Topic: Two Worlds PC = Update: Epic Edition joins GOG (Reply 55)

[MysterD]

Preview on Two Worlds (an open-ended action/RPG for the PC) from RPGWatch -- part 1 of the interview.

The market obviously has an appetite for huge, open-ended action/RPGs and the next title to offer this style of gameplay will be Reality Pump's Two Worlds, due in April.  Based in Poland, Reality Pump is a seasoned developer that just may have the experience to succeed with a game of this scope.  The PR for this title has made some ambitious claims, so we sent along some questions to explore the project.  Here's the first part of our interview.

RPGWatch: Please introduce yourself and tell our readers a little about Reality Pump.

Miroslaw Dymek: My name is Miroslaw Dymek, Technical Director of Reality Pump. We are an established game developer, best known for award winning Earth 21x0 RTS games. Our team has released quality games for more than 10 years. My job as technical director is supervising the development and designing the games.

RPGWatch: Let’s start with a summary of Two Worlds and the gameplay it will offer.  What are the key features that will differentiate Two Worlds?

Miroslaw Dymek: Two Worlds is a realtime RPG vastly rich in variety. You take the role of a bold adventurer who gets into the thick of the power struggle between long-forgotten gods, exploring a huge world, surviving countless battles and constantly striving to gain power through clever tactics. Only power will allow you to decide the future of the world.

Sounds like many other RPG's -- namely, Oblivion w/ the whole "exploring a huge world" ordeal.
 

Miroslaw: Two Worlds combines a dynamic and sophisticated battle system with an enormous action theater and an astounding degree of 'freedom of decision'. This gives you, the player, a wonderfully novel and absolutely top-class RPG experience - and that was our project objective from the start. The game even enables you to design its unbelievably huge and detailed world to your own specifications.

Design the world to your own needs?
Ummm....w/ an SDK? Or in-game???

RPGWatch: Reality Pump has been very successful in the RTS market with the Earth 21xx series and KnightShift – why did you decide to tackle an RPG of this scope?

Miroslaw Dymek: The idea of making an RPG was with us for several years, but there was always no time and possibility. When it turned out to be plausible, we just knew what we wanted and how much it would take. I should say we were excited and happy, and you know, all that stuff, but, well, it was so natural that we finally make an RPG that we simply started preproduction. It had to happen sooner or later; too many RPG fans are the core members of the team. We came to this conclusion during the very early works on “KnighShift 2” and decided this was the better way to go.

Okay.

RPGWatch: What can you reveal about the story and setting?

Miroslaw Dymek: Two Worlds tells the story of a divided continent. The Orcs wage war against other sapient races, driven by the inborn desire of supremacy. That desire is a gift from their god, Aziraal, who was slain and buried in an unknown place long ago. But Orcs, Dwarves, Humans and Elves are not the only inhabitants of the world.

Sounds like they got most of the normal races in RPG's covered there.

And the Orcs waging war -- sounds like Gothic 3.

Miroslaw: Side by side live strange and ominous creatures whose origins reach times before the gods. Some people say that they are the creations of the old gods who abandoned the planet, others maintain that it was some kind of unknown magical energy that brought them to live, but nobody really understand their nature and purpose. They are the Second World, something beyond understanding.

Okay.

Miroslaw: Usually loathed and feared, the Second Worlds is an object of fascination for certain groups and factions. In the course of the game, there will be more than few possibilities to discover mysteries that will unveil the true nature of the Second World.

Okay.

RPGWatch: How is the gameworld organised?  Is it one continuous gameworld, can players explore freely and can you give our readers a feel for the size? What sort of locations will players encounter?

Miroslaw Dymek: Two Worlds features a vast terrain (about 30 square kilometres) open for free exploration. Several big cities, numerous villages, settlements, ruins, keeps and fortresses are scattered over thematically varying areas. You will visit high, snow-covered mountains in the north, dwarven foothills, green plains, rocky mountains in the south, desolated lands in the east and a big part of the desert. Architecture changes from area to area, and so do your opponents. Moreover, there are about 50 Dungeons.

Cool.

RPGWatch: Players will take on the role of an experienced warrior with a known history and background.  Why did you decide to take this route rather than allow players to envisage their own character in entirety?

Miroslaw Dymek: The hero of Two Worlds also starts as a first level character. There was no point in messing with accepted and proven mechanics. What really had to be introduced was the feeling of being somebody worthy of all those adventures ahead. A seasoned warrior who knows his trade deserves demanding missions, or his potential is spoiled. We try to keep the adventure more mature and serious, steering away from hack’n’slash approach, where any creature and mission is good as long as it yields experience points. It is simply more rewarding for a player to be involved in serious conflicts and events and do something meaningful.

Okay.

RPGWatch: You have emphasised freedom, choice and non-linearity in previous interviews and on your website, so let’s explore that for a bit.  By “non-linear”, do you just mean free exploration of the gameworld, although the main story sequence always remains the same -- or can quests be encountered and resolved in different ways, using different approaches?

Miroslaw Dymek: For us, the impact on the world’s condition means that with every important decision in the game, something global happens. With properly invented quests it is really not so hard to achieve. Your character has his own goal to pursue, but he also encounters many conflicting factions on his way. The player decides whom he will support and when. The sides of the conflict have their own goals and ways of conduct but they need some kind of “trigger”. What you can do is to deliver them that “trigger” and then stand on either side to resolve the conflict and watch what will come out of this.

The results of your actions are observed almost immediately and the consequences are logical.
 
There is quite a lot interaction with NPC, mainly through dialogs, but also some situations will force you to make a decision within a certain (small) amount of time. Taking no action is also a decision, like in the situation where one of your employers is being hanged. Will you attack the guards and save him, kill him with your own hands or just observe the executioner doing his job? Whatever you choose, the decision will resound with serious consequences later in the game.
 
This way of resolving quests also teaches responsibility for your decisions. It may be really painful if you mess with an important faction, like in the situation when all the magic spells and potions are now only available through the black market, not to mention all those unavailable quests and wasted experience points. If, by the contrary you cooperate, the factions or guilds will treat you with respect and reverence worth any effort.

Sounds like my kind of "questing."

RPGWatch: Do the NPCs react to the player’s actions?  What about NPC schedules or AI to make them seem more realistic?

Miroslaw Dymek: Instead of individually scripted behaviours, every NPC is managed with the same, global AI module. They go about their business, protect themselves and their property, sleep and work, go aggressive or flee in panic. They react as normal people with the variety known from real life. Some of NPCs have specific tasks and they do everything to accomplish them, some of them simply do not like you, some want to help. They are governed by simple rules but those rules combine with each other and sometimes generate unpredictable challenges and situations. Eventually, you can predict the results of your actions with a sensible doze of accuracy, but never feel the stiffness of totally scripted games.

Cool.

We'd like to thank Miroslaw for the answers so far and watch out for Part Two, which will cover combat, character development, magic and more.

I wonder when part 2 will pop up.

