Soul Reaver 2's roots as a console game are apparent, and if you own a
gamepad then you'll definitely want to use it with this game. The keyboard
layout is a little awkward and takes some getting used to, especially by those
who are skilled at using the default keys present in most PC action games.
Luckily the game allows you to redefine the keys used to control the game, so
players will be able to tweak the controls to their liking.
The combat in the game can get a little repetitive for PC gamers. The
enemies attack in a pretty straight-forward manner and never really overwhelm
the player. The biggest challenge occurs early in the game as the player
tries to get used to the game's controls. After that, dispatching enemies
is pretty much routine. The game's challenge comes more from its puzzle
element than its combat. The puzzles often involve switches, aligning
objects, and the like. They are not highly sophisticated, but do require
some thinking and are never boring or tedious.
PC gamers might be taken aback by the game's saving mechanism. Players
can not save the game at any time, but must find special save game points.
While this means that players will need to play through the game in sections in
order to save progress, it can be seen why the designers chose to implement save
games in this way. If the player could save a game at any point, than the
spectral plane would lose part of its importance in the game.
Soul Reaver 2 is a short game by PC standards - about ten to fifteen hours of
gameplay. Since the combat is not too challenging and the puzzles have a
single solution, there is little replay value in the game. Also, in Soul
Reaver fashion, the game's ending is more of a setup for a sequel than a
complete resolution of the game's story. If these sort of things bother
you, than you might want to think carefully before giving Soul Reaver 2 a
try. Otherwise, most players will probably enjoy its change of pace from
other typical games and appreciate its engrossing storyline. If you go
into the game thinking of it as a graphic, interactive novel as much as a game,
you'll definitely enjoy the diversion it supplies.
In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated: 84%.
The game might not appeal to those who prefer more action than story, and those
who have a bias against games born on console systems. Others will
probably enjoy the game and its finely crafted story. For those of you
that enjoyed Soul Reaver, it's a no-brainer - buy this game.
System Requirements: 450 MHz Pentium III CPU; 128 MB RAM; 16 MB
Video RAM; 8x CD-ROM; 850 MB Hard Drive Space; Mouse.
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