![]() ![]() ![]() Branching paths are minimal, however you're more likely to find yourself taking a jump onto a board that splinters and send you plummeting to the unforgiving soil below, forcing a rethink of your approach and cautious footwork. In pursuing a scurrying Gollum-like creature in pursuit of a key quest item, you have mere moments to scramble across awnings and through open windows in a deft combination of platforming skills and problem-solving. A rooftop chase sequence early in the game is fast and just precarious enough to be genuinely thrilling. Puzzles-wise, many of the game's more thoughtful and interesting moments are cleverly scripted for moments of key tension and exhilaration. This is no bad thing since, in the space of twelve lengthy chapters, the pacing rarely wanes and you're never stuck pondering your next objective. Unsurprisingly, Dark Messiah sticks to a fairly linear plotline. That said, beyond the physics, few other comparisons to Oblivion hold water. The puzzles are far better implemented and occur much more often. Physics-based environments are heavily emphasized - far more so than even Bethesda's recent opus Oblivion. As much as the world of Ashan is fairly predictable fantasy fare, the game itself plays a lot like its predecessor. Developed by Arkane Studios, the team chose to base the game on a modified version of the Source engine - the famed engine that powered Half-Life 2 - and it shows. Effectively, you're stealing from one despot to potentially give to another. But you're not sure why, exactly, he poses a threat, or why your mentor wants it for himself. Menelag, Leanna's Uncle and ruler of the kingdom is obsessed with the Skull of Shadows, and yearns to unlock its secrets at any cost. ![]() Beyond this, there's her oft-spoken allusions towards rewards of sexual gratification and her constant jealousy of Leanna - a butter-wouldn't-melt-in-her-mouth junior wizard (wizardess? Witch? Who knows) and an obvious love interest whom you'll be spending plenty of quality time with by the end of the game. She is effectively a jaded voice in Sareth's head, acting as an occasional hint-giver and keeping him on the path to his objectives. The Sareth/Xana love-hate relationship is pretty entertaining. ![]()
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