SCREENIES:

[Quemaqua]

So... it looks and sounds exactly like Oblivion.  Or something.  I dunno'... could be cool, could totally suck.  Hard to say.

[MysterD]

So... it looks and sounds exactly like Oblivion.  Or something.  I dunno'... could be cool, could totally suck.  Hard to say.

Let's hope it don't suck.

Last thing we need is another PC game to suffer b/c of bad programming and not enough time for the game to be finished in so the publisher decides to kick it out the door way too early -- a la Gothic 3.

I could go for another good open-ended RPG.

I hope it ain't too much like Oblivion and Gothic series, though. It sounds like it is trying to go after the strengths of those two series.

[Ghandi]

Looks to be too linear to me.

[MysterD]

Two Worlds is coming to the X360

I'm not quite sure of the purpose of this press release, since we've known Two Worlds is a dual-platform game from the beginning.  Nevertheless, Southpeak Interactive sent this announcement over along with three new screens:

    SOUTHPEAK INTERACTIVE ANNOUNCES TWO WORLDS COMING TO XBOX 360

    Genre-defining Role-Playing Game Set For Release This Spring

    Grapevine, Texas – JANUARY 19, 2007 – SouthPeak Interactive, a leading independent videogame publisher, today announced that its massive, open-ended role-playing game, Two Worlds, will be released this spring for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

    Developed by Las Vegas-based TopWare Interactive and Reality Pump Studios, Two Worlds is an evolution of the role-playing genre. Combining unlimited character development and fierce, spectacular combat, Two Worlds brings a new kind of gameplay experience where players are encouraged to experiment with the world, test the results of good and evil deeds and find the most satisfying way to face challenges. Never before has an RPG given gamers such an unprecedented level of freedom to change the world and shape the story within it – for the first time, choices made in an RPG game are actually meaningful.

    Expanding the depth of gameplay even further, Two Worlds online multiplayer action allows up to 8 people to adventure together online via Xbox Live® online entertainment network. Gather with your friends and battle cooperatively, exchange equipment, or simply attack them and see who’s left standing.

    “Two Worlds is quickly shaping up to be an experience that sets the benchmark of what a role-playing experience can be,” said Katie Morgan, Executive Vice President of SouthPeak Interactive. “We couldn’t be more excited to be bringing this gargantuan title to both Windows and Xbox 360 gamers.”

[MysterD]

GameSpot w/ a preview on Two Worlds

Two Worlds will also have a deep role-playing system that is based primarily on open-ended character skills. You will need to choose a starting character class but will then be free to advance your character in any line of skills. These skills include picking locks, using various weapons, or casting magic spells from one of five schools of magic, which include elemental sorceries and the dark arts of necromancy.

Okay.

Interestingly, necromancy--the magic of raising the dead and manipulating their undead spirits--won't exist in the world at first; you'll need to undertake a quest to restore it to the world by reactivating a set of ancient towers. If you choose not to restore necromancy, then it simply won't exist throughout the entire game, and you'll never have to swing your sword at a single skeleton or zombie.

Ooooh...that's interesting.

Fortunately, the game will also feature "skill trainer" characters who can help you learn new skills and unlearn those you've chosen but don't like.

Cool.

[PyroMenace]

Im just tired of the whole fantasy setting. Utterly sick of it. London: Hellgate, Stalker, and Bioshock need to come soon.

[Quemaqua]

I'm not sick of fantasy (I could never get sick of fantasy), but I do like to have something with more of a unique spin.  I really need something with a unique spin.  This doesn't appear to be providing that.

[Xessive]

Woah that kinda looks like Oblivion meets Gothic 3!

I'm still hooked on Oblivion.. Even more now than before!

[MysterD]

Yeah, this does sounds a lot like G3 crossed w/ Oblivion.

I just hope that w/ this ambition of combining some of the "very decisive" Gothic 3 style of questing and "open-ended world" of say Oblivion, they don't have the problem Gothic 3 was slammed with: BUGS GALORE.

I hope this game runs well, out the box. Last thing we need is another game w/ an ambitious scope to be plagued and riddles w/ nasty issues. If it does that, no doubt about, it'll be Bargain Bin material ($20 or less rack) for me....

I really do wonder, especially since it will ALSO have a MP component....

Games sounds very huge, in scope....

[MysterD]

Two Worlds was pushed dated for March 7, 2007....

That's changed; now May 9, 2007 is the new date so they can "fine-tune" the game.

Two Worlds Delayed Again [January 26, 2007, 11:02 am ET] - Viewing Comments
ZUXXEZ Entertainment announces a further delay to Two Worlds, Reality Pump's upcoming strategy/role-playing game. Originally announced with a release window of Q3 2006, then delayed to the fourth quarter 2006 (story), the game's most recent European release date was then pushed back to March 7, 2007 "to allow for fine-tuning" (story). The new release date is once again quite specific, as the game is now due on May 9, 2007:

    Karlsruhe, 26th January 2007 – "Two Worlds" fans in Europe must be patient for a few weeks longer than originally planned before starting to explore the enormous world of Antaloor. The release date has been put back to May the 9th 2007. CEO Alexandra Constandache: "It's the atmosphere of a game that really suffers if the balancing isn't quite perfect or if annoying bugs make life difficult - especially in the RPG sector. We're fortunate enough to be in a position where we ourselves can determine when our game will be marketed - and we have taken the decision to postpone its release for a short time. The time gained will be used to further perfect the multiplayer aspect. We'll be publishing more info next week about this feature."

    "Two Worlds" will be released at the beginning of May for PC and Xbox 360 in English, French and German localisation

[MysterD]

Well, now I understand why Two Worlds has been pushed back to May. They expanded the MP portion into an MMO-style portion.

We received the following press release from Southpeak that says Reality Pump's Two Worlds is (or was) ahead of schedule and with some added development time the multiplayer component has been expanded to "massively multiplayer":

    TWO WORLDS ONLINE TO BE MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER

    Thousands Can Explore and Adventure Together Online In SouthPeak Game’s Upcoming Open-Ended Role-Playing Title

    GRAPEVINE, TX – February 2, 2007 – SouthPeak. Games, a leading independent videogame publisher, is thrilled to announce that Two Worlds, its massive, open-ended role-playing game to be released this spring for the PC and Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, is having its online component greatly expanded. Whereas formerly Two Worlds was to allow up to eight players to adventure together online, the game will now support thousands of players online at one time.

    “Reality Pump was in the fortunate position of being both ahead of schedule and given some extra development time, so they could truly bring out the full potential of Two Worlds,” said Katie Morgan, Executive Vice President of SouthPeak Games. “In our opinion, the best things in life are those that are shared with friends, and the more friends the better!”

    Online players of Two Worlds will now be able to join parties that are competing against others to solve quests, battle other players in the arena to gain glory, form armies to storm enemy cities, arrange and compete in horse races, or simply socialize in a medieval pub. Like the single-player experience, the massively multiplayer online component of Two Worlds will offer an opportunity for the players to affect and change the lands they live in.

