Tyranny

 PC
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 665 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 472 out of 665
  2. Mixed: 109 out of 665
  3. Negative: 84 out of 665

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  1. stratioti
    Nov 10, 2016
    10
    So far a very sophisticated piece of game!
    If you just liked Pillars of Eternity you will LOVE Tyranny!

    Prerequisite is to have some evil in you. ;)
  2. Blenderhead
    Aug 2, 2017
    8
    Make no mistake this is a University level RPG game. If you haven't played an isometric RPG before, I wouldn't advise starting with Tyranny.

    First the bad stuff. The game has some rough spots, many of them technical. However, if you've played an Obsidian (or Troika. Or Interplay) RPG before, you know to expect this. The ending is very sudden--you prepare to go into battle and the    Make no mistake this is a University level RPG game. If you haven't played an isometric RPG before, I wouldn't advise starting with Tyranny.

    First the bad stuff. The game has some rough spots, many of them technical. However, if you've played an Obsidian (or Troika. Or Interplay) RPG before, you know to expect this. The ending is very sudden--you prepare to go into battle and the credits roll instead. The voice acting is very sparse. Few characters have any voice acting, and I don't recall any character who is 100% voiced. This gets most jarring when speaking with a party member who weaves in and out of being voiced as you change subjects. This creates kind of a spoiler effect, as you'll quickly learn that any character who is voiced upon initial contact is either a recruitable party member or Archon (in one case, both). Also, this game in involves *a lot* of reading. I wasn't bothered by this, but I see other user reviews that were. Lastly, some of the boss fights feel kind of cheap, either through unjustified immunities ("He's immune to stuns because you fight him alone and could just stunlock him" is unsatisfying for a game with such deep lore) or unintuitive recovery mechanics (I had to wiki what makes the Havoc suddenly revert to full health).

    Now the good stuff. This game feels like a reconstruction of the isometric RPG games that fell out of favor in the early 2000s. Combat is satisfying and the writing is excellent. This game handles moral choices in a way that seems much more realistic than usual. For example, in BioShock, you can harvest the Little Sister for a big reward now, or you can spare her for a small reward now and a much bigger one later. In Tyranny, doing good is hard, much like in the real world. You can burn the village as you were ordered to and receive the promised payment from the Archon, or you can spare it and earn the Archon's wrath for disobeying his direct order. Choices are more meaningful because you have to weigh your conscience against your rewards, as well as whether you have the resources necessary to start a fight over what you're doing with a powerful potential enemy. All the major factions are nuanced and have things to like and dislike about them--the Disfavored are disciplined but closed-minded and wasteful, the Scarlet Chorus are accepting but brutish, and the Tiersmen are idealistic but untrustworthy.

    Combat is much improved over Pillars of Eternity. Drastically fewer abilities are "once per rest." I often felt like Pillars wanted me to use per-encounter abilities and basic attacks primarily, only falling back on my class's actual specialization when necessary. In contrast, most abilities in Tyranny can be used at will once their cooldown is over. This makes it feel like builds actually matter, since you're actually deploying your handful of abilities in every fight. The modular spell system is also really flexible and probably my single favorite mechanic.

    I have heard complaints about the game's length. This game has so many branches that it should be pretty clear it's meant to be played more than once. Also, don't be surprised if it takes you 45 minutes to create your first character, given the "Conquest" prologue.

    Overall, I was satisfied with this game. It plays with the concept of good and evil and your choices mattering in ways that a lot of AAA games aren't willing to. Some choices are admittedly less impactful than others, but a great many of them make meaningful changes to the world of Terratus. The game is cerebral, but if you weren't expecting that from an isometric RPG, that's kind of on you.    … Expand
  3. gir1000
    Jun 3, 2017
    8
    After successfully completing two playthroughs I feel confident in giving my opinion on the overall quality of the game. While for me personally it has slowly become one of my top ten games, there are some flaws that would be dishonest for me to ignore. So first off, let's cover what works in this game and the features that the average player will enjoy.

    The setting: Many have    After successfully completing two playthroughs I feel confident in giving my opinion on the overall quality of the game. While for me personally it has slowly become one of my top ten games, there are some flaws that would be dishonest for me to ignore. So first off, let's cover what works in this game and the features that the average player will enjoy.

    The setting: Many have commented on the uniqueness of the setting, as it has a very late bronze age feel to it. Eschewing the atypical late middle ages trappings of most modern RPGs, the geography of the tiers and its corresponding civilizations does add a lot to the game.

    Music: I personally loved the soundtrack. The music exponentially adds to the emotional tone of the game and find myself listening to it frequently. Very well composed and congruent with atmosphere the developers are trying to create.

