Thanks, guys. I guess there's no reason "Mystery of the Maya" is there other than I like the choose-your-own-adventure books a lot.
The game has some good scenery, including lots of outdoor scenes (such as an elven forest). I don't know if I've seen anything as epic and jaw-dropping as you might find in something like Far Cry 2 or Oblivion, but it's definitely not ugly and boring. There are problems, especially with loading times (at least if you have the graphics cranked up). Just entering a building can take 20-30 seconds or longer to load, and by that time a lot of momentum has been lost (despite the cool loading screen with blood soaking through a map).
Combat is detailed enough, with a leveling system very similar to WOW, though instead of putting points into skills you just learn new ones each level. Personally, I prefer the AD&D system the best. NWN really nailed it; I'd like to see a return/update to that type of system. What I do like is that occasionally (and often by surprise) you get a special sort of in-game animation, such as the rogue jumping up on an enemy and stabbing his knives into it. These unexpected moments really add some realism and heighten the game's appeal considerably.
One thing I'm not happy about is the magic system. Since you're often fighting foes in very close conditions, you hardly ever get to use your AOE stuff (fireballs, etc.) yet there are so many of them. Other spells, such as chain lightning, take a long time to cast. Really, the only spells I've found useful are the freezing ones and of course the healing magic, though you can often get away with lots of cone-area spells like fire and lightning. In general, though, I'd never play again as a magic-user and discourage others from doing so. I think the game would be lots more fun with a rogue or warrior. I'm really sore that I'm not getting those satisfying moments when you really blast apart enemies with magic or do some truly spectacular stuff. In short, magic in this game is rather "blah."
The bottom line is, if you're going to enjoy this game, it's because of the story and the characters. The gameplay and audiovisuals are good, but not the sort of thing that's going to compensate if you don't enjoy the story or can't get into the characters.
Thanks, guys. I guess there's no reason "Mystery of the Maya" is there other than I like the choose-your-own-adventure books a lot.
The game has some good scenery, including lots of outdoor scenes (such as an elven forest). I don't know if I've seen anything as epic and jaw-dropping as you might find in something like Far Cry 2 or Oblivion, but it's definitely not ugly and boring. There are problems, especially with loading times (at least if you have the graphics cranked up). Just entering a building can take 20-30 seconds or longer to load, and by that time a lot of momentum has been lost (despite the cool loading screen with blood soaking through a map).
Combat is detailed enough, with a leveling system very similar to WOW, though instead of putting points into skills you just learn new ones each level. Personally, I prefer the AD&D system the best. NWN really nailed it; I'd like to see a return/update to that type of system. What I do like is that occasionally (and often by surprise) you get a special sort of in-game animation, such as the rogue jumping up on an enemy and stabbing his knives into it. These unexpected moments really add some realism and heighten the game's appeal considerably.
One thing I'm not happy about is the magic system. Since you're often fighting foes in very close conditions, you hardly ever get to use your AOE stuff (fireballs, etc.) yet there are so many of them. Other spells, such as chain lightning, take a long time to cast. Really, the only spells I've found useful are the freezing ones and of course the healing magic, though you can often get away with lots of cone-area spells like fire and lightning. In general, though, I'd never play again as a magic-user and discourage others from doing so. I think the game would be lots more fun with a rogue or warrior. I'm really sore that I'm not getting those satisfying moments when you really blast apart enemies with magic or do some truly spectacular stuff. In short, magic in this game is rather "blah."
The bottom line is, if you're going to enjoy this game, it's because of the story and the characters. The gameplay and audiovisuals are good, but not the sort of thing that's going to compensate if you don't enjoy the story or can't get into the characters.
Matt Barton, Managing Editor
Location: St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA
Email: matt@armchairarcade.com