Meanwhile, Blue's has a slightly different announcement from Zuzzex that provides a little more insight:

    Karlsruhe, 2nd February 2007 – the good things in life are best shared with friends! The “Two Worlds” developers have also taken this to heart - and added a fantastically varied MMORPG mode to their new game! Players can now oppose one another or join forces in Antaloor as Arena or RPG characters!

    Let off steam in the Arena with exciting head-to-head battles - and remember it's only your skill that counts here - Arena characters all have the same status!

    For all you hard-bitten RPG fans out there, the multiplayer game is the real thing! Want to establish your own individual character? "Two Worlds" has it all! The main jump-off point for role-playing gamers are the towns – they serve as both meeting places and platforms for starting various quests. In typical MMORPG style, this is where players meet for the first time, hold get-togethers in their favorite bars or simply look around for new challenges. You can also join Clans or found new ones. When a clan has got together, an adventure then begins that is tailored to the strengths of the group, which can be up to eight players in number. The game character develops in a completely free manner (no level limits) and can collect equipment and experience points too. You have traditional, classic adventures available - and also novel challenges, like horse racing! You can of course save your game character and equipment on the server - and you can continue his development whenever you’re ready... or you can earn yourself some money, by selling off special artifacts and weapons in the towns.

    Character creation is based on various races and classes which will be introduced soon. These figures all have their own basic characteristics - and of course you can fully develop these during the course of the game! You can mold all the optical characteristics of your character as well, creating your own private heroes via a special interface! Color of eyes, breadth of chest, length of arms and legs...almost anything you can think of!

Souhtpeak later sent clarification that this is for the PC version only and "No details on the MMO gameplay for the Xbox 360 version are available".

[Pugnate]

http://pc.ign.com/articles/783/783203p1.html

A bandit stole my pants. When wandering into one of the numerous bandit camps spread throughout the massive forest in Two Worlds, our hero is confronted by the bandit leader. Since no reputation has been earned with such scoundrels, the bandit leader demands payment for intruding on the camp. Having just begun the adventure, our intrepid hero is a little low on cash. No worry, the bandit leader says, just hand over your pants.

heh.

Though it is always fun to hack and slash against half-dressed bandits (apparently Two Worlds' fashion trend is strapping, topless summer wear), it can feel a bit chaotic at times as there's no lock-on for melee combat and the camera is still a bit twitchy. All defensive moves are automatic and based on invisible dice rolls, so your only concern during combat is swinging like a madman.

No locking? Invisible dice rolls? Bad moves in a free form game.

One cool discovery I came across was the ever-handy trap. You can buy a standard steel bear trap for fairly cheap from a merchant. Combine some venom from a snake and perhaps the deadly properties of a boar tusk and you have a potent weapon. Lay down a trap and then start a fight with some jerk guard who would normally cream you. When he charges, back up so that he runs into the trap. While he struggles to pull himself free of the poisonous contraption, you can lay some serious smack down. Now imagine entering a city and laying down a number of dangerous traps and starting a ruckus. A good time can be had by any nefarious adventurer with a little imagination.

hehe

The bears kicked our ass so quickly it was laughable. Rabbits were more our cup of tea, so we spent a few minutes hunting them down and wiping the furry critters from the face of the earth after one thought it a good idea to attack us. And you can wipe them out. According to the PR rep for Two Worlds, enemies don't respawn and are not leveled to your character. That means if you manage to wipe out all of the bunnies, you won't find any more. That also means that you may run into enemies that you're simply no match for early in the game, like our bears.

Don't level with you? Good.

Perhaps the best part about the Two Worlds style is the enemy design. The humans look a bit blocky and ugly, but the animals and creatures have a nice look to them. Once we had our fill with some lower level creatures, we loaded up a few saves that took us around the world on a tour of the different enemies we'd find. If you've watched the trailer by now, you know there are dragons in the game. The one we saw was a desert dweller; though we've been assured there are many types to find. Equally impressive as the dragon were the ghost wolves, stone golems, and cyclops enemies. In just a couple of hours of playing, we saw a great variety of cool looking foes.

Game sounds it will be pretty uneven.

At night, things start to get creepy. The undead come out to play along with a host of other creatures that go bump in the night. The day/night cycle is a pretty lengthy one. In fact, it almost seemed a bit too long as we found ourselves wandering around by moonlight for great stretches of time. Even in the dark; it's easy to spot enemies and fight them thanks to a target icon that hovers over the enemy to let you know they're in sight. The target tends to completely engulf smaller enemies like snakes or rabbits, but it certainly helps against larger baddies.

These people are stupid! Enemy rabbits? Why the hell would a rabbit attack you?

An actual screenshot from the game:

In town there were plenty of characters to talk to showing off the large number of voices used to avoid the Oblivion effect. As with most other RPGs Two Worlds NPCs present several dialogue options, most of which pertain to the surrounding area, town, and political climate

yay.

What we haven't had the chance to see is multiplayer, which we have to admit, remains a bit of a mystery. The 360 version will support up to eight players that can party up and rampage across the landscape. The PC version will apparently support up to 200 and we assume the servers will be run by the publishe

eh? 200 Mutliplayer option? 

[MysterD]

Pug, where is the link to this preview???

This thread has a lot of info on this game, if you miss'd any on it. It's worth checking out.

About the 200-player MP thing, you maybe missed this in my thread -- but they expanded the MP portion of the game into an MMO. It's one of the main reasons the game got delayed -- that and time to polish up the game itself, basically.

[Pugnate]

I had been through your thread on Feb. I will merge now.

[MysterD]

I had been through your thread on Feb. I will merge now.

Cool.

More tidbits from the IGN preview you posted....

You can also modify and stack weapons for even greater customization. Anyone who has played an RPG has likely found considerable redundancy in the number of identical items they come across throughout the course of play. Two Worlds solves this issue by allowing you to stack the same weapon to bolster its power. Let's say you slash open a bandit who has the same long sword you wield. Rather than lug another sword in your inventory, you can stack the fallen enemy's long sword on your own, giving a slight boost to your sword. There's no stacking limit (and this works for armor as well), so you can conceivably build the power of a club to mighty proportions. You may even find yourself seeking out enemies with the same shield or pants and killing them just for the stacking bonus.

That's different.

Items can also be upgraded with a variety of Oblivion-like ingredients found in Two Worlds. Using the alchemy pot on the right side of the equipment screen, you can make insane combinations. Add a crackle of lightning to your sword or create the most powerful pair of venomous gauntlets ever seen. There is one catch, however. Powering up an item increases its requirements, meaning that while you can easily make an uber-sword, you may not be able to wield it for another 10 hours of gameplay.

That's interesting, too.

[MysterD]

Full World Map for the game released on their official website, which will come w/ the retail editions of the game.

[MysterD]

Looks like this game's already out in Germany.
Patch 1.1 released already for this game.

I wonder when the USA version is due -- and if it'll be patched straight-out-the-box, already.

[Xessive]

I can't help but tie this game to Gothic 3.. I haven't seen much more than screenshots though..

