Recent reviews by lart

Can't think of any better RPG. Best storytelling, graphics, price for content, developer and so on...
The only negatives I can think of are the controlls.

Released over a year ago this game was the epitome of a bad and broken console port.
As of August 2016 I do not experience any problems whatsoever.

Great visuals, engaging story, AAA quality combined with a lot of things to do at a bargain price (19,99€ @bundlestars or 22€ @gamesplanet for the premium edition)

Technically broken at this point as it looks for Windows 10 AU users.
You cannot progress past the intro if you don't disable cloud sync, delete certain files and do some unintuitive startup.
Did work once, didn't work another time, don't know if it will work a third time as I made a refund request.
I was really looking forward to play this game but spending my time and money on "fixing" it, no way.

Fun at first with great mechanics until you complete the storyline and reach the end game, which doesn't take that long.

The endgame is tailored to people that cheat and exploit, with in and out of game means.
As there is no punishment for exploiting the game mechanics and amassing items at a non normal speed. The developer just adjusts the overall gameplay to the exploitation environment, making it even harder for legit players to keep up.

So if you like exploiting glitches in a multiplayer game with no strings attached and afterwards ROTFLstomping players in the PVP zone, this is the perfect game for you.
Otherwise I would not recommend spending money and time in this game.

This game doesn't require any knowledge of the characters and story of the books or TV series.
The story is great with probably too much loose ends in the end and the characters are memorable.
Though it's still the same Telltale formula, where i.e. you can predict the lifespan of a protagonist, by having an option to save him or let him die, this time it isn't always so obvious.
Telltales creates the illusion that choices matter, and rightfully they matter as they are what is driving the story.

Up to including ep2.
+Amazing artwork
+Great mood and setting
+Interesting story so far (Supernatural Thriller, believable characters (though some are stereotypes), plot twists are to be expected. Keeps you mostly on the edge while you're still guessing what's really going on.
+Choices matter, more or less, not Heavy Rain like but definitely an improvement to TT TWD.
+A lot of side information
- Puzzles are poor but better than TT ones
- Gameplay is not that great but ok for this genre

Would buy again.

This game is broken. Frequent crashes combined with a checkpoint system make this game unplayable.
Performance issues from butter smooth to a freeze. What we get are recommendations for Beta drivers, disabling PhysiX or various other video cards driver parameters. No thanks. May be worthwhile and fun when it's working. Poor release.

Tried the 1 hour CIV:BE demo. Too much of the same. So some people were recommending Endless Legend from the creators of Endless Space. I didn't like Endless space at all but this game is different.
It's very much like Civ5 in a fantasy setting and lots of extra stuff added and annoyances removed.
You can choose from 8 totally different factions or build your own one, based on an existing one.
You get side quest, faction questlines, wars that feel reasonable paced, customization for your heroes.
The present AI feels challenging and is exploiting your weaknesses. The autosaves for the last 5 turns may not be enough to save the day.
There are some things I didn't like.
In the late game the performance wasn't that great. Some infrequent crashes here and there plus balancing issues that can make the game much more hard/easy if played wrong/right.
The information overflow or the lack thereof by hiding crucial information, because you didn't know it existed, takes some time to get used to.

Overall if you're looking for an alternative for your typical 4X game, give this game a try. 8/10

Only a few hours in, so my initial impressions are mixed and I'm somewhat confused about the very high ratings this game received.
In essence this game is Batman in Middle Earth minus the riddles. The combat feels identical, the sidequests are similar, the "detective" system, everything feels the same. If you loved Batman, especially the sequels with larger, but more monotone areas to visit you will probably like this.

Great game, as of now my GOTY 2014.
- No handholding, no questmarkers but a comprehensive notebook.
- No delivery quest, no kill 5 of these and 4 of that, but interlinked Quest that make you think and experiment (with the enviroment)
- Lots of character and skillchoices. Not everything works, you have to experiment, maybe start over.
- This game can be hard on normal and unforgiving on hard. Easy is actually easy but still fun and challenging.
- This game has one of the best turn based combat system. Line of sight, crowd control, elemental resistances, use the enviroment for your advantage, everything makes sense.

Crafting, trading and inventory management are still rough around the edges. It's working but often it's cumbersome.

Update: Having finished the game I have to say the late game is a bit disappointing and it feels a bit rushed. Exploration and questing are not anymore the focus and (the still very good) combat (system) takes over, which kind of gets repetitive over time. Anyway, still a great game.