Tyranny

Gameplay is utterly droll, but the story is very interesting.

Honestly a shame this hasn't garnered a sequel. An interesting world clearly set apart from Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder with a bronze/iron age aesthetic. Game play is pretty simple, real time w/pause combat fans of the OG Baldur's Gate will enjoy and interesting narrative that leaves plenty to explore and discover. Most of the characters are well fleshed out and provide compelling interactions though none more so than Barik; I think the game overall could've benefited from longer acts or more of them but overall a strong narrative that just could have had a touch more depth. 7/10 highly recommend for fans of the genre.

I like the game even though it's kinda rushed toward the end

great game crpgs are my favorite and this is a good one

Incredible game

Honestly, I absolutely loved the setting and the story. It feels very unique in its portrayal of an iron age empire conquering a fractured country of city states. However, the combat is rather easy, the quests are few and far between, the exploration is sparse, and the ending leaves quite a bit to be desired.

A few steps short of greatness

It could had been one of the great cRPGs of all times, but...

1. the combat system is not too good (cooldowns are such a lazy design).
2. the so-called Conquest mode for character creation should have been part of the game.
3. the spires management and upgrades are a neat idea, but the way it was implemented made it all quite pointless.
4. the magic system is great, but just like the spires it's not well integrated into the game, you can win all battles without bothering with it, so it ends up losing a lot of its appeal.
5. the game feels like several good ideas implemented in a hurry, resulting in an inorganic final product, way too much of the content feels like an afterthought.
6. inventory system is barely serviceable, items are mostly pointless, habilities are mostly boring (you'll find yourself waiting for the same couple of ones to cooldown, spamming them as fast as possible, and that's mostly what you'll do... if you do turn off party AI like I did, otherwise you'll be mostly cringing with your party goofing around).
7. not a lot of enemy variety.
8. ....

I could go on and on listing all of Tyranny's shortcomings, but despite all its flaws it's still a worthwhile game. It offers an above-average story and more importantly, it succeeds in making you feel like your actions matter and that you're deciding the fate of Terratus, providing you with good reasons to care for the world, the NPCs, the lore and even the elements that were poorly implemented.

This game is criminally underrated. I wish this IP would make a comeback as I want to delve into this world more. Great decision making that swings the game world and its fun being forced to play the bad guy.

it's pretty good

Yes if:
(+) You are a reader.
(+) You really enjoy reading!
(+) You have affinity for the language arts, especially those of the written kind.
(+) You appreciate world-building a lot, and want to get transported to a different world with unique cultures, rules, and histories.
(+) You like game inventories. You pick up NEW SHINY BOOTS and you are excited that it will make your character +.0003% more resistant to stuns.


NO, NO, NO if:
(-) You are short on time and want to just kick back and relax. Not a stressful game, but it takes WORK to fluently understand the conversations and lore. The worldbuilding and the lore IS the game. Engaging with the lore IS the game. It's not like Skyrim where there's a game (shooting skeletons where they used to have nuts), and then there's a world in the background that you can engage with if you want. No, no. This one is like a book. If you sort of skim the first half of a book, the second half will be less enjoyable because you will be thinking, "wait, what's going on??" on every page.

(-) You aren't OK with being bummed out. The setting is very heavy and oppressive. Bad things will happen even if you try your best to prevent it.

(-) You mostly just want combat first and foremost, and everything else is just an added bonus. There's combat in this game, but not like A LOOOT. And I wouldn't say the combat is the game's strong suit. Like--you play those Batman Arkham games FOR THE COMBAT, you know? The story is nice and all, but the BATMAN COMBAT is the main thing. Well this game isn't like that at all. NO BATMAN COMBAT!


--- Longer blah blah blah---


TWO-CUPS-OF-COFFEE TYPE GAME. Focus-and-use-your-imagination type game. Play-for-a-few-hours-and-stretch-and-regain-mental-clarity type game. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEW.

I should have known what I was getting into on the very first night I tried this. My intention was to dip my toes in and just try it for an hour or two. I had read plenty of HYYYPPEEE about this game and how you JUST GOTTA TRY IT, so I was--frankly--excited.

I made choices, walked around, killed some baddies (or were they goodies?), yadda yadda. NICE! This is a pretty neat game! I'd been reading plenty about Ancient Egypt, the Hittites, and was even kinda making my way through that history book 1177 BC - THE YEAR CIVILZIATION COLLAPSED. So I was digging the whole fantasy Bronze Age/Iron Age thing very much! Very cool, unique, inspired worldbuilding. Cool, cool, cool.

Then I made the mistake of clicking on my first companion. Freaking WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW.

