If replaying Blood Omen was bittersweet, this was an emotional roller coaster. I started out as enthusiastic about it as I had been during my first playthrough, but as it went on my heart slowly started to sink.
"Were the controls really this fucked when I played it all those years ago," I asked myself.
"Was the camera this unresponsive?"
"Were the jumping and combat this awkward?"
"An open-ended adventure game with no map? What is this, fucking Simon's Quest?"
"WHAT THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO, GAME?"
Then around the three-quarter mark when all the cool moves are unlocked and you're free to explore the splendidly dour land of Nosgoth, draped in its oppressive atmosphere backed by a sublimely moody soundtrack, we were so fucking back.
I can't bring myself to hate this game, even with all its egregious shortcomings. It's just too brilliantly presented with too many great ideas that, despite not always reaching their full (or sometimes even half of) their potential, are so commendable, especially for its time. It's "soul" in its purest, most distilled form, no pun intended.
"Were the controls really this fucked when I played it all those years ago," I asked myself.
"Was the camera this unresponsive?"
"Were the jumping and combat this awkward?"
"An open-ended adventure game with no map? What is this, fucking Simon's Quest?"
"WHAT THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO, GAME?"
Then around the three-quarter mark when all the cool moves are unlocked and you're free to explore the splendidly dour land of Nosgoth, draped in its oppressive atmosphere backed by a sublimely moody soundtrack, we were so fucking back.
I can't bring myself to hate this game, even with all its egregious shortcomings. It's just too brilliantly presented with too many great ideas that, despite not always reaching their full (or sometimes even half of) their potential, are so commendable, especially for its time. It's "soul" in its purest, most distilled form, no pun intended.