Conclusion and Awards
Titan Quest is a great title for the PC and has to be the most enjoyable action RPG of its kind since the days of Diablo. Sadly, there are a few bugs that need to be sorted by Iron Lore to get the game as polished as it deserves to be. Some of these issues should really have been dealt with in the BETA stage such as an odd stutter which causes the text in all the windows to become corrupt, sometimes affecting the whole game screen until it’s a horrid mess of random shapes. Closing all the windows and standing there for a few minutes seems to sort it out but occasionally, in extreme cases, you’ll have to exit the game completely. Another stupid bug concerns the borders on the stat screen going missing. When this happens the grid in your inventory disappears too, making it difficult to shuffle items about.
Fortunately these bugs, annoying as they are, don’t happen frequently and should be addressed but that said, there’s a 1.08 patch out already and they’re still there. These niggles with Titan Quest don’t spoil the game really, they’re more of an annoyance but it is frustrating to see them in what is otherwise a great game.
Click for larger imageWhilst we’re speaking of letdowns, Titan Quest’s story is very linear. You’re pretty much confined to one area in each section of the map until to progress to the next bit. The goals and side quests are always on the way to where you are heading and never really off the beaten track. They’re not particularly hard to find or get to either, so other than curiosity, there’s not much incentive to explore. Lastly, the game engine can sometimes work against itself, especially in darkly lit areas. With the real time shadows, a shadow cast by a bat, for example, seems too large and can make it hard to differentiate between the creature and its shadow. That said, all these niggle amount to nothing more than petty annoyances at best and shouldn’t put you off playing the game.
Click for larger imageRight then, what have we got for Titan Quest overall? Well to kick off, Titan Quest looks superb. It’s the little touches, such as the swaying fields, flickering flames and crumpling bodies that really highlight the effort that has gone into the graphics. Ok, so those are all just features to add to the ambience of the game but they work brilliantly, combining with the main action to give you a believable world to explore. Similarly, the sound effect and background music work superbly to give a real feel of either the time of day, the place you’re in or what you’re doing… or even all three.
The voice acting, of which there’s a fair bit, isn’t too shabby either, though a few of the voices do sound as if they’d properly hammed it up. The Oracle is one that sticks out as being particularly good though and a bit reminiscent of Galadriel in Lord Of The Rings.
Click for larger imageThe game interface places everything you’ll need within easy reach and the gameplay itself is smooth and intuitive, perfect for beginners and experts alike. In fact, if you look at the skills and character classes, these are familiar too, being used in a similar way in other RPGs. The online game is as much fun as the single player mode and there’s loads of options for not only equipping your character but also in deciding how that character develops. The only downers are the few bugs that are still here even after patching and the fairly weak storyline. In summing up, I’d have to say that if you enjoyed Diablo, Dungeon Siege and Guold Wars, you’re going to love Titan Quest. And if you’ve never played an action RPG before, well what are you waiting for?
Pros
Easy to pick up and play
Excellent interface
Superb use of sound
Looks amazing
Decent Multiplayer
Excellent stats system
Masses of monsters
Cons
Storyline is a bit linear
Still bugged even after patching
Titan Quest is an epic action RPG that can deservedly claim Diablo 2’s crown.
HEXUS Awards
Titan Quest
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HEXUS Where2Buy
Titan Quest is available now, click the following links to order:Play.com
