Feedback from a 3000+ hr TQ1 player

[verbal tundra]

I'll start this monologue by noting I know enough about game design to know what can, and cannot be changed at this point in the games development cycle, and I've tried to keep my remarks within this purview.
I have around 3000-4000 hours played in the original TQ, I could speak at length about my experience about that game of course, but I only make the note of this to buttress the points I will touch on herein. I do not review games ever, so forgive the haphhazard formatting.

Also, please note that for the sake of brevity, I am only really going to comment on what I think falls short, if something is not mentioned (Eg, teleport QoL changes, better animations, better enemy design, etc, etc) then I probably either like and wouldn't change, or love it.

I am on a 7900xtx, and a 7900X3D

**Regarding graphics and performance, **

Developing on the Unreal Engine is always a decision, but I do think the dev team have played to the engines strengths for the most part. Graphical fidelity is high in all the right places, without, I believe, losing the original title's aesthetic sensibilities.

• In terms of visuals in general, I would only recommend tweaking the overall sharpness and color balance of the game and quizzing playtesters early on in testing in regards to this, as it is initially extremely visually saturated and the noise is quite extreme.
• I would also like to note some very obvious aliasing issues with mipmapping/moire patterns that are immediately evident in beach textures. If anyone has wondered what that strange "scanning" effect is within the textures, that's to do with aliasing. Less obnoxious with upscaling, which leads me to my next point:

Cont. in comments.

• You'll have heard this hundreds of times, so I'll touch on it briefly. I accept that I receive the AMD nerf, but on my architecture, 35fps is unacceptable at max graphics. FSR increases this to 130 easily, and using it doesnt particularly bother me, but purists will bleat and wail about it, which I would prefer to not bring the steam score down.

Regarding combat, movement,

• In general, I would say combat is much better. I am not so painfully autistic that I cannot see that even through my 3000 hour sheen. I enjoy the flashiness, I enjoy the visual feedback of abilities, I enjoy the dodge mechanic and feel it is welcome enough. However,
• In general class fantasies feel incomplete. I will need to monologue on this at length, but I think the core of this issue is actually the Shield ability:
  The shield is, bluntly, a crutch. It is anonymous and fits no particular classes fantasy. A mechanic as mandatory as this one aught to be uniquely built in to each class. Rogues should have evasion tanking, warfare aught to have directional shielding and more accessible flat reduction. Storm and earth could have their shielding castable, as a wind squall, or a rock wall or some such respectively. There is no reason to anonymize a classes defensive capabilities. In developing unique defensive options, you allow the player to weave a more complex dance in moment to moment gameplay. Having a push-button additional healthbar does not feel good.

Additionally, regarding resources like flow and rage, and low health statuses: there is insufficient audio-visual feedback. Signal these states more aggressively to players, combat is crowded.

• As far as balancing abilities and what aught to be added, I'm not going to go on a tangent about my vision for each class, but suffice to say, if the game is to be an improvement upon TQ1, the classes must feel more individually distinct. In movement, in cadence, in impact, in build pathways (Beyond just which stats benefit which class)

Regarding gameplay, items,

• The absence of somewhat high frequency random elites and equipped weapons being discrete to each enemy is notable. The latter I can understand, as it was likely done to smooth balancing at higher difficulties. But the former is simply a shame. Variety is the spice of life.

• Loot tables in general are very disappointing; I should not have them mapped out in my head from the 4th hour of gameplay.
  Nothing quite compares to the euphoria of an epic drop from a mob, or completing a set from boss drops. Having such a shallow pool, and having no sets available is nauseating from a gameplay perspective and makes fighting generic mobs a task rather than an ultra low stakes lottery ticket. If this is how loot tables are envisioned to be going forward, I would take a long look at the size of the gamewide loot table in the original TQ and make some earnest attempt to emulate it. With this said I adore the look of the items in game, everything is quite visually satisfying and looks fantastic on the player character.