[MysterD]

Preview from IGN

[MysterD]

Well, that was quick -- another patch let loose.

Patch 1.2 released -- namely a "hotfix" to fix the game's issue Rad 9xxx series

[Pugnate]

Another patch already? I guess this game really does have a lot in common with Gothic.

[MysterD]

Another patch already? I guess this game really does have a lot in common with Gothic.

Yeah, no shit....

...I wonder what version the American release will come patched up w/ on disc and all....

[MysterD]

The US Version is slipping back to July, for the PC and X360 version of the game.

Meanwhile, the Euro version's due still for June.

From Eurogamer comes the interesting information that US distie Southpeak will be holding Two Worlds back to July:

    SouthPeak has cleared the air and announced that Two Worlds will be coming to PC and Xbox 360 in July.

    It follows news that the console version had mysteriously slipped of the release radar, with the publisher unable to issue any reasons why. [...]

    "We're thrilled with the progress that Two Worlds' multiplayer content is making, although the extensive play-balancing and testing that content requires has necessitated a shift of the release date to late July," said Melanie Mroz, executive vice president of SouthPeak. "We want Two Worlds to truly live up to its potential and gamers can rest assured that it will be well worth the wait."

Presumably other Euro release will still proceed in June.

[Xessive]

That should give them time to clean it up and sort out the undesirables.

[MysterD]

That should give them time to clean it up and sort out the undesirables.

We hope so....

..Especially given the extra amount of time Gothic 3 got for its US Release, yet it still was buggy as sin. I'm still wondering when that ONE GIG patch is coming; we know it'll eventually be comin'...

I need to get that game when it gets cheap, sometime...

[MysterD]

Well, well -- another patch for Two Worlds.
Version 1.3 is out now.

TWO WORLDS Update 1.3 Change log

    SP and general Fixes:

    Alchemy - exploit removed
    Shops - proces exploit - fixed
    Objects stacking - parameters changed.
    Deadly piruett skill - fixed
    Knock down skill - fixed
    Stability skill - fixed.
    Stealing skill > 100 - fixed
    Dead hands spell - level fixed.
    Kit Rae weapon names - fixed
    Shooting from water - enemies don't reacting - fixed.
    NPc reaction for stealing - fixed
    Weather behaviour (rain from blue sky) - fixed.
    Sliding/walking on the walls - fixed.
    Death from jumping from high altitudes - fixed.
    NPCs walking through palisades - fixed
    Logical problems in quests - fixed.
    Incorrect bonuses on different equipment pe: "Double Blade skill" bonus on a shield - Fixed.
    Stealing inside closed houses - fixed
    Horseriding map in second town -fixed
    Killing citizens with horse - fixed
    Huge arrows on monsters - fixed
    Minus values for attack and defence for high Dexterity values - fixed
    Weapon stats not refreshed after stacking on character - fixed
    Crash when attacking sister - fixed
    Sneaking with shield -shield position -fixed
    Alchemy bug - creation of empty potions - fixed
    Faster looting animation
    Cooking one object - blocked.
    Recooking cooked potions - blocked.

    MP Fixes:

    Multiplayer lag problem - fixed
    All skills available in multiplayer from start - fixed
    All skills unlocked in multiplayer -fixed
    Friendly fire in Arena modes - fixed


    Features:

    Tooltips for damage and protection types added.
    Tolltip for gold icon added.
    Gandohar/Reist/Kira - invulrenability added
    Stealing skill - list of stealed objects - added
    Faster running speed on roads - added
    Water splash - added
    Mouse buttons configuration - added
    Second key mapping for each activity - added
    C - F1
    I - F2
    M - F3
    L - F4
    G - F5

[MysterD]

ActionTrip reviewed it already....
62% from ActionTrip (out of 100)

To sum it up, they feel the game's decent itself, but it is plagued w/ graphical issues, a number of bugs, and framerate/performance issues.

Sounds like another Gothic 3.

Technically, Two Worlds is a huge disappointment. Owing to numerous issues, players are sure to get discouraged very quickly. Apart from specific bugs, like bodies from fallen enemies floating in the air, the game suffers from a severely flawed engine. Physics and collision leave a lot to be desired, especially while your character is on horseback. Your mighty steed literary sticks to trees way too often, refusing to budge despite repeated efforts. It won't be long before you're going to want to smash your PC to bits. This jamming made me give up on horseback completely.

...

As expected, you have to possess a pretty strong rig to run this sucker smoothly. Otherwise, be prepared for serious frame-rate drops. So, once again, lousy programming and feeble design moments get in the way of decent entertainment.

Overall, we were mostly frustrated while playing this game. Chalk it up to a poorly optimized engine, a dull and generic fantasy world, all drawn from an exceedingly overused gameplay concept.

Two Worlds hits the States next month, which should give the developers enough time to iron out all the technical hitches. Three patches have already been released and you would be highly advised to install them before playing the game.

[MysterD]

Two Worlds will get a Collector's Edition, when it ships on August 7th.

Southpeak sent us over a press release on a Two Worlds Collector's Edition for NA:

    SOUTHPEAK GAMES ANNOUNCES COLLECTOR’S EDITIONS OF TWO WORLDS

    Grapevine, Texas – JULY 2, 2007 – SouthPeak Games has announced collector’s editions for Two Worlds, the much anticipated role playing game coming this August for Xbox 360™ and PC.

    Both collector’s editions come in stunning holographic slipcase packaging and include a map of the expansive world, a bonus Pen and Paper 72 page color fantasy RPG book along with a second disc packed with bonus music and video content, such as web kit that allows players to create fansites. The Xbox 360 version will also include a 48 Hour Xbox Live Gold Trial card, while the PC edition will include exclusive unlockable in-game items.

    The collector’s edition of Two Worlds on Xbox 360 will be available for $69.99 and the PC version will be $59.99.  Both will be on shelves August 7.  Preorder in-store at Gamestop, EB, and Hollywood/GameCrazy, and online with Best Buy.com and Amazon.com.

Note that the release seems to have slipped a week or two.  You can also grab a new trailer at Worthplaying.

[MysterD]

GameSpot is surprised to find the X360 version of the game gimped, when compared to the PC version.

7.5 for the PC version of Two Worlds.
7.0 for the X360 version of Two Worlds.

The Good
    * Huge scope and setting 
    * Smooth, simple RPG system that still allows for a lot of character customization 
    * Great variety of quests 
    * Nice-looking visuals.

The Bad

    * Too sparse in monsters and fine details to fill up such a big gameworld 
    * Default difficulty setting is way too hard.

Okay.

A poor man's Oblivion. This description may seem a bit damning, but it puts the game in awfully fine company when you consider the sheer greatness of Bethesda's role-playing game opus. Reality Pump's RPG certainly has it where it counts in the aspiration department, even if, largely due to some design quirks, the first-time RPG developer can't quite match the gold standard established by Oblivion last year. With that said, the epic scale of the game, along with outstanding character development, free-flowing action, and good quest variety, make it a worthwhile play for any RPG aficionado.

