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stanthony
One Smart Dog
Joined: 28 Oct 2002
Posts: 556
Location: Tallinn, Estonia |
| My experience with Lionheart (Review) |
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I waited for this game for many months. Screenshots, previews, chat logs... Then - BOOM! - demo was a disaster, but there was some hope left. After LH was released and majority of reviewers agreed that it is a very average game I forced myself not to buy it... for some time  Finally I gave up and decided to give it a try.
After playing approximately 25-30 hours I quit. I'm in Nostradamus' cave, about 70-75% of the game completed. I quit because I've seen it all by now. Here's a summary of my impressions, point by point.
INSTALLATION, COMPATIBILITY AND STABILITY
Installation is simple - just choose a destination folder and voila. You can also install free Arcanoid-type game, which is fun BTW. I immediately applied a patch that was supposed to fix some bugs and added a nice speed control slider to the main menu. Game crashed only once on my PC, but after that crash I was unable to load the latest save. I was lucky enough to have another one - so I had to replay only some 20 minutes. LH ran smoothly on both Win2K and WinXP Pro. On Athlon1700+ it was very fast - loading saved game took about 4 seconds. You can Alt-Tab from LH at any time, too.
S.P.E.C.I.A.L.
Character creation is interesting and simple. There are explanations for most parameteres available, so you don't need to turn to manual very often. You can choose from several pre-made characters or design your own (which is much more fun, of course). You can choose a guardian-spirit, too 
Roleplaying system and character development are fun per se, but SPECIAL system does not really work in LH. I mean, game could as well use arcade-like 4-parameter system. Unlike in Fallout series you never actually use most of the potential features.By the end of my play I discovered that it is important to develop one melee style, archery style, on offensive and one defensive magic branch. That's it. I never put points in anything else, and I was able to open almost every lock, and to avoid 99% of traps. I felt that I could do better in some dialogues, but... few hours ago I checked 3 different walkthroughs (including Interplay's official one) and found out that I did *every* quest I possibly could. Every single one of them. No use of SPECIAL selection of features.
GRAPHICS
800x600 fixed. I was not scared by it. I enjoy isomeric CRPGs, and I think that beautiful canvas-like graphics is more important than full 3D. Backgrounds are very fine. Trees are gorgeous. Buildings are ok. NPCs and monsters are done not very good, although you can always tell Segnior Leo from a wild bear that's for sure Animations are terrible. Characters move unnaturally. The thing that simply killed me, was the companions' animation/speed. They run like in a stupid cartoon around you, while you w-a-l-k. Slowly. Movement is done with very few frames. Crapy is the word here. I never used companion for longer than it is necessary to comlete quest in question.
SOUND
Some NPC voices are done very well, some are just ok. There are few talking NPCs in LH, but it seems like most of people in the game talk, simply because there are few NPC overall. Monster sounds are repetitive and boring. Music is very good, but for 70% of the game there was only 5 different themes. I'd also say music doesn't correspond to the moment of play very well.
GAMEPLAY
Setting is very cool - that's exactly why I started LH in the first place. But I think setting is actually the only cool thing about the gameplay. Quests are *very* simple, 50% of them are solved so to say unintentionally. You receive a quest and you can immediately say "I did it already" and get your reward. Yes there are some quite unusual tasks/encounters, but these are very rare.
Game can be divided in two parts - in/around (35-40% of the game) and after Barcelona. In Barcelona and around you have some questing and encounters to keep you interested. After Montserrat game turns to constant killing. Battles require no tactics at all. Click and wait it die. I used 3 spells and 2 weapons throughout the game. Enemy AI is a joke. If you you encounter a big group of enemies you can always find a place nearby to kill poor guys one-by-one as they run to you. It may work while you have something else to do, but after Montserrat your only goal is to kill things. Battles turn senseless and boring.
There are almost no puzzles in LH (I found one exception). If you remember to turn on "find traps" feature after every battle you will find *all* secret areas. There is a funny puzzle in Leo's Barcelona study, which is not quite apparent, but it is the only unusual one so far.
