Two Worlds
Massive explorable areas make Two Worlds a fun run, but verily, we prithee you stomach its dialogue
December 28, 2007
Two Worlds, available on the Xbox 360 and PC platforms, is an open-ended RPG in the style of The Elder Scrolls and Gothic series. In fact, it's quite difficult to play Two Worlds without comparing it to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion — especially on the Xbox 360 console where that game recently reigned. That was my first challenge when picking up my controller.
"This is a poor man's Oblivion," I thought to myself within moments of putting in the disc. The graphics were impressive (about on-par with Oblivion), but the controls seemed a bit unusual (at first) the game was lacking the epic feel I was looking for. The dialogue, also, bewildered me.
And that, without a doubt, remains my biggest complaint about Two Worlds. Random archaic words seem to be overused in conversations that seem to almost mock the language of the middle ages. I refuse to believe that anyone truly spoke in this manner.
Still, I was determined to give Two Worlds a shot, and by my second hour in the game I was hooked. The large explorable area, much like the ones found in Oblivion, adds so much depth to this game. NPCs in villages and along roadways provide a great amount of quests that can be carried out by visiting local villagers, slaying monsters or seeking out treasures. The overlap and detail involved in some of these quests is impressive.
The main questline itself is fairly short (especially compared to Oblivion), but enjoyable. Leveling up in Two Worlds is also a little more fun (and necessary) compared to Oblivion, where higher levels actually increase difficulty.
Admitedly, one of the features that made exploring more fun than it might have otherwise been was the Xbox 360 Achievements. These achievements are earned for discovering locations around the map, and provide a sense of reward for combing through the game's massive area. Unfortunately, this brought out another flaw in the game. Until November of this year, some Achievements were broken — and they remain broken for save files created before the game was patched. This issue won't affect anyone just starting out.
To sum it up, Two Worlds can be very engaging, and its huge area and countless quests make this game a great value — you just need an eccentric taste or a strong stomach to power through some of the corny dialogue.