GAME REVIEW: Tyranny (My Score: 4/5)

Tyranny begins with a different outlook than most other games: The evil Overlord Kyros has won. All lands have fallen and only one small province - The Tiers - stands in the way of complete dominance. The Overlord dictates that all must submit and has sent four Archons - embodiments of magic and power - to lead the conquest:

You are a Fatebinder, raised in Tunon's Court and educated to uphold and deliver Kyros' Justice across the realm. The game's narrative is a twisting roller coaster of difficult decisions which will test your moral compass. Will you uphold the law, by any means necessary? Will you follow your own interests, to the point of rejecting the Almighty Kyros' rule? Who will you support? Who is more deserving of live and who will die? Whatever your choices, you must keep in mind that there will be consequences and that sooner or later you will answer for any and all of your actions to the Adjudicator of the Law.

Tyranny offers an intricate plot line, full of twists and difficult decisions. Your choices throughout the game will affect every outcome and will have consequences. I like this dynamic and it makes me think twice before deciding what to do. Likelihood is that you won't see all plot lines through your first playthrough, so I would advise you to re-do the game with different choices. Every fork matters. If you are an experienced RPG gamer you may find some parts of the plot predictable, and for this reason I will give it a 4/5 for plot.

The game is absolutely gorgeous! The graphics are beautiful, the colour schemes are rich and deep. Particle effects are smooth and satisfying. Spells are wonderful and varied, and all character models are smooth. You can see a lot in the trailer above. The one negative I could think of would be armour, which is not varied enough for my taste. Still, tastes are different and I'll allow for personal opinion. I'll give this category a 5/5.

For those like me, who are not used to Isometric games, the game may feel slightly awkward in the beginning. Movement is only accomplished through mouse clicks and the camera must be panned manually as well. However, Tyranny provides various options which add a lot of depth to the game. One such mechanic is Spell Creation, which requires the player to explore for and research accents, sigils and expressions, then combine them to create dozens of different spells. You have the freedom to play and customise your character in almost any imaginable way. For that, I'll give this section a 4/5.

As in any RPG game, a good combat system is essential. Tyranny uses a system of calculation which pits different stats against each other. It is rather complex and not exactly intuitive. Despite playing quite a few RPGs I must say that the combat system in Tyranny threw me off. Combat itself can get rather messy and efficiency is extremely dependant on micromanaging your companions. It would be impossible to beat the game without spending a good deal of time getting to know how each character works and fiddling around with skill sets, and builds. Still, complexity does not mean low quality! And remember - the combat log in the bottom right is your friend! Due to its complexity and non-intuitive nature, I'll give the Combat system an average 3/5, without any prejudice against its quality.