MY VERDICT
As I started to play LH I protected it from being flamed on several forums. Now I see why it was flamed. It is playable. Before Montserrat. It makes Icewind Dale look like an epic saga with texts a'la Palnescape: Torment. It is a decent hack'n'slash to kill time. It can be fun sometimes, but you never feel quite "hooked" by the game. My ratings will be:
- Stability 80%
- Character development 65%
- Graphics/animation 65%
- Sound 70%
- Gameplay 50%
- Overall 60%
P.S. I will be glad if anyone finds this little review helpful. I'm sorry for all the misprints I made.
_________________
- Druids do not fight with metal weapons! Sit here, and you over here. Put the elbows of your right arms on the table...
- Arm-pulling? Get me back me pan!
R.A.Salvatore The Cleric Quintet. Canticle |
Fri Oct 10, 2003 11:32 am |
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Dhruin
Stranger In A Strange Land
Joined: 20 May 2002
Posts: 1825
Location: Sydney, Australia |
I'm about halfway through (ToEE came along ), but I'd say that was a pretty fair review, stanthony. |
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Fri Oct 10, 2003 12:09 pm |
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Lintra
Elf Friend
Joined: 23 Apr 2002
Posts: 9448
Location: Bermuda, the triangle place with SANDY BEACHES |
Lucky Dhruin being able to get a copy of TOEE!
@StAnthony - thanks for the review. I have not picked this up ... for me dropping $60 (or more for Gothic 2) means I am not gambling with out good cause!
_________________
=Member of The Nonflamers' Guild=
=Just plain clueless= |
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Fri Oct 10, 2003 5:35 pm |
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Seth
Last Man Standing
Joined: 23 Jan 2002
Posts: 1008
Location: Faerun |
Anthony you were very generous for giving such high score.
I buy a lot of games, and I mean a lot, but I can count on one hand how many games I returned in the first week of playing. LH unfortunately is one of them, before that was PoR 2.
_________________
Money - An article which may be used as a universal passport to everywhere except heaven, and as a universal provider of everything except happiness. |
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Fri Oct 10, 2003 7:26 pm |
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MoonDragon
High Emperor
Joined: 25 May 2002
Posts: 1254
Location: Waterloo, Canada |
That's just about dead on review.
Honestly, I never got away from Barcelona. There was no motivation what so ever. Quests are unclear but if you just keep walking around hacking and slashing, you'll eventually complete them all. There is no reason to join any of the 'sides' you're supposed to join. The game just basically lacks any semblance of a story. The whole thing about you being a Lionheart reincarnate is just so lame. No story. No plot. No motivation. Bleh...
I got so bored with my hack&slash char, I decided to try and do something the advertising geniuses louded as a big bonus. I created a pure 'talk' character. Sneaking and conversation were supposed to be the only skills. LOL! What a joke! I couldn't even leave the stupid city. Let alone enter the sewers and do the quests you need to do down there.
Serious disappointment. Black Isle exhausted my patience. From now on, they'll have to prove themselves again, before I would give them my money.
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(@) |
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Fri Oct 10, 2003 7:36 pm |
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stanthony
One Smart Dog
Joined: 28 Oct 2002
Posts: 556
Location: Tallinn, Estonia |
quote:
Originally posted by Seth
Anthony you were very generous for giving such high score.
I buy a lot of games, and I mean a lot, but I can count on one hand how many games I returned in the first week of playing. LH unfortunately is one of them, before that was PoR 2.
I fully understand you, Seth. I was so generous because there was something in this game that made me play it... made me try to get through the game as far as I did. There was some... feeling about it. I know I sound stupid, and it is just so very sentimental  I tried to write this review as objective as I could. I pointed to as many bright sides of LH as there are, because, honestly there are worse games around - not an excuse for LH to exist, but still
_________________
- Druids do not fight with metal weapons! Sit here, and you over here. Put the elbows of your right arms on the table...
- Arm-pulling? Get me back me pan!
