Thoroughly enjoying the game once again, even with a different partner this time.
Originally did part of a play through with my younger brother, both learning together and go through the story together, this time around I am playing with a friend who has no idea about the game, and I'm taking a backseat role.
I honestly feeling well suited to the backseat role as I feel like a companion. I've let him decide where to go and what to do and helped him when he asked, but also taking over the "battle tactics" when needed.
Had a couple of situations where I was off robbing someones house when I got a "Tenne, I'm being attacked" and so, I teleported over using the pyramid. I found he was in the upstairs of the tavern, and I asked "why are these people attacking you?", he replied with "I called her a witch and she got angry!".
"Oh", I mumbled before promptly being stabbed in the back by a knife wielding citizen. "Why the hell is this bloke stabbing me? What have you gotten me into?" - "I don't know, he also got angry, but I never called him a witch!" - "Well, I better not walk downstairs and get attacked by the entire bloody tavern!" - "I never thought about that." - "?!?"
Odd that I found my position of, more or less, the leader's babysitter to be quite so amusing. Just rolling with the flow and stepping in when I was needed, I did almost none of the talking, besides the points where it was down to the companion chats, which are rather funny.
On a game point of view, I am highly into the combat system, I've always liked the RPG element of games, and I was a huge fan of Baldur's Gate and the similar style of combat, the "turn based roll" type thing, and this feels very much, to me at least, to be a version of that where instead of tapping space and pausing the game every five seconds, it gives turns. I would definitely recommend the game to any RPG fan and have gone as far as to say that it is my favourite RPG since Baldur's Gate itself, even with my rose tinted glasses. Also, alongside that, the ability to use elements is highly addictive and it is a really nice addition to the standard mechanics. My new favourite thing to do is to slap a zombie around with some arrows, leaving a trail of poison, then launching an explosive/fire arrow at it, causing a chain reaction. It works especially well if you catch a couple of zombies in the mix, you get a very satisfying fireworks display!
I'd have liked a fleshed out crafting system however, you have the ability to craft some basic equipment, give some basic enchantments and even improve the equipment to a small degree but it gives no indication of what is actually going to come out of the process. I'm still unsure if I make a sword at level 5, will it be of a higher level than if I made it at level 1? (With the same blacksmithing skill). I genuinely don't know. Personally with the way the crafting system is, I don't think it is necessary at all, I would have probably been happier that it not exist at all so that it won't get in the way and feel obligated to use it, despite not needing to in the slightest.
I have similar reservations regarding durability, I like the idea of having to maintain your equipment but so far all you need to do to repair the equipment is to find a repair hammer and have one point in blacksmithing. After that, it seems to become a none issue (don't know in the later game since I am only level 5) as you can repair your equipment, for free, anywhere and at any time. It's another thing that is obligatory, yet unnecessary. It should at least force you to have to go back to a crafting station, an anvil or a leather rack or something in a town to break up the adventuring and give you a solid reason to dart back to do a bit of shopping. Instead it's just "oh, I've got a yellow symbol, betting whip out the old hammer and start hitting my chest piece while still wearing it!"
So yes, to summarise so far is that the combat is fun, challenging and really quite solid, the crafting and durability systems seem lackluster and the whole experience is best played with another person and I really like the environmental interactions. I would recommend it.
Excuse the long post, quite enthusiastic about this one, but then I'm easily pleased.
