So, I have never played a Spiders game before, but I'm aware that they have a "reputation". So going in, my expectations were quite low. But meh, got nothing to play ATM and it's been a while since I tried a PS+ game (despite religiously adding all of them to my ever-growing backlog), so even if it would suck, at least it will be for the lulz.
And sure, there is a lot of jank and many issues. But seriously, check out the end credits. There are more environmental artists (in-house, not including outsourced work) in a typical AAA game than there were people making this game entirely. So, adjust your expectations accordingly. This means the character models are not the best out there (although some of the designs, especially those of the natives, are interesting), the lip sync is... trying at least (TBH this can be an issue with games with a budget couple of magnitudes larger) and there is a lot of recycling of interiors. Like, really lot. Although regarding the last point, my theory is that in the game world they've started to implore building construction from premade parts (which is how most of buildings are made today), but it's still in the "Ford Model T" phase (i.e. "you can have any colour you like, as long as it is black").
But the towns/settlements themselves and open areas are actually quite good. Not the most detailed and varied out there, of course, but interesting enough in their own right. As to the presentation otherwise, sound is fine and surprisingly detailed (for a budget title) in a surround setting. The voicework is fine, some are great even - but if there ever was a case for being able to turn off companion chatter, this is it. Yes, I'm aware I need a magic potion or that I need healing, there's that HUD you know. And while Vasco is a fun character otherwise, there's a very valid reason why you won't want to keep him in your party, those of you who've played the game surely know what I'm talking about. The music though, I was absolutely blown away with how good it was. There is the more typical stuff you would expect from a fantasy setting, but also some really more ambient and minimalistic/experimental tracks that work wonderfully within the game. While the combat can be quite monotonous, the music elevates especially the boss encounters really lot. My advice is, in the settings turn down speech by two notches and sound effects by four (or two, I just personally get tired of combat sounds in pretty much any game so I like them a bit more down), then turn up the volume on your sound system and go to town.
So on to the combat. It's... alright? Nothing to write home about though. I played a magic build, that "focuses on the use of offensive spells from a distance" according to the game - in the end, I played pretty much a melee character with a few extra tricks. With bosses towards the end, it was just Stasis -> two or three hits with Shadow Impact (upgraded, so the first hit can be initiated from a further distance) -> get away from the upcoming boss attack with Lightning Dash. Rinse and repeat. While that works, I would have appreciated some more spells. How about a couple of AoE spells (technically Shadow Burst and Storm are, but they're around you, they cannot be cast elsewhere), elemental damage, just something more? But this is an ARPG with heavy emphasis on the "A" part, it's what it is. What absolutely sucks balls though is the enemy variety, or lack thereof. Not just of regular enemies (which there are far few types of), but bosses too, that get recycled way too many times. This wouldn't be such an issue if the game was like half of its length, but at 30+ hours it most definitely is. The end boss was unique and fun though.
Related to the combat is the loot game, and for me that was pretty much meh. I didn't put any points into crafting, so perhaps I missed a lot there, but for me the only point for loot (apart from gold, consumables and the occasional gear that is better than what you had) was just to get some stuff I needed to craft some potions. This goes for chests too, most of the time what you find is really insignificant. As said, maybe I missed a lot by not investing in crafting.
But apart from the "A", there's also the "R", "P" and "G", so how does the game work in that department? To my surprise, very well actually. I was initially a bit put off by the art style and setting, it seemed like the studio took a bunch of fantasy concepts, put them in a blender and called it a day, but it's deeper than that. All of the factions of the game make sense within the game world (or at least don't feel out of place), and one thing I really appreciated was that despite being a game set into a completely new setting, the characters don't just spout expository dialogue at you all the time. The game is not afraid to use terms that are not explained immediately and lets the player figure things out more organically, which is actually quite rare these days. As for the characters themselves and your interactions with them, it's clear that the studio really tries to do old-school BioWare. It doesn't get there, but it tries really,
really, hard, so much so that it's quite endearing. But there are limitations, mostly budget based I'm assuming, that can make some of the conversations unintentionally funny. Like, you'd have a character saying something along the lines "I placed you in mortal danger, I'm so very sorry..." in a very apologetic tone, and the very next line (with almost no delay is) "Is there any else you want to discuss?" in a completely neutral voice. In a higher budget game, there would be variations in the latter line I think.
But hey, there are multiple ways that you can do a quest, there are meaningful choices that can affect the game world significantly, there are factions you have relations with (which can go sour, of course) - it's a role-playing game, like they used to make them. The talents you pick really make a difference on how you can play the game, in exploration, solving quests and with dialogue options. I especially like how the Charisma option is never "you need this level", but always a percentage for success (which can be increased by putting points in Charisma). One thing I'm not sure of though: is it possible to do all of the content without having one point in Science so you can craft basic potions? I think one of the companion quests requires that. Oh and you'll want to place one point in Lockpicking ASAP despite your build, trust me.
On the whole though, I liked it more than I thought, even with all the issues. If there's a PS5 update with more content, I'll check it out (provided it's free or cheap). If there's a sequel, I'll definitely check it out. During my 30-some hours of playing, I had three crashes, some bugs (although not game-breaking) but OTOH I got to play a role-playing game where my actions actually mattered. 7/10, still better than Cyberpunk.
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