    Story: You'll notice that this aspect will also be in the flaws section. While it may seem contradictory, just know for now that the story at its core is excellent. From the first act where you choose the flow of the overall war, to recruiting a myriad of companions who (Kills-in-Shadows not withstanding) are all excellently crafted and fleshed out. From the fearless and blood lusting Verse, to the forever iron bound Barik, or the young but devastatingly powerful Siren, the majority of the companions you find are exceptionally constructed characters. The loyalty of the characters can be lost or gained but the reasons for each one are consistent in the sense of staying loyal to the writing. The majority of people you encounter and the choices you are presented with, do seem to carry weight. The premise of being a villain protagonist is fascinating and really drives your play style. Whether you choose Machiavellian fascist you wishes to impose order at all costs or become a monster reminiscent of Ramsay Bolton, you'll find a dark but unique journey into the realm of villainy.

    Now for the flaws:

    Text vs voice overs: Having grown up right at the time when RPGs were moving from walls of texts to fully voiced characters, I personally do not mind the amount of text in this game. That said, if Planescape Torment or the original Fallout games turned you off with the amount of reading necessary to get through even basic NPC encounters, this wont be your cup of tea.

    Combat: Personally I had no problems with the combat While it is a bit more streamlined and the difficulty has been toned down, I spent the majority of both playthroughs enjoying myself immensely. However, there is a definitely a balance issue. The game seems to favor being a brawler as magic or archer builds take substantially longer to reach a point where combat feels fun instead of being a chore.

    Finally the story is the biggest flaw. Not the premise or the characters but the presentation. The opening act is superb and the rest of the game is very solid. The various factions are unique though all of them often venture into the eye-rolling territory of lawful stupid or chaotic stupid. For the most part though, the lesser parts of the narrative are at least passable. The choices you make also seem to carry impact at first, with some of them being downright discomforting on a personal level. Then, without giving anything away, you are streamlined into one path. The majority of your choices cease to matter and the final act of the game is so short and unsatisfying, that it is hard to believe any explanation other than they launched the a great deal of unfinished content.

    Verdict/ TLDR: A fun rpg that is definitely worth at least 1 playthrough, but given the story flaws, seemingly missing ending, and lack of balance with combat, it is not worth buying at full price. If you have money to spare then by all means pick up a copy. But if like many of us you are on a budget and have to choose games carefully, wait until the almost $50.00 price tag is permanently cut in half or there is a substantial sale on the game. 8/10: fun but flawed    … Expand
  4. Celeborth
    Jan 16, 2017
    10
    Next amazing game from Obsidian,
    The only thing that for me is kind of upsetting is that I cannot enter all areas in one play if I take particular choices. But apart from that, amazing combat and lore (really great job in storytelling and creating brand new universe). Obsidian bases heavily on their PoE engine and mechanics, I can see a lot of content being reused which is great - no    Next amazing game from Obsidian,
    The only thing that for me is kind of upsetting is that I cannot enter all areas in one play if I take particular choices. But apart from that, amazing combat and lore (really great job in storytelling and creating brand new universe). Obsidian bases heavily on their PoE engine and mechanics, I can see a lot of content being reused which is great - no point in reinventing the wheel. One minor drawback is that of the game being kind of too short (what I mean is that we can clearly see where the game could have been easily continued if Obsidian spent more money on the game). Anyway great game, and worth money and time.    … Expand
  5. Rilke21
    Dec 24, 2017
    8
    This review comes after 57 hours and two full plays through the game.

    The Good: -excellent writing, great story -interesting and fun combat mechanics -great music -good art The Bad: -short, and wee bit anticlimactic -oddly easy in the midgame (even on POTD) I'll say off the bat that the path you choose to play will greatly influence your experience of this game. I allied    This review comes after 57 hours and two full plays through the game.

    The Good:
    -excellent writing, great story
    -interesting and fun combat mechanics
    -great music
    -good art

    The Bad:
    -short, and wee bit anticlimactic
    -oddly easy in the midgame (even on POTD)

    I'll say off the bat that the path you choose to play will greatly influence your experience of this game. I allied with the Disfavoured on my first play, and took the Rebel Alliance path on my second...I FAR preferred the rebel path.

    Tyranny's greatest disappointment is oddly also one off its strengths: the game is short, maxing out at 30 hours on a completionist run. However, this allows for great flexibility in the game paths you can take, and excellent replayability as a result. I had plenty more fun on my second run, and I'm looking forward to starting a solo character for my third.

    If you liked Pillars of Eternity (I loved it myself), you should not hesitate to pick up Tyranny. But. as I mentioned in my Pillars review, if you don't have patience for reading dialogue and don't feel like using your imagination, stay away from this game.    … Expand
  6. T-Opel
    Mar 10, 2017
    10
    Tyranny is a great game that I can definitely recommend.

    The gameplay is based on Pillars of Eternity, but it is a bit tweaked up and feels more similar to Dragon Age: Origins, which I really liked. It allows pre-buffs, your character has 6 skill trees from which he/she can pick skills, and the other members of your party have their own unique trees. I was also much more engaged in    Tyranny is a great game that I can definitely recommend.