Sounds like it could be fun, once you get around the game's issues -- especially w/ outstanding character development, in the character building process; since the game has no restrictions w/ classes and what have you.

In an exact reversal of the problems that Oblivion players on the PC griped about in 2006, Two Worlds' biggest issue on the Xbox 360 is its PC-centric design. This is actually a welcome surprise in some ways, as PC RPGs typically boast more depth than their console counterparts when it comes to storyline, character creation, and sheer scope of the gameworld (and that is certainly the case here). However, this focus is a big problem in other respects.

X360 version got botched, when compared to the PC?
Wow, that's a chance of pace...heh.

For example, everything about the interface is geared for a close-up monitor. Even on a large HDTV, it's nearly impossible either to read the minimap on the main adventure screen or to determine at a glance what the icons are on the big map when you pull it up to full size. This can be a serious problem, as the gameworld is so huge and the number of points of interest so tremendous that it's easy to get lost or backtrack for miles without realizing that you got turned around somehow. Text is so minuscule that it might as well be the fine print on a mortgage. Furthermore, the inventory is a clunky affair in which you have to scroll across all of your items every time you want to use a potion or swap out a weapon. You can pretty readily tell that the whole thing was designed with a mouse, keyboard, and monitor in mind, not a gamepad and TV. Regardless, you do grow to tolerate these drawbacks after an hour or two of squinting. The game beyond the interface is worth the eyestrain, and if you happen to be playing on the PC, you won't run into any such issues.

Well, that's not good for 360 users...
Looks like the PC version's the way to go, w/ this game...

The story is stock-standard for this sort of RPG. The backdrop deals with a war in the land of Antaloor between man and orc that resulted in the imprisonment of the orcish god Aziraal in a magical tomb. When the game opens, 300 years have passed and a dwarven mining expedition has possibly uncovered the big guy's final resting place, which doesn't bode well for relations between humans and orcs. You're a mercenary just trying to get by, one who is more concerned with rescuing his missing sister than saving the world or even looking into what's got the orcs all riled up as of late.

Yay! A game focused on not saving the world for a main quest!

As with most open world RPGs, you can dive straight into this main storyline and take on all of its quests, or freely wander the world while helping people and killing monsters for fun and profit. It's important to note that there is no level-balancing or similar gimmicks present here, which means that you need to finish a fair number of side quests to gain the experience and equipment needed to send Aziraal and his orc pals packing.

Cool.

So the plot isn't going to set the world on fire, although the personal angle with your sister and the overall character design and development are somewhat innovative. There are no classes here, so after creating your male protagonist (there is no option to roll up a member of the fairer sex) and customizing little things like hair color and arm length, you're left to place the attribute and skill points awarded with level increases wherever you want. If you want a fighter, for example, you have to buff strength and vitality stats, and increase scrapping skills like damage and critical-hit chance. For a mage, you go with willpower and magical skills such as necromancy and the four elements. Or you could try a jack-of-all-trades and distribute points all over the place so you can whip out a sword or a spell depending on the circumstances.

There are no restrictions when it comes to the use of weapons, magical items, spells, and the like, at least in comparison with the more closed D&D-style systems. Nevertheless, most hardware does have attribute requirements that limit the really good weapons to fighter types, the really good magical staffs to mage types, and so on. On the other hand, all characters can use the alchemy pot that forms half of the inventory screen. Items like crystals and plants can be gathered throughout the game and brewed into health potions and various other elixirs that can buff your stats, or even add poison or flame damage to weapons. Overall, this is a nice extra touch that opens up the game and lets even a hardcore fighter play mage every now and then.

Nice!

Fewer options are available when it comes to developing your character in the game itself, because NPC interactions are pretty blah. While it's refreshing that you're an out-for-himself mercenary instead of the usual RPG saint or dog-kicking villain, there are few choices in conversations. You always hit up passersby with the same bland questions depending on your location, and you always get the same canned responses. When being asked to undertake a quest, your choices generally include only "Yes, how much?" and "No thanks, not interested." At least the NPCs are designated with colored icons, which means that all you have to do is look for green to know if they have anything of value to say before you even start flapping your gums.

I wish Oblivion had designated NPC's w/ icons over their head, to let you know if this person might have a quest for you, important info, or not.

Many games seem to be going this route, these days -- such as Guild Wars, Dungeon Siege 2, etc.

Conversations also get right to the point, and can be skipped through quickly if you've heard it all before.[/b] All lines are delivered by voice actors, which adds some life to the chatter. Quality is all over the place, ranging from cheesy to dull monotone. You're guaranteed to get some chuckles out of the action-hero quips of the lead. Lines like "Say hello to death!" and sarcastic comments about the weather when it rains don't seem entertaining on paper, but the bombastic delivery is so hilarious that they work in spite of themselves.

Okay.

Combat in Two Worlds is similarly straightforward. The third-person camera (you can switch to first-person on the PC, but only when you don't have any weapons equipped) allows for quick, button-mashing action that doesn't require a great deal of thought. Melee fighters can take advantage of combo attacks, although battles generally require nothing more than hammering on the left trigger as quickly as possible until the bad guys fall down. The magic system is just as basic, with a default attack that functions similarly to the melee option, and spells that can be quickly cast with cards.

Okay.

But even though battles are simplistic, they're far from easy. The only way to succeed when fighting on the medium or hard difficulty settings is to do a lot of dodging and running away, and to time your assaults to land in-between enemy swipes. Of course, considering that the game features a lot of combat, this sort of futzing around gets annoying fast. It's a lot more sensible to turn the difficulty setting to easy (which is still very challenging) and not deal with this dart-and-dodge fighting. Even then, you'll still get killed quite a bit. However, this isn't a hassle, given that you respawn immediately at one of the many healing shrines scattered throughout Antaloor.

Seems like a lot of games are doing the respawn thing, trying to get you to avoid from Reloading saved games -- such as Bioshock, Titan Quest, Diablo 2, etc etc.

The monsters that you'll slay aren't quite varied enough for an RPG of this length and scope. While scraps fly past so quickly that boredom will rarely be an issue, it seems like you're killing the same packs of wolves, bears, and boars in the wilderness over and over again. And that does get dull, because after the first hour or so of play, you've got enough experience and weaponry to slaughter these beasts in mere moments. Other creatures include fantasy RPG stereotypes like the goblinesque groms, as well as orcs, dwarves, skeletons, ghouls, and dragons, along with more esoteric selections such as Flintstones-refugee reapers, man-sized jackals, and giant bugs known as trachidis. There seems to be a good number of monsters spread through the entire game; it's just that the repetition of specific types in certain areas makes you feel like you're on a treadmill at times. Reality Pump just hasn't filled Antaloor with a menagerie quite befitting its tremendous size.

Alrighty.