I was very interested in what she had to say--she seemed like a fascinating, flawed, damaged person. So I listened, and listened, and listened, and listened. And jeez did I keep listening. She had like 26 dialogue choices that each branched into their own essays with more dialogue choices.

At the end, I had learned A LOT about her, and it made her even more intriguing, and I wanted her to have a good ending with all my heart. But I literally sat there listening to this lady for like 40-60 minutes. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW. I felt depleted.

And the whole game was like that to me. Only, most of it isn't voiced. So you will read and read and read and read. You will talk to a random old dude NPC in a corner and expect him to have a quick, snappy thing to say like, "My shorts are too tight! Grumble, grumble." But NOOOOO. You will click on him, and your heart will drop when you immediately see 11 dialogue choices. He's a walking history book, and you're going to read everything he has to say unless you are SUPER RESISTANT to that nagging, "Agh. I should have talked to that guy" type of feeling.

Strangely, though--seemingly against all odds--eventually I got used to this style and even started to appreciate it.

By the final act, I was excited and started to see why so many people claimed the game was too short.

You won't catch me immediately replaying it with different choices, though. It's a heavy game! I liked it, but not enough to buy and wear a TYRANNY t-shirt, if you get what I'm saying.

Great, short CRPG exploring a unique setting with lots of meaningful choices. If you don't want a traditional 100+ hour adventure, this game will be perfect for you!

Great game.

One of the few RPGs out there with true moral choices that change the course of the game. Super entertaining and re-playable.

IT might only be half a sandwich but it's one of the best sandwiches you'll ever have and also the kitchen is taking it off the menu

No one's happy, but I'm trying to keep people alive.

Will the Edict be the end of us all?

Why are we marching forward?

A great game and story with a unique campaign system where you actually get to decide years of history before starting the game. Love the innovation here, wish it was longer or there was a sequel. As many others have stated this game sadly suffered from not being marketed well, if it had been more widely received I'm sure many more people would sing its praises. <3

Excellent

I have replayed this game 4 times - a special game for its art, atmosphere, characters, lore, spell system and other features besides. Unfortunately the game could have benefited from more love to the final act but still worth playing many times.

This is an old-school isometric RPG that is every bit as good as the giants (Pillars of Eternity, Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale). It does have a significant edge over pretty much all the others though: It lets you play the villain, for real. And not necessarily in a "Oh I am bored, I'l just pick all the 'evil choices'" sort of way, but rather in a way that really makes you think about the gravity of your choices. Speaking of which, there is a big emphasis on morality and politics, and the game really doesn't let you be "goody-two-shoes", because the setting of the story just wouldn't allow you to do that. After all, what even is "moral" and "immoral" in a society where the "evil" has triumped?

Do yourself a favor and pick up this game. You won't regret it if you like story- & choice-heavy RPGs.

I really wish Obsidian kept investing into this IP and followed-up with a sequel. There is so much potential with this one.

I love this Isometric PC RPG and I've played them all, from the PC Ultima Series (except 8 and 9... horrible), all the BGs (including 1000+ hours in BG3), Both Icewind Dales, Both Planescapes (The latter much worse than the former), DivinityOS 1 and 2, and probably more i can't remember and this one is the absolute best. Great pacing, great action, easy to get into, tons of control of the story and character, the perfect balance between explaining the world and showing you the world just a fantastic time with this game. Please make another one!

This game has not scratched the RPG itch this good since Dragon Age: Origins. The fact is made by Obsidian is really all you need to know about story. Very replayable, entertaining, and more than a few moments that left me silent. Not for RPG-dislikers, however, and the final act is more of a slog. 10/10 all around.

If i had one CRPG to recommend for a person that either never played or liked the genre then I would recommend Tyranny to them;
it's flawed yet not unfinished as many may say
it's ambitious and overdesigned but there is a very clear vision behind the execution
the mechanics are simple enough to understand but leave plenty of room for min maxxers and metagamers to play and experoment with
the story is decent, it's far more concerned with the choices and consequences you make and not with the "le grand reveal" and is effectively unharmed by spoilers
rich, original lore, the best non-tabletop lore i have yet seen and played in a video game
the power fantasy and the journey feels done really well, the power is earned and can be put creatively to use both in the ludo aswell as the narrative
this is the game i will steal ideas from and will be happy about it, because even if the execution wasn't right, every crpg designer should get comfy with analyzing and taking this piece of art apart

i really want to see a sequel to it, i will create a cult of Kyros in my community if it happens! GLORY TO KYROS! GLORY TO HER, OUR OVERLORD!

Hidden gem indeed.

delightful crpg, one my of personal favorites. they'll probably never make another because it didnt get a ton of financial or critical success, but in terms of crpgs as a single experience, i consider it up there with the best.