    The gameplay is based on Pillars of Eternity, but it is a bit tweaked up and feels more similar to Dragon Age: Origins, which I really liked. It allows pre-buffs, your character has 6 skill trees from which he/she can pick skills, and the other members of your party have their own unique trees.

    I was also much more engaged in the story and actually cared about other party members more than in PoE. While you are in the world where the evil side had won, don’t let that fool you. Even though you can pick one of the more or less evil main factions in the game, there is also an option to revolt and side with the rebels, and you can do much good even in this troubled world.

    What really stands out though is the replay value. Depending on which side you choose and what choices you make, you get to explore different areas and the story unfolds differently. This really makes want to experience the game again with a different faction.

    There is a LOT of text in this game, and the total play time will highly depend on whether you want to read everything or not. Personally, I found most of the text very interesting I was glad to learn more about the world, so my first play through took almost 40 hours. This really depends on the difficulty you set, the amount of text you want to read and whether you want to complete only the main story without side-quests.    … Expand
  7. sprocket64
    Dec 21, 2016
    9
    This game is the best CRPG since Baldur's Gate 2! It really grabbed me and kept me interested to the end. If there was ever a case for an episodic RPG - this is it!
    Did no one else notice the similarities to the Malazan Book of the Fallen? Kyros and Bleden Mark - Kelanved and Dancer, Archons - Ascendants, Scarlet Chorus - Malazan Marines etc...
    Great characters and companions but if I    This game is the best CRPG since Baldur's Gate 2! It really grabbed me and kept me interested to the end. If there was ever a case for an episodic RPG - this is it!
    Did no one else notice the similarities to the Malazan Book of the Fallen? Kyros and Bleden Mark - Kelanved and Dancer, Archons - Ascendants, Scarlet Chorus - Malazan Marines etc...
    Great characters and companions but if I had one complaint it is that Obsidian seems squeamish when it comes to deep characterization/relationships - one of the reasons BG 2 is superior. The companions end up a little flat. Here's hoping Obsidian takes it to the next level!    … Expand
  8. ZaPaAl
    Dec 12, 2016
    8
    Quite a fun, if smaller, game with a fresh story and lot's of dialog. Choices really have an impact here. Combat and Gameplay held my interest. Nicely done visuals. Could have had more enemy types and more equipment to have something to aim for. At the end it was basically all just for selling.

    I don't think I would have needed the spires and their upgrades. Although nice things can be    Quite a fun, if smaller, game with a fresh story and lot's of dialog. Choices really have an impact here. Combat and Gameplay held my interest. Nicely done visuals. Could have had more enemy types and more equipment to have something to aim for. At the end it was basically all just for selling.

    I don't think I would have needed the spires and their upgrades. Although nice things can be created or upgraded there, I had so many artifacts to choose from, that I had difficulties deciding what to keep and I had tons of iron, but nothing to use it on. Game has the same unity engine then Pillars, with lengthy loading times.

    I played as caster, which get's very powerful. Difficulty got totally lost on highest difficulty setting with 2 casters (cloth) and 2 unorthodox (light and heavy) tanks. To properly use all the heaps of heavy armor taking a tank character would have probably been the better choice. Ending was ok (I got a quite good ending), but this story is clearly built for a series of games. No romance, and no uber epic story line so it's not baldur's gate, but it is a nice little offspring.    … Expand
  9. FearAndLoathing
    Nov 21, 2016
    8
    As a big fan of classic RPG's, and someone who thoroughly enjoyed Pillars of Eternity, I went into this game with similar expectations. Ultimately, I felt that it was a very enjoyable trip into a thought provoking world. The first and second acts felt flushed out and complete, the third act was essentially removed from development making the end feel entirely too quick and to a certainAs a big fan of classic RPG's, and someone who thoroughly enjoyed Pillars of Eternity, I went into this game with similar expectations. Ultimately, I felt that it was a very enjoyable trip into a thought provoking world. The first and second acts felt flushed out and complete, the third act was essentially removed from development making the end feel entirely too quick and to a certain degree left you with an expansion-pack cliffhanger that was rather unsatisfying because it pertained to the primary story arc.

    Some bullet point thoughts
    - Good story, thought provoking world
    - Decisions and factions were meaningfully influenced
    - The game that follows the primary story arc in a linear manner, making decisions at point A dispositive for decisions in point B.
    - Wrath/Loyalty bars are determined separately, decreasing the kind of hard choices the game seems to want to force.
    - Lots of gear, but very few real decisions related to it
    - Great spell creation system

    Overall: Definitely worth playing, particularly if you like classic RPGs. Hopefully an expansion will flush out the ending, which as it stands is too short. Would have liked it to be more open-ended and non-linear, in general.    … Expand
  10. Smilingcookie
    Jan 12, 2017
    8
    Interesting game, but it has some flaws.

    For a game that sells itself based on choice & consequence, it could have done more. The Prologue and Act I are brilliant. Then Act II simply acts out choices you took in act I. Act III forms a conclusion where you have some choice, but not as many as I would have liked. After picking my alliances I got a few options to betray them at key moments    Interesting game, but it has some flaws.

