Registered: Jul 2000
Location: I am everywhere, and I am nowhere.
Posts: 1184

Posted by Orange:

Only because of their recent review of Summoner is GameOver one point up in my book now. They gave the game a 78%, docking it because of some flaws, but they also gave good explanations and pointed towards a bright future for a Summoner franchise. The reviewer was also obviously not an idiot as he new about Volition's past history with games. Here's a great quote from the review:


Recent press coverage of Summoner has tried to compare this title to another epic, Planescape: Torment. They cite the similarities between the styles of gameplay. Both worlds are rather alien to the modern crowd (Planescape being one of the most under-appreciated of AD&D worlds). Both present much of their story with the written word and frivolous NPCs who do nothing but flesh out the game world (luckily the important ones are marked with big icons above their head in Summoner). Both feature courier-like quests along with larger more involving ones in various locales. But Torment is a much more serious RPG compared to Summoner. The latter seems to place the emphasis on fun and simplicity rather than on the profound material of the former. Even the multiplayer co-operative component is streamlined for simplicity. Rabid mouse-clicking, popularized by the Diablo franchise, is taken to a more refined level. Now you click in a more logical manner to execute aesthetically pleasing chain attacks. Thus, inconsistencies with visuals and camera control hamper what is innately a fun RPG game. With fun, it seems the developers are consistent though. The original Freespace was criticized for not including Newtonian physics but Volition's aim was to make the existing genre even more fun, not more realistic. Certainly, Summoner's aim is no different and can be no different, as long as one is willing to overlook some of its flaws. The potentiality for a new franchise is definitely there.

This is definitely one to check out if you haven't read any reviews in a while. Give it a look!

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