Windows

Arthur's Knights II: The Secret of Merlin

The characters are fascinating and the melding of different worlds (fairies and mankind) against a backdrop of the Dark Ages of Briton always provided a terrific story line that will cause you to eagerly look forward to your next challenge and anticipate where the adventure will lead. I would particularly recommend the Arthur's Knights games, especially Arthur's Knights: The Secret of Merlin, which I enjoyed a bit more than Tales of Chivalry, to anyone who enjoys adventure games with a historical base.

Arthur`s Knights to godna polecenia przygodówka, w którą powinien zagrać każdy fan tego gatunku, nie tylko po to, aby dobrze się bawić, lecz również w celu poznania celtyckiej kultury i dziejów. Główne atuty produktu, czyli ciekawa i wciągająca fabuła, oraz dwie zupełnie różne drogi prowadzące do rozwiązania sprawiają, że zdobędzie on niejednego miłośnika.

Mij irriteerden deze onvolkomenheden behoorlijk, en hoewel ik denk dat ridderfreaks best geïntrigeerd zouden kunnen raken door dit spel, moeten ook zij beseffen dat ze dan heel wat gebreken op de koop toe moeten nemen.

Un épisode sans surprise qui ne saura pas rallier à sa cause ceux qui n'avaient pas accroché au premier opus. L'intérêt ludique est toujours aussi limité. La réalisation très inégale, que l'on espérait davantage améliorée par rapport au premier volet, déçoit. Les Chevaliers d'Arthur 2 devrait tout de même s'attirer les faveurs d'un large public conquis par la présence d'une base documentaire sur le mythe Arthurien et par l'ambiance du soft.

The puzzles are easy to solve, and mostly revolve around Bradwen choosing the correct conversation choice and visiting the right location afterwards. The game paths are fairly long, though, and will take many hours to finish. Also, there is a databank of interesting historical information about the period of time the game is set in, Arthurian England, which is very interesting reading. Having two game paths is a great idea, and really does offer two games for the low price of one, as this game is a bargain price compared to many on the market. The storyline is interesting and involving, and will offer good entertainment for most fans of adventure games. However, at times the gameplay can be tedious and boring, which would have been alleviated by having much more interaction with the environment available. A good dose of humor wouldn't have hurt, either.

Overall, Arthur's Knights 2 is a mixture of good and not so good and my overall rating is B-. The art is nice enough and the story (or should I say stories) is not uninteresting. But the gameplay is nowhere near as strong as it should be. The feature of AK2 I liked most is the extremely high replayability - playing both the Celtic and Christian version of the story is highly recommended. It is very interesting and perhaps even educational to compare how similar and yet different they are.

The essential "errand" nature of the game was also ok in itself - completing tasks is fairly fundamental in many adventure games. What made it less enjoyable was the way you move around the game. If traipsing about and going back and forth is a big part of a game, it needs to be done in as user friendly a way as possible. The game mechanics here are not at all suited to the inherent nature of the game. They also tend to bog down the delivery of the story, which undermines one of its stronger points. I thought that this was a game where less would have in fact been more.

If you love historical fiction, and want a gaming experience that combines education about the past with adventure in the present, then this title is probably for you. If, on the other hand, you are like the rest of us without this special area of interest, this new release is a major disappointment. While the story has potential and can be quite absorbing in spots, the implementation is very deficient in holding the interest of most gamers. Rather than taking you on a breathlessly exciting escapade into the colorful world of King Arthur's time, you find yourself surrounded by a kind of drudgery which makes you feel like an oppressed serf. Thus in the end this truly glorious opportunity to participate in the age of chivalry has been largely squandered.

Si vous êtes amateur d'aventures historiques documentées, Le Secret de Merlin vous intéressera peut-être. Pour la plupart des joueurs, cependant, l'aspect culturel ne sauvera pas la réalisation moyenne à tous niveaux (maniabilité contraignante, graphismes, animations et dialogues peu convaincants), même si la durée de vie honnête (grâce aux deux aventures distinctes), est, elle, bienvenue.

« Premier siècle. Période des âges sombres. En Grande et en Petite Bretagne, chrétienté et traditions celtes s’entrechoquent sur les ruines de l’Empire romain désagrégé. C’est l’époque d’un Roi, Arthur, et d’un ordre, La Table Ronde, qui marqueront l’Histoire pour des siècles et des siècles… » Plus modestement, le jeu de Cryo va-t-il marquer l’histoire du jeu vidéo ? La réponse semble être plutôt négative…