    For a game that sells itself based on choice & consequence, it could have done more. The Prologue and Act I are brilliant. Then Act II simply acts out choices you took in act I. Act III forms a conclusion where you have some choice, but not as many as I would have liked. After picking my alliances I got a few options to betray them at key moments in the game, but at certain other key moments I didn't anymore. This felt a bit restraining. Further, your main alliance will define how other factions will be looking to you and this didn't feel natural. Even after I help a faction with everything I can, they fight me because of whom I'm allied with.

    In style and feeling it's a bit closer to planescape torment than Pillars of Eternity was. From all the old classics it feels closest to that one. Which is a good thing although it doesn't manage to reach Torment's level.

    Very interesting spellsystem with a lot of customization. Combat is ok but not great. The good thing about it is it doesn't distract too much from the story.

    Character building was not that interesting since "lore" was by far more interesting than other options in that it provides more options during dialogues. Lore is in Torment what wisdom was in Planescape Torment: the go to stat.

    Good game, I enjoyed it a lot, but not good enough to be replaying it.    … Expand
  11. Derf3L
    Dec 10, 2016
    8
    Tyranny is a solid isometric RPG, which is easily comparable to Pillars of Eternity.
    The game has the usual isometric and slightly outdated graphics. The settings remind of the Age of Bronze era. There is very little "fantasy" in the game, as most enemies are humans, with few exceptions. Forget about dragons and elves.. but still pretty captivating as it's not a common atmosphere in RPG    Tyranny is a solid isometric RPG, which is easily comparable to Pillars of Eternity.
    The game has the usual isometric and slightly outdated graphics. The settings remind of the Age of Bronze era. There is very little "fantasy" in the game, as most enemies are humans, with few exceptions. Forget about dragons and elves.. but still pretty captivating as it's not a common atmosphere in RPG games.

    The choices you make through the game totally change the outcome of your playthrough, making it very personalized. I must say the factions reputations system works very good: you are always aware of the effects of your choices and you can keep track of your reputations against any group or companion in the game.
    I believe the story is very good and it's not true you are the "evil" character, as you can take very "good person" choices to mould your story. It's just that you are in a war, therefore there won't be easy situations to solve..

    The combat is fun, they added combos with your party members, but it has less skills compared to PoE. Also keeping only 4 people in the party can be a bit limiting in terms of strategy. Overall I would say PoE combat was better.

    What dragged me down a bit was the companions: the dialogues with them are very limited because you basically have the same round of questions for each of them, with no real personalization. Also no side quests for companions...

    As I said, the game is very solid and, despite the abrupt ending, I must say it's one of the top games released in 2016    … Expand
  12. likevin96
    Dec 28, 2016
    8
    True Score: 8.1

    Pros: - Masterful world building - Steady drip of lore - Conquest mode as the prologue is genius. Really gets you into the game without doing much. - Interesting to play as the actual bad guy - Spell system is novel Cons: - Combat is awful. Actively unfun to play. Your attacks rarely seem to have weight behind them and it always feel like a mess. -    True Score: 8.1

    Pros:
    - Masterful world building
    - Steady drip of lore
    - Conquest mode as the prologue is genius. Really gets you into the game without doing much.
    - Interesting to play as the actual bad guy
    - Spell system is novel

    Cons:
    - Combat is awful. Actively unfun to play. Your attacks rarely seem to have weight behind them and it always feel like a mess.
    - Occasional lore dumps
    - Most party members are not that interesting
    - Not enough variation in equipment    … Expand
  13. EisenKreutzer
    Nov 14, 2016
    9
    Tyranny, the latest Obsidian RPG experience. And it is an experience.
    The story is fresh, fascinating and engaging. I love the world of Terratus, the amount of effort and dedication that went into the worldbuilding for this game is just breathtaking.
    I love playing as the bad guy, because in Tyranny, I get to choose what kind of bad guy I am. Bloodthirsty and ruthless? Cold and    Tyranny, the latest Obsidian RPG experience. And it is an experience.
    The story is fresh, fascinating and engaging. I love the world of Terratus, the amount of effort and dedication that went into the worldbuilding for this game is just breathtaking.

    I love playing as the bad guy, because in Tyranny, I get to choose what kind of bad guy I am. Bloodthirsty and ruthless? Cold and practical? Reluctant? Unwilling to be a bad guy at all? All valid choices.

    Choice stands at the heart of what Tyranny is. The choices you make in this game will quite literally shape your entire playthrough. There is content you will not see during your first playthrough. Whole quest-lines, important NPCs, even areas of the map, that you will just not get to experience because of the choices you make.
    And thats fine. In fact, it's excellent! Because Tyranny is made to be replayed.

    Tyranny gets a lot of flak for not being long enough, or not having enough exploration, not being an open world, not having an endless dungeon like PIllars of Eternity had and other things. It gets compared to Pillars of Eternity, which is fair since Pillars was built on the same engine by the same people.
    But Tyranny is a very different game.

