Tyranny Review (IFIYGD)
Recommending, with huge caveats.
The story is good- deep, with many branches, and choices that do actually seem to matter in some way or another.
Be prepared- this means a ton of dialogues and a ton of reading, if you are interested in the actual story and lore in the game.
The world-building is quite good. Locations vary in terrain, but they all make sense as you move through the world. The stories of the people and creatures that inhabit the world are deep, and interacting with everything you can interact with helps find secrets and encourages exploration. Talking with as many NPCs as possible- including the common-folk you come across- gives greater detail about the past of the world, and the time you are now in.
There is no romance- which I honestly appreciate. I'm not here to date- I am here to be ruthless, kill as much as possible, and gain as much power as I can.
However- the combat is confusing and unsatisfying. Seriously- the combat is the weakest part of the game.
The game economy sucks.
The "tutorials" are vague, lacking in details about how things actually work- they give some general information, but you are left to try to figure out how it works on your own. Lots of Wikis and guides out there- many of them are just as vague. Recountings of a single playthrough by a single person, with little information on systems and mechanics.
Gear is badly balanced. You will rarely find gear that actually boosts multiple stats without tanking others. And with the game economy- you will struggle to have enough rings to buy better gear at vendors. Never sell health potions or pass them up- you'll go through tons of them in bigger battles. And merchants either never have them, or have a small stock of them.
The art is good, but the constant creep of fog-of-war back over parts of a map that you just explored is annoying. I was just there- why is the game obscuring it again?
If you are in it for a really good story with lots of depth, lots of branches and different endings based upon those choices (in other words- you won't get all achievements without mu;tiple playthroughs)- sure. Get it on a deep discount.
If you are looking for a game with exciting and fluid combat- skip it. The game's combat sucks and never feels really satisfying.
The game will be somewhat challenging- don't expect to have an easy time with anything. The mechanics and systems will be confusing and frustrating, with good detailed guides or explanations hard to find in-game or on the Web. Too much conflicting info out there- theorycrafting, or trying to, may make you want to rip your hair out.
IMHO- an okay game, that could have been so much better. The concept is great, the story is quite good- but the favor/wrath/economy/combat/spellcrafting/spires- all feel like they were rushed and left a bit shallow and vague.
I am currently halfway through Act 2, and I will finish the game on this first playthrough. But I am unlikely to come back and try to figure out the other paths and endings that are possible. Somewhat disappointing, coming from Obsidian. I expected a little better.
(a few quick edits to correct typos- and it's possible I missed several more...)