Tyranny Reviews
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The weekend has brought us several more reviews for Obsidian Entertainment's newly released Tyranny, with a majority of them painting the role-playing game in a positive light.
GameSpot gives it an 8/10:
Evil may be banal, but Tyranny is not. While I have some personal misgivings over how much I enjoyed such a twisted, unscrupulous game, this is a unique experience that makes you think about human nature, morality, and what role mercy and compassion should (or even could) play in a centuries-old war. It reaches beyond the standard heroic fantasy RPG where you slay monsters and save the kingdom, inverting that familiar story and setting and creating something utterly different--and somewhat depressingly realistic.
CGM gives it a 9/10:
Tyranny is the game I needed this year. It let me wallow in a year’s worth of misery, made me ask serious questions about authoritarian leadership, and provided a deep, engaging CRPG that I’ll be spending a lot more time with in the coming months.
Shacknews gives it an 8/10:
The story, and the characters within, blend perfectly, and the expertly crafted world building is something we don’t see in RPGs as of late. While Tyranny might not be as good as I had hoped it would be, it is still a welcome addition to any classic RPG fans’ library, and Obsidian should be proud of the product that they’ve released to the world. Sure, there are things that could be better, but in the grand scheme of things, Tyranny is a brilliant jaunt through a land riveted by evil. For once, it’s good to be bad.
The Guardian gives it a 4/5:
Whatever legacy players leave on the world of Terratus, Tyranny will leave a lasting legacy on RPGs. This is a game that truly takes on the whole concept of evil and does it justice.
PC Invasion gives it an 8/10:
Tyranny puts Obsidian’s strengths in world creation to the fore, and allows them to stretch their creative legs into less explored areas of fantasy RPGs. There are plenty of genuinely horrendous acts to witness, but the game is nuanced enough to stay focused on the complexities of balancing the vanguard of a volatile invasion with your legal duties as a Fatebinder. The shorter length makes replays a realistic possibility, and the frame-work is in place for additional campaigns to play out in ways that are significant. After completing the game, I noted one particular Steam achievement indicating a faction path that I hadn’t even considered possible. It suffers from back-loading a few important game mechanics (and a glut of quality items) in the accelerated rush towards an abrupt conclusion, but Tyranny’s many other redeeming qualities make it another classically-informed RPG success.
Gamesear doesn't score it:
Tyranny is flawed, there's no doubt about that, but it is one of the rare few RPGs that dares explore some of the darker, more mature topics out there. And while the combat may have been disappointing, the lore and the characters have been so enticing to me that I've managed to binge through the entire game within three days. So if you're a fan of RPGs, and more importantly of Obsidian's previous work, I have a feeling you're going to enjoy Tyranny as well. Despite my criticism, I can comfortably say I've had a great deal of fun with it and that I would love to play it again after a couple of patches.
And GameCynic gives it a 9.1/10:
Overall, Tyranny is an engaging, RPG-newbie friendly adventure: combat is simpler than Pillars of Eternity with smaller party sizes and the removal of friendly fire, and the storyline — while much shorter — is finely weaved, keeping you on your toes and always looking forward to seeing how things will turn out next.