    The thing about Tyranny is that it is an intensely focused experience.
    Pillars of Eternity is a grand, sweeping story. It plays out over a long time frame (I spent 114 hours completing my first playthrough), and it takes a long time to build tension and drama.
    Tyranny, by contrast, is much more narrow in scope. Tyranny is built with a pin-prick focus, it is the scalpel to Pillars of Eternitys hammer. The thing that defines Tyranny is your choices. The choices you make dictate what quests you get, what options will be available to you in the ongoing story and ultimately how the game ends. In Pillars, no matter how you play the game you will always end up following the same path. Tyranny has multiple paths, many of which exclude one another, and it all depends on player choice, You have immense agency in Tyranny, because your choices literally shape your playthrough.

    Is it a traditional western CRPG? No. It has most of the trappings, but it's substance is entirely different.
    Tyranny is a game about choices. It is masterfully designed and built, and offers hours of rich gameplay spread out over multiple vastly different playthroughs.

    It's not flawless, but it is brilliant. 9/10    … Expand
  14. username1222
    Apr 5, 2017
    8
    A great game but ultimately falls short of my expectations. The start is very strong allowing you to be as evil as you like (it's the theme of the game, evil has overtaken the land) but then you get into a tedious series of fights with combat mechanics that STILL do not manage to rise to the level of complexity of a game like BG2SoA almost 20 years later. The spells are crafted by you, aA great game but ultimately falls short of my expectations. The start is very strong allowing you to be as evil as you like (it's the theme of the game, evil has overtaken the land) but then you get into a tedious series of fights with combat mechanics that STILL do not manage to rise to the level of complexity of a game like BG2SoA almost 20 years later. The spells are crafted by you, a false good idea as ultimately it's tedious and unnecessary. There are no amazing spells like conjure a demon from hell like there were in BG2 just fire, ice, etc.

    The map is gorgeous and the background and characters are well rendered and animated. The story unfortunately cuts of at what should be the end of Act 1. The second half of the game is missing and covered by a "video scene" explaining what happens with slides.

    Choice has some impact on who's alive and who's dead but beyond that it's a long corridor and what you do doesn't impact the narrative, just what town is left standing, what character is dead or serving you.

    A solid game and hours of fun, I recommend buying it. Not a masterpiece tho.    … Expand
  15. Harpasa
    Mar 8, 2017
    8
    +High quality text and dialogues. -Has some optimization problems.
    +Above avarage characters. -Can be boring for action rpg players.
    +Very good story telling.
    Conclusion: If u like Planescape: Torment etc. its a great game for you. If you dont , do not buy this game.
    Enjoy.
  16. ExpertPL
    Dec 11, 2016
    9
    Great RPG. Has a unique storyline. The engine is the same as in Pillars of Eternity. I love how the game very seriously shows what could happen if some evil Overlord would take over a continent. It's not "evil" like in cartoons or something, it's evil with shades of grey, moral problems etc.

    I like how the game plot is concentrated, it almost feel rushed, like for example movie    Great RPG. Has a unique storyline. The engine is the same as in Pillars of Eternity. I love how the game very seriously shows what could happen if some evil Overlord would take over a continent. It's not "evil" like in cartoons or something, it's evil with shades of grey, moral problems etc.

    I like how the game plot is concentrated, it almost feel rushed, like for example movie adaptations of books, but the difference being that this "adaptation" is actually 40 hours long (my play time).

    The addition of the Conquest at the beginning of the game is by far the best new thing in the concept of retro RPGs. It's something that should have been implemented many years ago, in times of Baldur's Gates and first Fallouts. The choices aren't exactly game-changers but it's an easy way of introducing player to the game world and showing his role in it.

    The "hyperlinks" are another great thing added into the game. From the first moments in the game, characters speak using in-world proverbs and refer to the events that the player may not be aware of, if so, the only thing you need to do is to hover over the sentence and the game gives you a brief description of what it is about and to what it is a reference.

    I like how the game shows big game of politics, diplomacy and law enforcement instead of a typical for RPGs adventure type character.

    The 4 paths that player can choose to follow are also good, but it's sad that they don't really affect the final act which always is the same.

    I can't shake the feeling that the developers had different idea for the whole concept of the game during the development of it as first Act works as a prologue, that is very detailed, that shows you just one small area of the game, the second Act forces you to go from one area to the other, not even tries to tell a detailed story of any of the areas, where in third and last Act there are no side quests, no lore dialogues, but just final boss fights (if you can call them that way), making the final Act look like some action game with really poor plot. I would definitely prefer all acts to work as the first one, which I consider the best of them all.    … Expand
  17. lagrie
    Mar 4, 2017
    8
    Tyranny isnt a bad Crpg and tries to be a more story based type game. The story itself is wel written and the characters are wel done. The world is interesting. But the choises arent always that deep... or have enough options. Its a must play for crpg fans, but dont expect a baldurs gate or Planescape.
  18. Soujirop
    Nov 19, 2016
    8
    So after playing it for 40 hours, I’m ready to review!

