Category Archives: Reviews

Grandia II marries PC and console RPGs

Ryudo is a sword for hire who takes a job protecting Elena, a young priestess on her way to a very important ceremony to seal the remains of the evil god, Valmar. Before they know what has happened, they are caught up in a battle of good versus evil and the world hangs in the balance. This is Grandia II from Ubi Soft and Game Arts. Grandia II is a RPG for the computer that looks and plays more like a console based RPG. When I say "console-based RPG," I mean Grandia II is reminiscent of games like Final Fantasy … Continue reading Grandia II marries PC and console RPGs

Getting a Lot More with Morrowind

It looks like the developers at Bethesda are actually going to be releasing their Morrowind RPG in May for both the PC and Xbox, which is pretty amazing considering how much depth is contained within the game world. Well, I guess they have been working on it for quite some time, but after playing with the preview version of the game, I can say that their efforts were well worth the wait. Put simply, Morrowind is quite possibly going to revolutionize the way people think about role-playing games on the computer. I’ve played about every RPG for the past six … Continue reading Getting a Lot More with Morrowind

Siege Anthology is A+ Value

The Siege of Avalon Anthology is a welcome breath in the world of role-playing games. No, the game does not break any technical benchmarks or cause your processor to smoke under the weight of the graphics processing. But Siege does do something that few other RPGs ever have: provide solid entertainment without breaking your bank. Siege can be had for just $20, a price that most RPGs won’t reach until they have been bested by their own sequels several times over. For that price, I was expecting a very cheap game that would not impress me in the least, much … Continue reading Siege Anthology is A+ Value

Siege the Day

There are times when a game is released and everyone in the industry has to take a step back and say, "Wow, how did they do that?" Dungeon Siege is one of those games. Billed as a role-playing game, Dungeon Siege is better described as an action-packed Dungeon romp along the lines of Diablo II, Darkstone and even perhaps the Myth series. But that is about where any type of comparison ends. Dungeon Siege has the same type of elements found in other games, but they are put together so well here, you will swear that you’ve never seen anything … Continue reading Siege the Day

Dark Age of Camelot Shines

Ever had the overwhelming desire to wield a sword or cast those magic spells that you have used in the pencil and paper Dungeons and Dragons games? Or just wanted to experience life in those mythical times? Then Mythic Entertainment’s Dark Age of Camelot (DAoC) may be the game for you. The latest entrant into the rapidly growing number of MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing games – impressive title huh?) lets you, and a couple of hundred of your closest friends experience life in Realms of legend. Combining Norse and Celtic Mythology with the legends of King Arthur and … Continue reading Dark Age of Camelot Shines

Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is a Quest You Can’t

Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance takes the monster-hit PC role-playing series into new territory – the console platform. And thankfully, the game is more than worthy of its namesake. Hardcore PC role-players should note that Dark Alliance is at its core, a console game. While not every quest is solved with combat, for more than 90 percent of the game you will probably be slaying something. But where other console ports like Diablo failed, Dark Alliance really shines. The flavor of the Forgotten Realms comes through perfectly. People you chat with look realistic, even when zoomed in, and all the voice … Continue reading Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance is a Quest You Can’t

Baldur’s Gate II Rocks RPGs

There are two ways you can spend the holiday season. The first involves dinner with the family, huge lipstick-smeared kisses from aunts you barely know and riveting conversation about how in the old days people walked to school in the snow and it was uphill both ways. And then there is the fun way: Baldur’s Gate II. It was almost a given that the sequel to the winner of the GiN RPG of the Year would be awesome. About the worst thing that could have happened is that nothing at all would have changed, and even then Baldur’s Gate II … Continue reading Baldur’s Gate II Rocks RPGs

Arcanum is Bookish, Hardcore Fun

I want to say that Arcanum is the "thinking person’s role-playing game" but shouldn’t every RPG be for thinking people? I also want to rave about how much I enjoyed playing the game, but I think I better first explain that Arcanum won’t appeal to everyone. Arcanum is a role-playing game in the purest since. Never have I encountered a title that caused me to really think about gameplay so deeply. Even my ruling favorite RPG series, Baldur’s Gate, did not rise to this level of complexity. This can be a good or a bad thing, depending on your personal … Continue reading Arcanum is Bookish, Hardcore Fun

Anarchy Online is Revolutionary

Anarchy Online sounds a bit like some shooter free-for-all, at least judging from the main title. But despite this, the game is actually an online massively multiplayer RPG that is second to none in terms of character development and detailed landscapes. The first thing however that sets Anarchy Online apart from most massively multiplayer RPGs is that the world of Anarchy Online takes place in a science fiction universe. Getting away from the normal medieval theme that seems to permeate every other online world is quite nice. With the futuristic setting comes a lot of interesting paths that a character … Continue reading Anarchy Online is Revolutionary

Darkstone Comes Up a Bit Short

Any person who has played a lot of fantasy, role-playing games has heard plenty of tired game storylines similar to this one; "The evil Draak has acquired an incredible power and has transformed himself into a dragon and now has plans to destroy the world. You must journey across the lands to find seven ancient magic crystals which will help you defeat the villainous Draak." That is the opening sequence to Take 2 Interactive’s title Darkstone, an action/fantasy role-playing game for the Sony Playstation. Darkstone is part of Take 2’s $9.99 line up of games. Players in Darkstone choose from … Continue reading Darkstone Comes Up a Bit Short