The Whole Game in My Hand #8
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While I definitely love 'high concept' games that set out with grand aspirations ... and often end up with a series of compromises, I also really like games that set out with a more modest set of goals and absolutely nail them. Orcs & Elves is such a game. It is relatively short for a RPG, but feels satisfying in terms of delivering just the right sized experience for the type of game it is. The characters you meet are amusing and the situations are fun and some of the battles are quite challenging - and you never become so wealthy that stocking up on potions and repair kids is trivial. There is plenty to do and replaying at higher difficulties adds to the experience. This isn't the best game I've played for this article - that goes to The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. Nor is it the best RPG - that would be Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings. Orcs and Elves was definitely one of my favorite games of the busy fall/winter release season though - and that is because it combines some sensibilities from Doom with the feel of many classic 'old school' dungeon crawlers.