Quests provide more variety. There are dozens upon dozens of assignments available, spread all over the world. They range from standard delivery jobs to solving murders, from stealing underwear to collecting herbs, and, of course, slaughtering tribes of groms and orcs. Most of the quests are also set within a realistic backdrop of factions and interests. Groups in the game, including the knightly Brotherhood as well as the guilds representing such disparate folk as merchants and necromancers, hire you for jobs at various points. A consequence is that your reputation increases amongst different crowds of NPCs. The world itself is tied together with realistic geographical features and common teleportation platforms that let you take shortcuts after an initial reconnaissance of the map. So you can take in some postcard vistas when you want to sightsee, and when you want to just zip around, you can minimize aimless wandering with this magical transit system (or by hopping on a horse, although the nags in the game are so tough to control that it's easiest to just stay on foot).

Alrighty.

Multiplayer gives Two Worlds a little something extra not offered by most RPGs. On the PC, Reality Pump has given the game a basic arena-combat venue where you can go online and duke it out with human opponents, but the real meat is in the quasi-MMO mode of play in which you can wander Antaloor and take on quests with online pals. About the only major differences between this option and the solo campaign is the lack of the story here and the ability to pick specific character classes from lists of warriors, rogues, and mages instead of custom-crafting a hero with stat and skill choices. This isn't quite the cooperative play-through of a full campaign that RPGers have been dying for, but it's certainly an innovative idea. The only problem is difficulty. Even the introductory quests are extremely hard, which pretty much forces you to group up with other players to have a chance at survival. Co-op play is also an iffy proposition because there seem to be only a couple dozen players online at any given moment right now. If the game gets more popular, this mode of play could really take off.

At any rate, this multiplayer mode is miles above the dreary (and laggy) limited online option available with the Xbox 360 version of the game. Instead of the cooperative campaign play that RPGers have been dreaming of, all the developer has included here are dull host-or-join game modes like deathmatch (deeply bland because of the simplistic combat system), monster hunt (better due to the addition of an objective, but still too repetitive to enjoy for long), and an RPG option where you develop a character courtesy of hacking and slashing through quests on one-off maps with up to seven buddies. The latter pales in comparison to the multiplayer offering featured in the PC edition of the game, as it features full server support that makes maps feel more like persistent worlds, along with player numbers that roughly resemble what's available in MMOs. Anyhow, the only distinction with the MP games here is a wide variety of set character classes, including specialty warriors such as the blade dancer, as well as mages focusing on the elements and necromancy. Even if you want to try these half-baked games, they're often unplayable due to frequent dropped connections and serious lag that regularly turns combat into a slide show. Very few people seem to be taking advantage of the online play at this point, which isn't exactly a surprise when you consider its quality. Ultimately, if you want online RPG action, look toward the PC version.

Okay.

Visual and audio quality aren't quite fully realized. The game's artwork looks great due to gorgeous mountain ranges, grassy hills, detailed monster and character textures, and nicely varied city and village architecture, but frame-rate hitches and loading pauses frequently interrupt the action on the 360 version. Quick pauses during combat happen in virtually every scrap with more than a couple of opponents. This doesn't affect the overall playability of battles, but remains awfully annoying nevertheless. Section loads are also frequent, if brief. A little disc icon pops onto the screen every so often while you're wandering through the woods, during which the game pauses for a few seconds. This can be a little irritating, although it's certainly preferable to long loading times. However, sometimes the game pauses without flashing the disc icon, which means that the game has either additional, unadvertised loads or a few bugs. The PC version doesn't have any of these hitching issues. Much of the experience is seamless, with area loads being barely noticeable. Best of all, everything runs smoothly on even a mid-grade, single-core machine with a 6800-class video card. You need to dial the graphics back to 1024x768 to avoid choppy combat, although this is a small price to pay to get a game this big and attractive to run so well.

That's not bad at all, for the PC version!!

Audio quality is mixed. As previously noted, the dialogue is an amusing blend of cheese and action-hero clichés. Atmospheric battle effects are generally excellent, if not pronounced enough to make you aware of their presence. The same goes for most of the soundtrack, which is noteworthy only for some ethereal odes à la Enya and the fact that it was composed by '80s one-hit wonder Harold "Axel F" Faltermeyer. The only real standout tune is the ominous bass-heavy piece that eerily wells up whenever your hit points plummet to near-death levels.

Okay.

If you appreciate ambitious RPGs, seek out Two Worlds. It won't make you forget about Oblivion, but Reality Pump's take on heroic fantasy adventure is good enough to consume many, many hours of your spare time. Even though there are some flaws here, especially with the 360 version of the game, this is a solid role-playing experience.

I'll wait til more patches are put forth AND when the game drops in price.

Sounds a lot like Gothic 3 -- once you get around some of the issues, there's a good game to be had there...

[Quemaqua]

That's much more positive-sounding than I expected.  I might give it a shot just to see the sights (I have no overriding interest in the game, but I love huge worlds to explore, so it might be worth it based on that alone).

[MysterD]

That's much more positive-sounding than I expected.  I might give it a shot just to see the sights (I have no overriding interest in the game, but I love huge worlds to explore, so it might be worth it based on that alone).

Yeah, I'll definitely look forward to dwelving into an open world and all -- and that alone, sounds like a lot of fun! I love doing that, myself.

And the thing about going to find your sister -- sounds like Fable, going to find your family and all. Sounds like that could be a good quest-line, as opposed to "Saving the world."

I figured, as well, the X360 version would come out better, but I'll be damned -- PC version got paid more attention, this time around.

And surprisingly, sounds like it probably would run decent on even my machine, given how it fended on their single processor w/ a 6800 vid card -- even on 1024x768! That's good news!

I'd try the PC demo, but I don't feel like doing a 1.3 GB download.

[MysterD]

Yeah, the subject line says it all.

Okay guys, here's the story.

Saw it here on CAG.

Best Buy has recalled the game, basically. Heard it's b/c of the wrong Customer Care support number on the box, so they have decided to mark them down to a penny and get rid of them. Who knows if there's other reasons or something -- maybe issues w/ the ESRB? Who knows.

Well, I checked BB's website -- the game is NOT listed for the PC.

Anyways, so, yeah -- for ONE PENNY, I had to go check my local BB to see if this rumor's true. My BB had none on the shelf, unfortunately. So, I asked a clerk if they had any copies of Two Worlds for the PC. Guy looked on the shelf, saw none, and said he's go check in the back. He then went into the back. He brought me back one. Asked the guy at register to price check it.

ONE PENNY.

Sale made.

Here's the SKU, if you're lookin' for it in store -- 8478471.

[Quemaqua]

Heh, that's pretty cool.  The game only looked marginally interesting to me, but hell... for a penny I'd be willing to snag it and hope for future patches to improve the experience.

[MysterD]

Impressions from MyD on the SP Portion of the game, so far -- c'mon, y'all know this had to be coming, right? Right.

Install of Aegia PhysiX
Yep, it asks you if you want to install PhysiX for your game. Version 4.7 required, to run the game. Which comes on the disc.

Annoying Authentication
Looks like every new game and their cousin wants you to do an "Online Authentication." Though, if you can't do it by the Net, they will authenticate it via the telephone. I did it online -- no problems and all. But annoying, yes.