Nice game and a good story

One of the best games I've experienced in my near 30 years of life. The story is well crafted, consequences real, and game-play as smooth and fun as you could ask for. The music and art style bind everything together beautifully.

It feels like you're in the story, instead of simply playing it.

10/10 - Would recommend.

A unique and beautiful world, rich lore and story, engaging real-time with pause combat, and interesting characters. All of these alone make it a game worth playing. But the real value is the sheer amount of choice and consequence that provides plenty of replayability. It seems nearly every single dialog choice impacts reputations, and some have game-changing repercussions. A new game + option allows you to keep and improve your character while making different choices in a second run. Truly a classic with a great premise. A shame a sequel is not likely.

I just came back here after years due to how disapointed I am with Baldur's Gate 3.

Tyranny ruined me for all RPG games for the rest of my life. CURSE YOU BAYLEEEEEE!!!!!!

Like; combat system is perfect, story is both in depth and easy to follow thanks to color coded highlights on texts, not much cluster of text to read but can still deliver the elements of politics, intrigue and a deep lore.

I don't remember much about music so I think it wasn't that memorable but the art style is timeless for sure.

Overall, my second favorite RPG game that made me felt what 15 y/o me felt when I played Skyrim for the first time 11/10.

Awesome game, great story and characters

If there was ever a game that deserved to be brought back from the dead, it's Tyranny. The absolute lack of any marketing killed what may well have been the best Isometric RPG of it's time. The setting is a fun Nobledark world where you are the Higher Authority of a Totalitarian State. What that actually means is left completely in your hands.

The Magic System also deserves special attention as one of very few games that allow you to make some pretty legit combos without either remembering a Fighting Game Button Sequence or making it absolutely suck to use. Sure, the "Optimal" way is still weapons, but casting Chain Icicle Explosion is pretty fun too.

It's a game with a LOT of replayability, that sadly ends at it's absolute peak and is currently in Legal Limbo as the people who own the IP use it like a gold coin in a Dragon's Hoard (that is to say, not at all, and they have no intention of ever making a sequel or selling the IP to the people who would)

Totally worth playing though... and playing a second time, and a third time, and maybe even a fourth!

A bit short but enough to scratch the PoE-itch I had.

So far I am genuinely enjoying the experience. Albeit I am just at the very tip of the start.

My background is in Strategy(Turn Based/Grand/RTWP)/CRPG/ARPG and I have seen a pretty wide variety of art styles, mechanics, and story styles. In all three, so far, this game does well. I'll edit as I go on.

My one complaint is the inability to rotate the camera. It makes me feel like I am paralyzed physically.

I love this game. It's way up there in my top 5.

The core of why is a combination of worldbuilding and concept. Concept is: you are, in fact, never going to be a good person here. There is a war going on, together with infighting on all sides. Whoever you choose is going to order you to do thing that are morally questionable at best and blatant war crimes at worst. Ah, so joining the rebellion is the good choices, right? Nope. Still a lot of murder, just of other armies for the most part. Also the Rebels are more of a gaggle of discordant groups you have to force to cooperate as all the time you wonder why are you even allowed to do it and whether it's all part of a plan. Alright, no Rebels - anarchy. Go your own path. You don't need to answer to anyone. Well, of course that means no one is your ally and considering they're all at war they will attack on sight most of the time. But you get support of a local deranged asassin and he's very adorable.

The world is set up nicely, with a good balance of clear worldbuilding and things that you don't know, no one else knows and if they do they refuse to tell you. You go through the game trying to make the best choices for whatever goal you choose - all of the paths can be, in the end, played for or against the Empire (you can very much play a loyal servant while on Anarchy path) and the game gives you options in how to respond. Admittely there are some more railroady places but realistically you cannot have all the choices at every point and I didn't find them jarring. The characters are written compellingly - some of the npcs more then companions I would even say, but who you like depends on preference.

The one downside is - this was clearly meant to have a sequel. There is plenty of open-endedness left at the end. Sadly, it does not have a sequel so we're left with a lot of diverging headcanons.

Bleden Mark for the win tho.

One of my first Crpgs, very enjoyable, fun story where you play as a bad guy against other bad guys. Companions are fun I really liked the loyalty system with factions and companions. The system makes your choices feel more weighted.

overall 8/10

Always fun when you run into a gem of a game by accident. I am not sure why I never found this game when it came out, but I had a blast playing it recently. The story is pretty cool, but I really didn't like how the ending went. It was abrupt like we didn't feel like making any more content or perhaps left it open for a future expansion that never happened. There is a huge element of choice items that, to me, didn't affect a whole lot during my playthrough as basically a chaotic good person would choose. It had some original fighting and design similar-ish to other AI-type NPC play or you can manually control everyone. I had a lot of fun going through this game and would like to see future versions of it.