R.A.Salvatore The Cleric Quintet. Canticle |
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Fri Oct 10, 2003 9:28 pm |
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Ammon777
Warrior for Heaven
Joined: 20 Apr 2002
Posts: 2011
Location: United States |
I found your review helpful. In fact it reinforced my decision not to buy it! |
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Fri Oct 10, 2003 9:48 pm |
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stanthony
One Smart Dog
Joined: 28 Oct 2002
Posts: 556
Location: Tallinn, Estonia |
quote:
Originally posted by Ammon777
I found your review helpful. In fact it reinforced my decision not to buy it!
Good  Some result is better than no result... Oh my, poor LH, I didn't mean it, I didn't mean it!!! 
_________________
- Druids do not fight with metal weapons! Sit here, and you over here. Put the elbows of your right arms on the table...
- Arm-pulling? Get me back me pan!
R.A.Salvatore The Cleric Quintet. Canticle |
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Fri Oct 10, 2003 10:04 pm |
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Danicek
The Old One
Joined: 15 Dec 2001
Posts: 5922
Location: Czech Republic |
quote:
Originally posted by Ammon777
I found your review helpful. In fact it reinforced my decision not to buy it!
Same here... |
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Sat Oct 11, 2003 10:33 am |
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Michael C
Black Dragon
Joined: 09 Jul 2001
Posts: 1595
Location: Aarhus, Denmark |
Stanthony: Having played almost the same amount of LH, I have to say that your review is very close to my impression of the game, and I find your scores adequate.
_________________
Moderator on RPGdot.com Forum.
Member of the Nonflamers guild.
Member of the Sport fan club. |
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Mon Oct 13, 2003 8:35 am |
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stanthony
One Smart Dog
Joined: 28 Oct 2002
Posts: 556
Location: Tallinn, Estonia |
quote:
Originally posted by Michael C
Stanthony: Having played almost the same amount of LH, I have to say that your review is very close to my impression of the game, and I find your scores adequate.
So maybe I can have my own editorial column or something? No, seriously, I'd love to write and if RPGDot needs something, I'm very willing to contribute if I'm competent.
_________________
- Druids do not fight with metal weapons! Sit here, and you over here. Put the elbows of your right arms on the table...
- Arm-pulling? Get me back me pan!
R.A.Salvatore The Cleric Quintet. Canticle |
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Mon Oct 13, 2003 9:27 am |
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Danicek
The Old One
Joined: 15 Dec 2001
Posts: 5922
Location: Czech Republic |
RPGDot is nearly always looking for people. However I do not know if there is currently "possition" suitable for you.
You should ask Myrthos, Rend or probably Jaz about this. Write them PM or e-mail.
And before you will do this, think well about that. It will cost you time and you should make relatively "long time" decission. |
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Mon Oct 13, 2003 4:50 pm |
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stanthony
One Smart Dog
Joined: 28 Oct 2002
Posts: 556
Location: Tallinn, Estonia |
Thank you, Danicek. I'll think of it, but I also think I'm pretty sure about my decision  It's just what I like.
_________________
- Druids do not fight with metal weapons! Sit here, and you over here. Put the elbows of your right arms on the table...
- Arm-pulling? Get me back me pan!
R.A.Salvatore The Cleric Quintet. Canticle |
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Mon Oct 13, 2003 5:20 pm |
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Michael C
Black Dragon
Joined: 09 Jul 2001
Posts: 1595
Location: Aarhus, Denmark |
I'm sure RPGDot.com, always can use another enthusiastic writer, and like Danicek writes contact either "Rendelius" or "Myrthos", they normally are quite friendly bording to the civilized.
_________________
Moderator on RPGdot.com Forum.
Member of the Nonflamers guild.
Member of the Sport fan club. |
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Tue Oct 14, 2003 7:23 am |
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stanthony
One Smart Dog
Joined: 28 Oct 2002
Posts: 556
Location: Tallinn, Estonia |
@ Michael C - Yes, thank you, I got in touch with Myrthos and he demonstrated all the qualities of civilized person  LOL I think it's my turn now
_________________
- Druids do not fight with metal weapons! Sit here, and you over here. Put the elbows of your right arms on the table...
- Arm-pulling? Get me back me pan!
R.A.Salvatore The Cleric Quintet. Canticle |
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Tue Oct 14, 2003 9:12 am |
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