• The default dialogue windows seem to have informed writing in some way. I will miss the long, slow scroll monologues from key characters from the original game. They were moments of reprise that were actually quite precious in retrospect. I appreciate an attempt to characterize the player character in some way, but it being able to give one line replies has absolutely come at the cost of the script's format and really offered very little in the way of character roleplaying. It will be too late in the development cycle to change this within the main quest, but a return of storytellers or somesuch in towns would be welcome.

• No relics! For shame! Artifacts I can forgive, maybe in the next expansion as per Immortal Throne; but no relics!? It was a somewhat unique approach to socketing in the ARPG medium, so sad to see it go. Mostly for balancing I imagine, since you could break the game with elemental buffing, but I hope an attempt was made somewhere in development?

• Overworld map design is...messy. The farmlands outside Pyrgos feel very unfocused, and without any particular landmarking, I feel like its extra space in the playground, but I only want to be on the swings and slides, right? I would prefer to be railroaded far more linearly through setpieces and zones. The former being the Unreal Engines strength. I think the data has been collated as far as the general opinion on open world maps within gaming intelligentsia. It is resource draining, and unnecessary for both developer and player. Give me a road to follow and a destination. Heroes' Journey, not Heroes' Meandering about.

Regarding setting, writing,

• "The shrine of divine mastery" is a mcguffin taken directly from a PS3 launch title. You could have easily just introduced titan ichor early, instead of giving the PC an anonymous patron. Why are these shrines on this particular isle? Why would they be there to begin with? do the gods have no sense of spectacle? Putting a shrine of such import at sea level seems bizarre.

• Having early encounters with lesser members of the Pantheon is nice. Fighting a god (Albeit, a minor, rustic one) early is for better or worse though, a notable increase in power scaling; although I suppose its implied that Pan is toying with you. With this said it feels a bit rushed, even with the setup of your character's lifelong training. The first Major boss is a God, it makes subsequent fights seem significantly lower in stakes thereafter.

• It's good to see more draw from Mythos. Lean into that harder. Longtime players will praise you for it, new players will appreciate the free narrative depth.

• We begin in the Aegean Sea, so we are denied the wonders of Greece proper. But do not forget the scope of the protagonists travels in TQ1. Delphi, Memphis, Athens, Rhodes, Giza, The Greatwall, Babylon, The Valley of Kings. To reprise them all in the Unreal Engine would be outside of your scope with the fidelity you're giving, but do not forget these settings moving forward. I would be aghast if the entire story took place only in a region of Greece.

• Voiceline delivery is better across the board (Less campy, though), as is writing, but visual storytelling is weaker and the buildup of enemies in TQ1 is lost. Think the princes in Old Eleusis, the Cyclops destroying the bridge and then being fought many hours later, the incredible buildup to the Gorgons, or simply the naming of Nessus as The Problem in Sparta. Enemies we're teased out at length, simple stuff from your creative writing 100 class. Build up antagonists. Build up set pieces. More payoff.

This is more or less my general disposition toward the game. I'd also add that boss rematches are nice, but redundant with current loot tables, and will remain so as long as the issue isn't addressed. I have 13 Hippokampos scapula.

All said though, I am very pleased with the game, combat is fun, the game looks beautiful, the story is compelling enough if not somewhat ahead of itself pacing wise, and I get more of my favorite game. Please just do not lose sight of the charm that made the original game so compelling. When making anything one must choose wether theyre making art, or a product. I believe TQ1 ultimately was more art than product, presently, this game feels more of the latter; but I believe you've shown good faith in this EA project, and will respond well to whats been noted by players.

[worthy mica]

I agree with just about everything you mentioned here.
One I didn’t realize was your world building aspect. Things exactly like the Cyclops build up was great. Seeing the damage caused by the creature and then slaying it makes it feel you’ve done a true service to the people nearby.

Very well put together feedback