In-Game Performance
1024x768 was a no-go. Not worth my time. LOW framerates -- 20 and below, basically.

So, I'm running it in 800x600 on my PC -- see specs of my rig in my signature. It runs fine there -- though, it will drop below 30, namely when there's a good handful of enemies on the screen. Otherwise, runs fine. I have most of the settings jacked somewhere in the middle -- 'cept the textures and world detail, as that's cranked up all the way. Shadows and water is on, as well.

The game itself is just downright pretty. Pump those graphics all the way up, and watch your jaw just drop in the sheer beauty and detail of the world itself. The textures and the characters models are beautiful, to say the least.

A Mixed-Bag Of A Sound Department
If anything this game is weak in, it seems to be right in the sound department.

The sound of effects, namely for when you hit an enemy, it just don't sound like you're really hitting them too hard at all. Yes, sounds like one of my complaints of Titan Quest, doesn't it?? And some of the enemies seem to scream a little too much, when you hit them and all.

Voice-acting ranges basically from poor to very good. The opening cinematic to the game was very good, in pretty much every regard -- from the voice-acting to the presentation of the storyline itself. I'm impressed. Basically, you're a mercenary that is going after those who took your sister captive.

From my first impressions -- from following main quest, doing side quests, and just talking to NPC's in general -- it looks like the voice-acting is going to be spread out. Mostly, so far, it seems the good voice-overs are in the main quest stuff, while the side quests will be a mixed-bag (from poor to good).

Combat, Controls & Options Galore
The controls are pretty good. And if you don't like them, you can configure them to your liking, of course, in the Options Menu.

Middle mouse button lets you switch b/t a total of THREE different hot bars -- all which can be loaded w/ skills, draw weapon, different magic spells, etc etc. (Or you can hit the Function keys that correspond to the hotbar number). This reminds me of how it was such a seemless transition from Plasmids to Guns in Bioshock, just by hitting the Right Mouse Button -- though, Two Worlds uses the middle mouse buttons, instead.

Middle mouse wheel up/down -- depends on what you set it, in the options menu. You can make middle mouse zoom in/out (on your character) OR you can make it switch between next hot bar skill/previous hot bar skill.

Right mouse button -- Uses your highlighted hot bar skill.

Combat's handled very well, too. Not too cumbersome at all, since you can have so much (skills, magic, etc) at your disposal, too -- to say the least.

In the options menu, you can turn the Auto-Aim ON or OFF for when casting magic (namely for projectiles like fireball) and shooting bows. So, this is a great little toggle to have -- since you might just want to let the spell off and not aim it at all. Up to you, the player. Either way, it's fine.

In addition to saving anytime quicksave or doing a regular save (from the Esc menu) -- you're given 3 Auto-save slots. So, in the options menu, you can set the game to overwrite its previous autosave slot every 5 minutes. Very nice feature to have.

Anytime you die, you get resurrected at basically the closest Shrine. That is, unless you play on HARDEST Difficulty, which is Difficult -- no Shrines resurrections are allowed on Difficult.

If you can get it for a penny you really can't go wrong, guys...THAT price is a STEAL.

[MysterD]

Difficulty Of The Game
Now, I'm playing on Medium -- and this just really isn't an easy game. I seem to be dying often, to say the least. If you find yourself exploring and mistakenly end up in an area that is filled w/ enemies way beyond your character's level, you will get thwacked -- but unlike Gothic series of games, the player really doesn't get punished for dying because you are resurrected at a nearby shrine.

(SIDE NOTE: Of course, if you put the game's difficulty level on Difficult, you can't resurrect -- you will have to load a save, though that's all put on you for picking this Difficulty!)

Also, unlike Bioshock, enemies regenerate their health quite a bit when they're not in combat -- so does the player, for that matter -- so the game never really becomes really too easy, either. So, if you die and do get sent back to a nearby Shrine, likely when you find those you were fighting before you died, chances are damn good that they'll have a good portion of their health back or even their health will be back at full capacity.

[MysterD]

Heh, that's pretty cool.  The game only looked marginally interesting to me, but hell... for a penny I'd be willing to snag it and hope for future patches to improve the experience.

Version 1.6 Patch, Eventually...
The US/UK Editions of the PC game comes already equipped w/ the 1.5 Patch. (currently the newest version of the game)
It's worth noting that Version 1.6 is already in Beta testing phase.

Questing
Questing, early on, starts off w/ most side quests that are Fed Ex quests -- get this item for me so you can bring it back to me, go kill this person, go visit this person for me, activate this portal, etc etc.

Now, I'm some approximate 8-plus hours into it, and the questing is getting more complex. Sure, there's still your usual Fed Ex quests. But now, that I'm further along, the quests are getting more complex and intricate. There's some quests have multiple parts to them. Often, w/ more than one way to finish them -- in which you will have to either side w/ one side or an opposing side.
Such as The Mirror Quest (sounds like the "Split" Quest in Oblivion, a little bit...) and The Lovers Quest.

Mirror Mage Quest

(click to show/hide)

There's a mage who used a magic mirror to duplicate himself and now you have to decide to help the original mage (who don't want his replica around anymore) OR the other mage wanting to duplicate the original mage even more times. So, you have to get this Mirror, if you can get it from the mage's apprentice -- you have to convince him. Then, you have to decide which mage to give the mirror to.

Ain't finished this yet. Dunno' if there's more parts to it. Working on this quest, as we speak.

Lovers Quest

(click to show/hide)

One guy wants you to beat the snot out of a guy, who is courting his daughter. So, you have to decide, when you see him, to fight him or help him.

If you help him, then you have to get the ring from a neighbor. And then, neighbor tells you he don't have it. Some bandits got it. So, you go after the bandits. Get the ring.

Though, if you talk to the dad of the daughter, he'll offer you 10x's the value of the ring itself if you give HIM the ring, instead.

Then, decide to give it to the possible son-in-law or dad. Give it to the son-in-law, he asks you to deliver it. Then, you can help the lovers flee the city and escape.

Great freakin' quest.

[MysterD]

Activation Information
This is from their page, under Support section -- yes, you MUST activate this game, to play it; like Bioshock. This is ALL about their Activation stuff.

I should note that once you INSTALL Two Worlds, you will not need the DVD in the drive anymore.

Namely, to sum it up, Two Worlds' "activation" works like this -- you can activate it as much as you like, as long as the hardware stays the same. So, you can install and reinstall on the same PC, as much as like.


But, say if you buy another PC, you might want to have the EXACT SAME hardware, if you want to put it on more than one PC. See, you're only allowed THREE hardware changes. After that, start making phone calls to their tech support...

Home - Activation

QUESTIONS ON PRODUCT ACTIVATION

Q: What exactly is product activation?
A: Before you can play "Two Worlds", you must enter a valid serial number when you start up the program. You'll find this in the Digipack, directly under the installation DVD. This serial number and the hardware screen of your PC are combined to produce a 16-digit activation number, which is transmitted to the activation server by means of the Internet or by telephone. The server confirms this number and activates "Two Worlds".

