Half Action, Half RPG, Half-Baked!!! Review

Half Action, Half RPG, Half-Baked!!!

Just recently had I taken a renewed interest in role playing games and I can’t

say I was welcomed warmly by Bethesda’s newest Elder Scroll Legend, Battlespire.

There were a few miniscule technical aspects of the production that weren’t

half-bad, but the rest of the game was plain and simply AWFUL! After all the

hype about Daggerfall, I must say I was disappointed

in such an inconsistent company. To my surprise, I soon learned Bethesda has

had an interesting record of great titles and total flops. This game is definitely

not one of the acclaimed titles.

Battlespire had very little to offer the gamer other than more action

than a regular RPG. However, even the action was completely negated with a horrible

semi-3D engine plagued by bugs, glitches and lots and lots of clipping errors.

Battlespire was meant to be the opposite of Daggerfall

in many ways. Instead of having an endless number of options and adventures,

Battlespire is stricly linear, concentrating on a certain area with a

certain plot to follow. The theory was to make up for this lack of freedom with

more action.

Unfortunately, Bethesda failed. Graphics are the worst aspect of the game.

I know better than to say graphics are what make an RPG, however, this game

combined role-playing with action, and it was a total disappointment of how

poorly the game ran (even on my new PII 300). The graphics are VERY outdated

and embarrassingly choppy (Duke Nukem looks

100 times better). Ultima Online is a 2D game,

and is sill much better looking than Battlespire!

Sound effects and music are the only decent parts about this game (besides

the female selection screen in the beginning) [Ed. Note: Pig!]. The music

set the tone of the game well, and the effects were fitting to both the environment

and the music. Even though these areas weren’t half-bad, you can hardly appreciate

them when most of the rest of the game bites.

As far as the character development and game dynamics, Battlespire does meet

the standards of an average RPG. For the most part, the setup was similar to

Daggerfall. The main difference between Battlespire

and most other RPGs is its poor effort in trying to combine too much strategy

and character development with too much action. The first few levels are extremely

difficult especially since your character is so unskilled at the beginning,

and you basically are left to start the level over 300 times until you finally

orient yourself around the clumsy interface and huge pixels!

Since the

graphics suck, the action isn’t even nearly as satisfying as Quake

2
or Blood. I’m not saying it was a bad idea, but Bethesda’s attempt

was a failure mainly because of the graphics engine, lack of 3D support, and

failure to make an easier interface to fight with! Had they given those three

aspects better consideration before releasing this half-baked sequel, Battlespire

would have had much more potential as an original combination title.

Unfortunately, this was not the case, and it shows. I think someone had too

many bills to pay and they needed to get this one out on time. We know they’re

capable of better work.

The multi-player games were an even bigger disappointment. I thought the addition

of different players would bring in more options and bigger adventures. Unfortunately,

the only thing they have to offer is more action, and less RPG stuff! Battlespire

essentially turns into a bad, cooperative, 1st person fighting game.

In conclusion… I wouldn’t recommend Battlespire to anyone. Overall, the game

is poorly produced and is in need of a complete reconstruction starting with

the graphics engine! The beginning is frustrating and the action, unrewarding.

My final word: if you want a REAL multiplayer role-playing game, buy Ultima

Online
, and if you want a good action game, buy Quake

2
! If you’re looking for a good combination of the two, keep looking.

Upcoming Releases
Inspired by the beauty of the natural world around us, Everwild is a brand-new game in development from Rare where unique and unforgettable experiences await in a natural and magical world. Play as an Eternal as you explore and build bonds with the world around you.
Kindred Fates is an open world monster battling RPG, and a love letter to the monster battle genre. Our goal is to evolve the genre, and finally bring fans what they've been asking for.
Embark on an inspiring mission of human connection beyond the UCA. Sam — with companions by his side — sets out on a new journey to save humanity from extinction. Join them as they traverse a world beset by otherworldly enemies, obstacles and a haunting question: should we have connected?
Star Citizen is an upcoming space trading and combat simulator video game for Microsoft Windows. Star Citizen will consist of two main components: first person space combat and trading in a massively multiplayer persistent universe and customizable private servers (known as Star Citizen), and a branching single-player game (known as Squadron 42). The game will also feature VR support.
Reviews
9 REDMAGIC 10 Pro Review
With a new Snapdragon processor comes a new REDMAGIC 10 Pro phone incorporating it. For those gamers or power users…
X