    Tyranny plays and feels pretty much like Pillars of Eternity, this is, like a modern unity engine game. The graphics are ok and slightly cartoonish which works well with the overall intention of the gameplay and the story to create a more straight-to-the-point, action-driven adventure. Artistic direction is a bit disappointing even    So after playing it for 40 hours, I’m ready to review!

    Tyranny plays and feels pretty much like Pillars of Eternity, this is, like a modern unity engine game. The graphics are ok and slightly cartoonish which works well with the overall intention of the gameplay and the story to create a more straight-to-the-point, action-driven adventure. Artistic direction is a bit disappointing even though the setting tries to be original running from middle-ages to a more iron-age, but environments are still pretty standard, sometimes repetitive, usually pretty small and lower in number unlike in others cRPGs.

    The music I believe is more noticeable and overall better played than the environment graphical design.
    As I said, gameplay is more action-oriented than Pillars, which imo is great. Everything is more flashy, dynamic, and innovative. For example there’s a spell crafting system, classes have skill trees, characters train skills by using them and not only by assigning points when leveling up, main character has unique combined skills with party members, etc. All these additions make the overly used and predictable cRPG combat style be fresh again.

    Another very good aspect of gameplay is how conversations are handled. In every conversation you will have many choices that have short, middle and long term effects. A lot of these choices vary depending on your skill level, your background, your actions during the game, etc. This kind of choices which make the game and story so fun to play, are very abundant, certainly many many magnitudes over Pillars of Eternity.

    So now the story. I’ll start saying the world of Terratus is indeed very interesting and you will quickly notice once the character creatior lets you shape (and play through) the backstory of your character. Lore is innovative and original, very entertaining and addictive to discover. I was conquered in the first couple of hours by this world at war and the mysterious Overlord Kyros that rules it. Being the fatebinder is, in all honesty, awesome, and my interest in the story never went down during the whole playthrough. Main quest is constantly there through important events, cut scenes, interesting conversations, etc. In so many other games you have this feeling of “I’m tired, I will save progress here”, which reveal main story just got a little too tedious. Never had this feeling with Tyranny.

    Party members are charismatic enough, they are entertaining to speak with and their stories are generally interesting. I really liked them all in a way, but sadly the game never lets you go deep enough with them. They clearly have less dialogue than in previous Obsidian games like Pillars, and they lack the typical side quests that reveal more about them. A pity that they are made so interesting in the surface, just for you to realize there’s not much under them.

    The ending was OK, but could have been better indeed. It was a bit rushed, predictable, not particularly epic, and very important points were left out of it. I was particularly annoyed by the fact that the mysteries surrounding the main character (you) never get to fully unravel. But the most important issue regarding the ending (in the negative aspect) is the lack of choice. In a game filled with choices, it is particularly ironic that the important closing event doesn’t offer any real variability, which also makes the "replay value" go down hill.

    Overall, Tyranny will be a very entertaining RPG experience, but one can not help but notice the spoiled opportunity to make this game the iconic cRPG it could have been.    … Expand
  19. GreyInvasion
    Nov 19, 2016
    10
    Tyranny is a true to heart Role playing experience, packed with choice. You'll have to replay it multiple times to see everything. Great story, and graphics, decent combat. Must Buy for RPG fans.
  20. supercagan
    Dec 18, 2016
    9
    I was pleasantly surprised by this game since Pillars of eternity was such a letdown.
    -Spell creation system is fantastic.
    -Choices you make till the end of the game matter. (but still no replayability...)
    -Good old school combat system.
  21. philb74
    Dec 12, 2016
    8
    I was excited to hear about this game from Obsidian/Paradox as I've enjoyed other titles they were involved in or made such as Pillars of Eternity. Also the concept sounded somewhat original and I was interested in how the choice making would progress throughout the game. I bought it on the release date and I've now had three play-throughs. Needless to say I really enjoyed it althoughI was excited to hear about this game from Obsidian/Paradox as I've enjoyed other titles they were involved in or made such as Pillars of Eternity. Also the concept sounded somewhat original and I was interested in how the choice making would progress throughout the game. I bought it on the release date and I've now had three play-throughs. Needless to say I really enjoyed it although it is not perfect.

    The combat is fun but not as varied or as tactical as pillars. There are not as many classes. The story is gripping and your choices matter a lot. There are essentially three factions you can align yourself with and missions will differ depending on which side you choose. The graphics are original but not fantastic - I was expecting slightly better. The loot is good with a number of powerful relics to collect and and upgrade system to improve weapons and armour. There are also some fun puzzles to solve but they are not overly complex and easily solvable if you search for the clues well.