Q: Why activate the product?
A: Product activation is actually a form of copy protection which, in our opinion, hardly causes any problem at all. You don't have to keep the original DVD in your drive and no data disk reading problems can occur. It is also possible to create backup copies of the original DVD.

Q: Do I have to register?
A: No. Registration is only necessary if you've activated the game for more than 3 computer systems.

Q: What benefits does registering "Two Worlds" bring me?
A: As a 'thank you' from us, you'll receive a code for an exclusive ingame item by e-mail. In addition to this, we'll keep you informed about update by email.

Q: Can I sell or buy "Two Worlds" in a used condition?
A: Yes. If a used version is activated too often, you can call the activation hotline and speak to a team member, who will then activate the version for you.

Q: In a few years, the support for Two Worlds might no longer exist - this would make activation impossible - so how can I keep playing the game then?
A: If activation isn't possible from a technical standpoint (or for any other reasons) in a few years' time, we'll make a patch available for you - well before that time comes!

Q: What data is transferred from my PC during online activation?
A: Only a 16-digit activation number is transferred - and a 16-digit activation switching code is sent back to your PC. This number contains parts of the serial number. No personal data is transmitted; unless you decide to register.

Q: Can I rent "Two Worlds" in the video stores?
A: No. Fundamentally, commercial lending of the sales versions of our games is not permitted.

Q: How often can I (or must I) activate one version on different computers (e.g. notebook and stand-alone PC)?
A: Without changing your hardware, as often as you want. With a hardware change - 3 times online, or by telephone without having to register. You'll need to register the 4th time. For further activations, which are fundamentally possible, you'll need to contact Zuxxez personally. As long as it's the same user or the buyer of a second-hand version, an activation code will be provided.

Q: What happens if I want to sell my game? Can the buyer register this same version again, or activate it again?
A: Yes. If 4 hardware changes have taken place, the new customer has to call the Hotline and inform them that he or she has bought this version second-hand. The activation will be reset and the product can be activated again. In this case, it's better to keep your receipt/proof of purchase.

Q: Does the game have to be reactivated with each new installation, or where can I re-enter the code I got in the confirmation mail?
A: You can activate the game as often as you want, as long as you have the same hardware configuration. Or can I re-enter the code I already have (because it doesn't change)? Select "Activate by Telephone" - but don't make a call - just enter the code you already have.

Q: How often can I activate "Two Worlds" in one day?
A: As often as you want - as long as the hardware stays the same.

Q: I often re-install my operating system. Do I have to activate each time I do this?
A: Yes, after every new installation you must reactivate the game - however, your old activation code will work here too - but only if the hardware hasn't changed - and of course you can simply reactivate via the Internet each time. That's much easier than looking for the code and painstakingly entering it.

Q: During telephone activation, do I have to use my personal data - and if so, what kind of personal data?
A: No. You'll only have to register if there's been a 3x hardware change (which negates activation, of course).

Q: In Multiplayer Mode, does each player need an individual full version with its own code?
A: Yes. Each version playing simultaneously in a MP game must have its own individual serial number.

Q: What happens if I lend my game to a friend and he activates this version?
A: Then the active version will be located on your friend's PC. If you want to reactivate your game on your own PC at a later point in time, just give us a call and explain the situation.

Q: May I also install, and activate, "Two Worlds" on my notebook?
A: As long as you don't use both games at once, we don't mind.

Q: May I make a back-up copy of "Two Worlds"?
A: Yes. If you don't let all your friends and relatives have it - why not - but it has to be just that - a back-up copy, only for emergencies!

[MysterD]

Over 22 Hours Into The SP Component...
So, yeah -- I've really sunk some time into this thing, to say the least, the past week and a half or so.

Performance gets worse, as you get further along -- namely, some of the bigger cities are WAY more hustle and bustle, loaded w/ loads of people on screen and things going on. It really killed the decent framerate I had going w/ 800x600 w/ most settings at half; killing the framerate to around 8-15 FPS in the city! Ick!

Dropping the res' to 640x480 and turning water reflections off was the only thing I could do, to keep the framerate decent, keeping it above 25 FPS when it hustle and bustle cities w/ lots of people on-screen and lots of stuff happening on-screen. When outside of the city, even outdoors now, I'm always around 30 FPS or more. So, that's good.

Main Quest Spoilers

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Namely, the Main Quest is this -- get all 5 pieces of The Relic so you can rebuild The Relic AND the kidnappers will, in exchange, give your sister back; well, you hope they will. Dunno if they do or not; ain't got that far. Even the main character's skeptical of that, early on -- once you are given the proposition by the kidnapper. So far, I got 3 of the pieces, so far.

So, I'm well on my way to finding out...

More On Questing
There have been some more of those good decision-making quests, where you have to side w/ Faction A, B, or C. Often, you will need to do sort of side quests, namely to stack your reputation up w/ a certain group, so that you do a Faction Quest. Often, these Faction Quests can lead their way into you getting closer to your goal of finishing parts of the Main Quest.

For example, Skeldon Vs. Karga Quest-Line...SPOILERS

(click to show/hide)

You see one of the pieces of The Relic, in Karga Camp. Problem -- gate to The Treasure where it is held is locked shut. So, you'd have either side w/ The Camp and do their quest-line to stack up your rep, so you can see their Leader. Then, you can side w/ their leader -- and if you do, he'll give you the key to the gate; that's what I did.

I didn't take the other side, in which is House Skeldon is their enemy -- I'm guessing you'd have to wipe out Karga, to get the key from Karga's Leader. I opposed House Skeldon and completed some "other" optional side quest; rescued a girl from Skeldon's prison (one of the side quests from some dude from The Karga side), which infuriated the Skeldon leader and killed my rep with Skeldon. So, Skeldon's leader attacked me, so I killed their leader, in self-defense. Funny part -- right in the House Skeldon's Camp, this happened. So, only his main guards attacked me; not any of the lower class people; they didn't care -- since many of the Skeldon members really don't care for him, anyways.

There are some side quests that don't bleed their into other Quests -- they just stand on their own, having no reputation gains or losses to them at all; they're just side quests. But often, taking certain side optional quests are good b/c they are also an optional piece that is close or eventually right on the pathline of either a Faction Quest or Main Quest, so it's best to take as many quests as you can, at once...

It's really a shame that the framerate and in-game performance is lacking in 800x600 and above, as this is really my biggest gripe w/ what otherwise is a great game. The voice-acting being on and off is really not much of an issue, when compared to the framerate/performance issues.

[MysterD]

Single Player Part = DONE!
Finished it earlier today. Took almost 30 hours to take the Single Player portion down.

There's two endings to the game -- seen 'em both; the good and evil endings. Depending on which side you take at the very very end, w/ whom you fight the final battle with AND the final ending is different.

The Evil path is a much harder battle, I actually should note; probably 4-5 times harder than the Good path's final battle.

So yes, I liked the SP. It was good, despite its performance issues -- which I cited above.