system doesn't feel as dumbed down.

Sneak -- death -- attacks feel better in this game and I definitively feel like I will be playing an assassin for sure.

Archery is as good as it was in the first game, and it remains a go-to classic for me.

Magic I haven't played much with, but it also felt familiar.

I chuckled at some of the recycled sounds AKA Groms.

I couldn't stop staring at the Prophet's breasts. She is pointing north as well, look at those nipples poking through that dress!

That orcish assassin is looking pretty hot. Kind of destroys the traditional image of the Orcs I had.

The story still seems to be garbage. It still doesn't matter.

I even got a second copy of TW1, I could have given it to my brother in law, but I have decided to be a selfish bastard and keep it for myself.

Bottom line -- so far, so good. It takes what made TW1 good and improves on all of those.

Glad you like it. I may fire it up now so we can compare notes.

I haven't played much myself but the magic system seems pretty cool with all the cards we can combine.

Don't know about the story, it has never been TW's strong point but the expansion is said to be an improvement.

EDIT:

Quote :

That orcish assassin is looking pretty hot. Kind of destroys the traditional image of the Orcs I had.

Probably because she is not an orc.

I've acquired TW2 in the GOG sale and have embarked upon an epic journey. I love the ranger skills, but it appears to me that you need to multi-task between Ranger, Warrior, Mage and Assassin as certain enemies require different skills and techniques for combat to be effective.

Love the game world - its far more open than a lot of games. Also, animals re-spawn, so upgrading if a necessary fight is too difficult is easy.

Right now I'm trying to collect enough money to buy the Trapping Skill book

Good fun so far.

Did you get the first game as well, Sue? It's inferior to the second one but it's still good fun.

I got the first game a couple of years back, but got fed up with it - you didn't die, just re-appeared at the last bastion (so to speak) and I'd had enough of that style of game play from the Sacred games. If you really enjoyed TW1, then both Sacred games should appeal to you. The graphics in the second are quite beautiful and the mounts you get to ride you can take into battle.

TW1 is in my GOG library, so I'll probably re-visit at some point.

  

Haven't played in a while but archery has its uses. I also like long reaching weapons like spears and halberds. Hunting ostriches is fun.

Sacred 2 has one thing going for it and that's Blind Guardian!!! They even have a scene in which they play the song they wrote for the game in the actual game. Nothing can be better than that.

How dare you! Ostriches are made to be mounts for axe wielding skeletons!

Has anyone else used the psyche spell in TW2? It's a hoot. Crates and spiked metal balls bombard your enemy from above. You just need some ceiling height to cast it. Works fantastically well against giant scorpions.

  

Sounds terrific... I must confess I haven't progressed much.

Neither did I.

Steam counter -- 96 minutes

I've got only 10 hours so far.

I'm about 20 hours in. The map is HUGE.

  

I played some more, and while it is a massive improvement, I somehow still prefer the first game. It has that indescriptible charm I just dig

To think I got it for 7 bucks in a bargain bin.

I'm loving TW2 - it's quite a polished RPG with some interesting combat skills, fantastic spells (especially the Earthquake one), fun ranger skills and good stealth/trapping options.  

In addition, the quests are varied and fun, boss fights are achievable rather than frustrating.  I love the dry humour that my character's dialogue provides and the AIs also have variety.

The one thing that frustrates me is how busy the cities and towns are.  Moving through the crowds without clipping someone and annoying them is hard.  Also the pickpocket skill is relentlessly difficult.  However, lock picking can seem that way until you've got the knack.

Some critics have said TW2 is the poor mans Oblivion, but I don't agree.  There's much greater variety in this game than in Oblivion, the skill trees are clearly structured and the narrative/quest thread is organised so you're not overpowered on a regular basis.  Occasionally you might run into a situation your character isn't quite ready for, but this has only happened a couple of times and I'm well on with Chapter 2.  The only aspect that's reminded me of Oblivion is the graphic design of a tower you enter during the first chapter of the game.  However what happens in this tower is very different to what happens repeatedly in Oblivion.

In my opinion, TW2 is a good, solid RPG experience.

Oblivion is so overrated... Apart from the DLC with the Mad Dog it was incredibly formulaic.

I like spears in TW2. It's fun fighting with polearms in this game.

I haven't played much lately but I intend to go back.