Tyranny Review (Sarkazam)
Tyranny does some very interesting things, most of which stem from its core premise: you, the player, begin in a position of significant power, and with that comes respect and authority. This power only grows as the game progresses, which is reflected both narratively and mechanically.
The narrative is, overall, very well done. The world is fascinating, the characters feel realistic and complex, and the way that the player is regarded by other characters reflects their authority at all times.
Notably, it supports a variety of playstyles along the "evil" spectrum, so if you wanted to you could be a raving murdering lunatic, or you could play a more "realistic" evil of seeing the insurmountable might of the Overlord and seeing rebellion against their order as futile and destructive. Without spoiling anything, there are numerous moments that have the player make awful decisions or cause extreme destruction, which can only be accomplished in a setting like Tyranny's - so it's good that the developers made use of that.
That's not to say the narrative is flawless; some parts definitely fall flat where they should have shone, and other parts feel rushed, incomplete, or otherwise in need of more explanation and attention, but these negatives are firmly outweighed by the well-executed instances as well as the setting in general being unique and interesting.
The gameplay and combat are serviceable; the pathfinding is occasionally irritating and you'll end up fighting most combats the same formulaic way, but it does the job. RPG elements (leveling up, perk selection, skill increases etc.) are generally simplistic and weak.
I didn't really use the magic spell creation system (just as a byproduct of party composition), but it'll be attractive if you like combining spell parts to create 'custom' spells.
I feel like only about two skills, maybe three, got used; I can't even name the other ones. Training also trivializes any of your skill increases from other places, which is an issue that's exacerbated by the poor in-game economy and item selection / distribution.
It's a real shame that Paradox owns the IP here, as the disparity between Paradox and Obsidian (in conjunction with the generally niche popularity of Tyranny) means that this IP is unlikely to ever see the light of day again, which is the strongest point of Tyranny. With a different format (ex. turn-based) or a bigger budget and marketing, a sequel to Tyranny could do some absolutely fascinating and unique things.
TL:DR, the narrative, world, and writing are great. Gameplay and combat are serviceable. Skills / skill use, perks, items / economy are weak. Overall worth playing just to see the unique parts of Tyranny's setting.