Review for Tyranny. Game for PC, Steam, Mac and Linux, the video game was released on 10/11/2016
We cannot deny that the attraction towards evil has always been a fascinating theme whether it is cinema or literature. As for the gaming landscape Tyranny undoubtedly stands as a perfect example of how to represent a not very detailed plot which has always attracted the curiosity of many.
We are not talking about something new that debuts on our screens for the first time, leaving us amazed by the courageous choice made, but a title developed with wisdom by Obsidian Entertainment and distributed by Paradox Interactive which, after the success of Pillars of Eternity, tests itself by deviating from the classic canons of the Western role-playing game.
Sometimes evil wins
So if you expect to have to save a world in chaos you can stop reading this review now, but if you feel attracted by the desire to reverse the parts and face a challenge in which to confirm the supremacy of a dark side you will find here what you are looking for. So what happens in Tyranny's world?
It has been several years since the overlord Kyros conquered Terratus by eliminating anyone who tried to prevent its expansion. Ourselves like Fatebinder - heralds of the supreme lord together with the Archons, we have actively participated in the military campaigns launched to create this Empire built on blood. But the conquest generated by chaos comes at a price of internal disagreements and rivalries like that between the two armies of Kyros: the solid elite of the Disfavored and the large and chaotic army of the Scarlet Chorus. To feed the internal disagreements we find the commanders of the armies themselves, as well as Archons: Graven Ashe, Archon of War, e The Voices of Nerat, Archon of Secrets.
Our task as Fatebinder will initially be to ensure that the conditions set by Kyros through the Edicts, powerful spells capable of bringing devastation and death to the territories in his possession, are met. To do this we will have to try to find a point of agreement between the two armies or side with one of them, in order to restore order among the various ranks.
A familiar evil
If the plot represents a pleasant novelty in the western role-playing panorama Tyranny's gameplay is an absolutely well-tried and familiar mechanism to those who have had the opportunity to play Pillars of Eternity. We will be faced with a wide choice of objects and spells, customizable through the combination of various seals and able to create increasingly powerful spells.
Also as regards the progression of our character we will not have difficulty in increasing characteristics and acquiring skills by choosing from a branched path. Our fellow adventurers, managed in a decidedly acceptable way by the AI, will be controllable in first person or completely entrusted to the automatic algorithms of the game. The immense amount of dialogues, the most important dubbed, represents a confirmation of the genre with a multiple choice system that can influence the s of our alter ego with supporting actors and NPCs in general.
The combat phases will be solved in real time, using the help of the AI and selecting particular actions for the NPCs and our character from time to time, or ponderables (definitely recommended), by pausing the game, and giving instructions to perform a whole series of actions linked to our party.
In addition to the customization of our character, there is another element of customizable interest and it is represented by the Spire. Imposing towers that rise in different regions, the Spire can be conquered and used as base camps where we will be able to use, one per tower, different structures that will be useful for different purposes ranging from crafting objects and weapons to physical or magical training. In this way not only will we be able to count on rapid movements, as the various towers are magically connected, but we will have personal trainers, merchants and so on available as well as a stopping point to exchange the members of our party or deepen the ties with their.
The old man who advances
The graphic aspect also does not represent uncharted terrain since for Tyranny the guys from Obsidian used the now solid Unity, already appreciated in Pillars of Eternity, without making substantial changes to the game engine used in their previous work. For this reason we will be faced with a world with attention to detail with three-dimensional backdrops, but which wink at classic 2D, and with a whole series of phenomena in real time ranging from climatic events to simple movements of NPCs. The ability to zoom in or away from our gaze on the game environment, characterized by an isometric view, will make us appreciate the good work on models and visual effects more.
Predictably Tyranny has an interesting longevity quantifiable between 20 and 30 hours of play thanks to an interesting main plot and a limited number of side quests. The choice not to include too many secondary missions, an element that may not please everyone, can be explained by the replayability of the title which has different endings based on the choices, alliances and actions that we are going to make during our journey to the various areas of the Empire of Kyros.
The icing on the cake packaged by Obsidian Entertainment could only be the sound sector with excellent music, excellent voiceovers (but only in English as well as subtitles) and credible and enveloping effects. All of this work can be seen in the soundtrack that buyers of the Archon and Overlord Edition will find along with a whole other set of extra bonuses.
Obsidian Entertainment has hit the target of avoiding the slip after the success of Pillars of Eternity which, in addition to having revived the Western RPG genre on PC, has actually opened a breach in the hearts of old and new players. Tyranny proves to be a mature and unconventional product at the plot level, but definitely solid and well-known for all the technical and gameplay aspects. We may regret a localization in Spanish and a limited number of supporting actors and side quests within the game, but these are all elements that do not undermine the good work done.
► Tyranny is an RPG type game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Paradox Interactive for PC, Steam, Mac and Linux, the video game was released on 10/11/2016