    This biggest disappointment for me was the shortness of the campaign - I think it took me around 20 hours or less and I did as many side quests as I could find. I hope that any future expansions add at least the same playing time again. I'm giving this an eight score. It would have been a ten if they had added another ten hours gameplay to the game and another couple of classes.    … Expand
  22. Mandulum
    Mar 25, 2017
    8
    Five Word Review: Pure isometric RPG related joy.
    Favorite Thing: Really enjoyed the final chapter. It left me wanting a sequel. Also, the sense of choice in the game is excellent.
    Least Favorite Thing: My party members kept changing targets. I never did figure out why but it sure was annoying. Date Complete: 2017-03-20 Playtime: ~ 28h Enjoyment: 8/10 Recommendation: Yes. It    Five Word Review: Pure isometric RPG related joy.
    Favorite Thing: Really enjoyed the final chapter. It left me wanting a sequel. Also, the sense of choice in the game is excellent.
    Least Favorite Thing: My party members kept changing targets. I never did figure out why but it sure was annoying.

    Date Complete: 2017-03-20
    Playtime: ~ 28h
    Enjoyment: 8/10
    Recommendation: Yes. It doesn't break too much from the regular isometric RPG flavor but it's still quite enjoyable.    … Expand
  23. misiaczek
    Mar 30, 2017
    9
    I like the graphics, setting (no elves, dwarves and so on which is quite refreshing) and story(especially the different paths you can take and some paths being close by given choices). I think this the right direction for such games. Combat has very nice flow but the problem is that there is just too much combat. Other problem I've found is that most powerful items/abilities are acquiredI like the graphics, setting (no elves, dwarves and so on which is quite refreshing) and story(especially the different paths you can take and some paths being close by given choices). I think this the right direction for such games. Combat has very nice flow but the problem is that there is just too much combat. Other problem I've found is that most powerful items/abilities are acquired so late, that there are just few occasions to obliterate your enemies. Anyway I think it is a good game that lays foundation for next titles with same approach.… Expand
  24. DeusXCom
    Nov 30, 2016
    9
    After kind of a weak start, where you are thrown into things too fast, making decisions about things you don't know, dealing with things you don't care about (during my first day of playing I was heavily unimpressed with everything and it took some time to get me into it), Tyranny eventually turns into an amazing RPG experience.

    It's a perfect balance of dialogs and combat, there are    After kind of a weak start, where you are thrown into things too fast, making decisions about things you don't know, dealing with things you don't care about (during my first day of playing I was heavily unimpressed with everything and it took some time to get me into it), Tyranny eventually turns into an amazing RPG experience.

    It's a perfect balance of dialogs and combat, there are plenty of very nice innovations and changes, I loved the skill system, various reputations with factions and people in the world that unlocked additional skills. The Spire system was great. The combo abilities is a very nice touch.

    It's not as complex in terms of side quests and side activities as other similar rpgs, but that might have been for good this time, it's much more direct and focused on the main story which is really good and the entire journey is much more compact and to the point. A little short for an RPG and maybe a little too linear, but quality is always more important than quantity. Captivating story, interesting characters, nice unusual locations, smooth UI, it's all there.

    My only complaints aside from a weaker start, is the loot, which for a long time felt like tons of useless junk, especially in the first half and even later when you started to find some legendary items, they are often actually worse than that random junk that you found earlier. Another problem, that's starting to annoy me more and more in time is the lack of voice acting. Especially when some parts are voice acted and it works so well and suddenly a sentence later it's silent again. I know it's always been like this with these games, I know it's a question of budget, but come on, it's 2016 it's time to progress in this department. Also - no co-op multiplayer again :(

    On the other hand I was very pleasantly surprised, these rpgs tend to be very buggy and considering I started playing on release I was worried, but the game was updated with just 1 additional patch in the meantime and I haven't encountered any bugs whatsoever this time. I can't stress enough how important this is for your smooth gaming experience, not having to deal with bugs and I'm glad Obsidian took their time to polish and clean things up before release.

    Overall, excellent, unusual RPG that can easily rank among the best in recent years, not the top5, not legendary, but really really good. 9/10    … Expand
  25. DRITZZ_ZARCON
    Jan 15, 2017
    8
    OK, I just finished the game after about 20 odd hours of game play. It definitely has a different feel to pillars of eternity which i really enjoyed, although different it is still a very good game albeit not good enough to be a great game. Everything is of a decent quality although i felt some of the maps were too small, it needed more voice acting outside of the main characters, musicOK, I just finished the game after about 20 odd hours of game play. It definitely has a different feel to pillars of eternity which i really enjoyed, although different it is still a very good game albeit not good enough to be a great game. Everything is of a decent quality although i felt some of the maps were too small, it needed more voice acting outside of the main characters, music was good but not varied enough. I'd give it an 8 out of 10 as i played it through which meant i was captured enough and enjoyed the story. POE played out as a much bigger game in my opinion and the story was the more conventional hero thing, but i guess that's what they wanted with Tyranny. I'd definitely pay £20 for it but no more. I'm now waiting for Torment to come out in February to see how that compares.… Expand
  26. moonlight_shado
    Nov 23, 2016
    9
    Awesomeness! It's like Pillars of Eternity but with much more (for me at least) immersive world and mature story. Its an adult rpg, with Tons of text so it is not for hack and slashy game fans at all. It took me over 40h to complete the game, but i really read through every line of text. Those who finish in 15h simply didn't bother with the main core of the game at all. Pillars 2 can waitAwesomeness! It's like Pillars of Eternity but with much more (for me at least) immersive world and mature story. Its an adult rpg, with Tons of text so it is not for hack and slashy game fans at all. It took me over 40h to complete the game, but i really read through every line of text. Those who finish in 15h simply didn't bother with the main core of the game at all. Pillars 2 can wait i want Tyranny 2 or some decent expansion!!… Expand
  27. Cleglaw
    Nov 20, 2016
    9
    pros:

    -innovations in this one, makes my acctual scoring to go higher. i mean quality of life innovations, they are so good. i can list them but honsetly there are too many of them to list and it will just make a wall of text. trust me on this, they have really great innovation here and there. -spellcrafting is best i ve ever seen, its so fun, so creative and so progressive in    pros:

    -innovations in this one, makes my acctual scoring to go higher. i mean quality of life innovations, they are so good. i can list them but honsetly there are too many of them to list and it will just make a wall of text. trust me on this, they have really great innovation here and there.

    -spellcrafting is best i ve ever seen, its so fun, so creative and so progressive in gameplay feel.

    graphics look really nice, animations look really great.

    -story and dialogue depth is super good and well written to hook you up hours and hours. i found myself drinking coffe and reading texts non-stop for 2 hours.

    -leveling and skilling system is not confusing yet still deep enough to satisfy. you dont struggle to get what does what like in pillars of eternity. diving in, understanding in, is easy, confy yet beatiful.

    -acctual gameplay is not short if you are like me, a guy who is exploring and diving in story. 3 full days of playing still didnt finished it... and i can totally see playing it for 2nd time after seeing so many possible choices... i mean i just realised i killed a compainon.

    cons:
    -area of affect spell or abilites, doesnt have any kind of friendly fire. this was a important part of RPGs.

    -group size is 4, which felt few to me. 6 is much better for diversity, comboes.. for like.. everything, 6 is better then 4.

    -it doesnt make sense to start the game as a level 1 player with no coins. our character is taking part in 3 years conquest before starting game.

    conclusion: this game is a must try for people who like RPG genre.    … Expand
  28. DerBomber
    Mar 3, 2018
    9
    This game is really contained, no bloated open world riddled with fetch quests. This means the game is quite short for an RPG, but most of the time spent in the game concerns important or interesting stuff. Choices you make are very important to the story, but also play out in a way that is logical and consistent with the game world and lore.
  29. jcolin
    Dec 6, 2016
    9
    If you enjoy CRPGS or Pillars of Eternity, you will enjoy this. The setting a plot are interesting and unique. There are no classes and skills are increased in an Elder Scrolls manner; they improve as you use them. This allows for an incredible amount of customization and freedom of development. A few qualms prevent this game from getting a perfect score from me. The game is too short, theIf you enjoy CRPGS or Pillars of Eternity, you will enjoy this. The setting a plot are interesting and unique. There are no classes and skills are increased in an Elder Scrolls manner; they improve as you use them. This allows for an incredible amount of customization and freedom of development. A few qualms prevent this game from getting a perfect score from me. The game is too short, the companions are too few and don't really have much to them in terms of development and there is no romance.… Expand
  30. RagingPoet
    Nov 2, 2017
    9
    Tyranny is better than Pillars of Eternity in almost every aspect, and PoE was a pretty good game already. One of the best experiences of playing 'Evil' protagonist ever made in videogames
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Awards & Rankings

71
#71 Best PC Game of 2016
34
#34 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
37
#37 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 67 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 54 out of 67
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 67
  3. Negative: 0 out of 67
  1. RPGamer
    Apr 4, 2017
    70
    Tyranny, is fun little throwback to an older style of game. It does it well and it does it without having to cash in on a particular brand or nostalgic sentiment. It presents a brand new world in a compelling and understandable way. It showcases a much more nuanced take on being the bad guy than games tend to do. I found myself reminded more of Unrest than Baldur's Gate while playing this game and that is a good thing.
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  2. PLAY! Zine
    Feb 20, 2017
    90
    If you are tired of same old fantasy setting in RPGs, you will absolutely fall in love with Tyranny. Another great isometric RPG from Obsidian.
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  3. games(TM)
    Jan 27, 2017
    80
    It may sound like the weight of the game’s criticism lies too heavily on its story, but that’s where Obsidian has decided to focus its efforts. It doesn’t do anything to ultimately spoil what is a great classic-style RPG, and should be considered if you enjoyed Pillars Of Eternity but wouldn’t consider classic RPGs your typical sort of gaming experience.
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