Posted April 08, 2025
Hello. I've played the game many times up to Act 4 or 5, but every time I've quit at this point. I don't even really know why I'm writing this, maybe it's frustration after another "wasted" 100 hours of playing. Anyway, once again I got to the beginning of act 5 and couldn't play anymore. So now I want to vent my thoughts.
I like the game because of its complexity and extensive rule system but the story itself is confusing, to say the least. Well, it's not exactly confusing, but the constant plot twists make it exhausting to enjoy. And yet the twists are very predictable.
The most frustrating thing about the story is that you are forced to follow the path that Areelu has made for you. You are just a pawn in her plot and the game does not even try to hide it. And this continues for the first 4 acts. Over 100 hours of gameplay and you know the whole time that you are being cheated. It doesn't help matters at all that Areelu repeatedly teleports to you just to tell you how he managed to trick you again. This makes me constantly asking why I am even doing these quests if the result is always to get fooled by Areelu?
Many have criticized Act 4 for being frustrating when it comes to camera panning. I agree, but that's not the biggest problem for me. The biggest problem is that the game's story and tone completely change from what it has been so far.
Suddenly, you are no longer the leader of the crusade, but are sent to Abyss as an agent to investigate something that seems completely irrelevant in this context. Besides, you're supposed to keep your identity secret, but for some reason, every person in the Abyss recognizes you immediately. But instead of attacking you, they are just fine that Leader of the Crusade is hanging in their city? Yes, I know it's Nocticulas order but still...it feels very cheap. The entire act 4 feels like you're being thrown into a completely different game.
And once again, at the end of act 4 you realize you've been betrayed by Areelu. So it was another act where you didn't really achieve anything. At least you get to kill Babhomet, but that's irrelevant to the main plot.
When we finally reach act 5 the game decides to once again undermine every achievements you have made. At first you have to retake Drezen once again and once again gather armies and so on, but you would also have to give up your mythical powers and choose another. I know, I can keep my existing path but if I am roleplaying lawful good paladin(serving Iomedea) with Angel path, I do what Iomeda wants me to do. So I choose Legend even I wanted to play as Angel. Well, I am ok with idea that I need to change my path but this is the point of the game when story falls drastically apart. The whole theme of mythic powers no longer remains believable. I had been playing as an Angel this far, and game has suggested that my powers comes from Iomedae, but suddenly that was not the case. As you could easily guess, the powers came from the Areelu.
But then again, how I was even able to play as an Angel if my powers weren't even from Iomedae? Or any other mythic path(exept legend)? Over hundred hours of game with Angel powers until story says that actually those powers aren't Angel powers? So what are they and where they come from? I understand that Areelu has given you a mythic powers but can she give you also Godly powers? Well, I can guess the answer. Areelu has somehow connected souls(there was a hints in her laboratory), both Angels and other beings. Anyway, at this point I felt that story tries too hard to surprise the player. And in doing so, robs the story of its credibility. It just feels a big mess.
Maybe the game would work better if the story was a little simpler and, dare I say, more cliché. Maybe the Mythic Powers could simply be of divine origin, and determined by which god you choose when creating your character. A good story doesn't need Night M Shyamalan twists. Everything you need is WELL TOLD STORY.
Anyway, there's also a lot of good in the game and I like to play it often. The problems I mentioned are the same in many other modern RPGs: the stories are way too big and complex for their own good. It's not hard to understand differend dimensions, different timelines, and some nonsense about multisouls etc, but as a player, it's hard to take it seriously.
Ok, I didn't mean to be so negative. I'm just a little frustrated after 2 weeks of playing and realizing that the story still doesn't let me feel any progress. At least I got rid of my powers and thus I was finally able to do something against Areelu's will. But the damage was already done. I simply couldn't care less about the story anymore and that's why I lost interest in the game. Once again.
I'd like to know how others manage to keep themselves interested in the story. I've read that the game gives catharsis at the end, but is it worth all the exhausting hours of play? Or what do you think about the story in general?
I like the game because of its complexity and extensive rule system but the story itself is confusing, to say the least. Well, it's not exactly confusing, but the constant plot twists make it exhausting to enjoy. And yet the twists are very predictable.
The most frustrating thing about the story is that you are forced to follow the path that Areelu has made for you. You are just a pawn in her plot and the game does not even try to hide it. And this continues for the first 4 acts. Over 100 hours of gameplay and you know the whole time that you are being cheated. It doesn't help matters at all that Areelu repeatedly teleports to you just to tell you how he managed to trick you again. This makes me constantly asking why I am even doing these quests if the result is always to get fooled by Areelu?
Many have criticized Act 4 for being frustrating when it comes to camera panning. I agree, but that's not the biggest problem for me. The biggest problem is that the game's story and tone completely change from what it has been so far.
Suddenly, you are no longer the leader of the crusade, but are sent to Abyss as an agent to investigate something that seems completely irrelevant in this context. Besides, you're supposed to keep your identity secret, but for some reason, every person in the Abyss recognizes you immediately. But instead of attacking you, they are just fine that Leader of the Crusade is hanging in their city? Yes, I know it's Nocticulas order but still...it feels very cheap. The entire act 4 feels like you're being thrown into a completely different game.
And once again, at the end of act 4 you realize you've been betrayed by Areelu. So it was another act where you didn't really achieve anything. At least you get to kill Babhomet, but that's irrelevant to the main plot.
When we finally reach act 5 the game decides to once again undermine every achievements you have made. At first you have to retake Drezen once again and once again gather armies and so on, but you would also have to give up your mythical powers and choose another. I know, I can keep my existing path but if I am roleplaying lawful good paladin(serving Iomedea) with Angel path, I do what Iomeda wants me to do. So I choose Legend even I wanted to play as Angel. Well, I am ok with idea that I need to change my path but this is the point of the game when story falls drastically apart. The whole theme of mythic powers no longer remains believable. I had been playing as an Angel this far, and game has suggested that my powers comes from Iomedae, but suddenly that was not the case. As you could easily guess, the powers came from the Areelu.
But then again, how I was even able to play as an Angel if my powers weren't even from Iomedae? Or any other mythic path(exept legend)? Over hundred hours of game with Angel powers until story says that actually those powers aren't Angel powers? So what are they and where they come from? I understand that Areelu has given you a mythic powers but can she give you also Godly powers? Well, I can guess the answer. Areelu has somehow connected souls(there was a hints in her laboratory), both Angels and other beings. Anyway, at this point I felt that story tries too hard to surprise the player. And in doing so, robs the story of its credibility. It just feels a big mess.
Maybe the game would work better if the story was a little simpler and, dare I say, more cliché. Maybe the Mythic Powers could simply be of divine origin, and determined by which god you choose when creating your character. A good story doesn't need Night M Shyamalan twists. Everything you need is WELL TOLD STORY.
Anyway, there's also a lot of good in the game and I like to play it often. The problems I mentioned are the same in many other modern RPGs: the stories are way too big and complex for their own good. It's not hard to understand differend dimensions, different timelines, and some nonsense about multisouls etc, but as a player, it's hard to take it seriously.
Ok, I didn't mean to be so negative. I'm just a little frustrated after 2 weeks of playing and realizing that the story still doesn't let me feel any progress. At least I got rid of my powers and thus I was finally able to do something against Areelu's will. But the damage was already done. I simply couldn't care less about the story anymore and that's why I lost interest in the game. Once again.
I'd like to know how others manage to keep themselves interested in the story. I've read that the game gives catharsis at the end, but is it worth all the exhausting hours of play? Or what do you think about the story in general?
