Product Reviews

As the Orc god Aziraal returns from the dead and war threatens to engulf the land, you take the role of a mercenary trying to find your kidnapped sister, taking on missions for gold and favours as you continue your quest. Your reputation precedes you, so be careful as attacking an innocent villager could lead to you being set upon wherever you go.

Two Worlds doesn't have the initial hand-holding approach that made us fall for Oblivion last year. You're on your own as soon as the game starts, and as the game world is vast, it's easy to feel lost, walking for minutes before you find anything interesting. When you do interact with non-player characters, it's

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to fight, trade or talk. Trading is worthwhile to acquire better armour and weapons, but much of the dialogue is stilted and often unnecessary.

Fighting should be fun, of course, but there's not enough variation in the creatures you come across. When you die, Two Worlds drops your character at one of the healing shrines, which are not always near the point where your character died. This can be irritating, although it sometimes gets you out of a tight spot. The map in the corner of the screen is revealed as you travel around, but it's a bit small. Once you've been resurrected, your previous trail may not be easy to find.

You have only male characters to choose from, but there are a few options: you can change your height, build and colouring. The graphics are decent, although the middle distance is slow to draw, which makes things seem flat and lacking in detail until they're close to your character. The sound effects and eighties electronica soundtrack are great, but they don't make up for the fact that the game is slightly boring.

If you really enjoyed Oblivion, you may want to try this. However, our advice would be to take your passion online and play World of Warcraft or Lord of the Rings: Shadows of Angmar instead.