Tyranny Reviews
The combination of Obsidian and Paradox is the closest thing to a gaming dream team we can imagine and the result of that partnership definitely does not disappoint. Simply put, Tyranny is the finest RPG to launch this year and I love it.
It’s no doubt that Tyranny’s replay value is through the roof. Undergoing everything Tyranny has to offer in one playthrough isn’t probable – the possibilities appear endless.
From the gorgeous, if tired, brown-infused broken environments of Tiers to the colorful noble classes and shabby peasants, every aspect of Tyranny redefines what it means to be a great cRPG title. Incredibly memorable and haunting overtures play softly in the background as the apocalyptic-ly hostile world swirls around you in a bevy of an ambient aural explosion that is deep enough that you can almost feel the dusty, rust-filled Blade-Grave to the soaring and ancient Spires, every moment in Tyranny is truly a moment to behold. The attention to detail and push for a world that feels both truly alive while simultaneously feeling broken and defeated is marvelous and truly a work of art. It is without a doubt that future generations of gamers will look upon Tyranny with the same grounded, yet awe-inspiring greatness that we currently see when we look back onto Baldur's Gate II.
It’s not as much of a ground-breaker as Pillars of Eternity was last year, but Tyranny continues to show off Obsidian’s best qualities as RPG makers and their incredible ability to craft interesting worlds and characters.
There’s a frustratingly good idea in Tyranny, but you’ll have to push your way through an unstimulating plot and mediocre combat to find it.
While not without its faults, Tyranny is an exciting, streamlined RPG experience with an incredibly immersive world and surprisingly deep characters. Between excellent presentation, skill and spellcrafting systems that are tons of fun to tinker with, and a story that will most certainly leave you wanting more, Tyranny stands on its own as another terrific showing by Obsidian.
Tyranny is the game that flips the moral compass of RPG's on its head, you are the bad guy - but how bad will you be? Tyranny is a fantastic isometric RPG from the masters at Obsidian, if only the creases were properly ironed out and they made a decision to go full voice-acting or none at all, this would have been a near perfect 10 across the board - that being said, this is a solid title that deserves your time and is definitely one that I will play again...and again...and again.
In Tyranny, concepts like good and evil only work on first glance. That makes it one of the most interesting RPGs of 2016.
Review in German | Read full review
Obsidian's new game has reaffirmed that the studio is heading in the right direction and they're just getting better at their craft. They've made an unique, dramatic and addicting game that's definitely worthy of your attention even if you usually don't play RPGs.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Tyranny is one of the few games that can tackle extremism and ethical divergences in a meaningful way. An interesting perspective of how flawed humanity is.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Tyranny is an excellent first step into RPGs, with an enticing storyline that manages to continually surprise and excite. While hardcore RPG fans may dislike the simplified combat and shorter core game length, these factors help the storyline shine and keep it accessible for more people. Definitely worth a look, especially for Pillars of Eternity fans.
It ends suddenly and without warning right when you expect some kind of climactic boss fight and revelation that ties up all of the lingering plot threads in one fell swoop.
It has its faults, but its approach to magic and reputation, alongside predominantly good writing make Tyranny a valid choice for cRPG enthusiasts. With all its missteps, I want to go back and replay Tyranny, simply for the sake of making different decisions and seeing what happens if I support the Scarlet Chorus or, why not, nobody. While not flawless, writing outshines combat and, for me, that’s enough to warrant a replay.
Although it's conventional in some ways, Tyranny feels fresh. The theme has been explored before in other games and genres, but not to this degree. The characters are extremely interesting, whether they're tragic or humorous. Dialogue choices are expansive, and the sheer number of permutations that can arise from your decisions give the game near-limitless replay value. Supported by solid RPG mechanics, Tyranny is a game for those who couldn't get enough of Pillars of Eternity and its ilk.
Tyranny is an excellent RPG experience that has many of the hallmarks of great classic role-playing games while still making plenty of smart choices to modernise the experience for today's audience. Refined systems and a story where choices can often have some real consequence made my time with Tyranny rewarding, despite a disappointingly abrupt ending that left me wanting for more.
Unexciting battles are easy to stomach when the beauty of a title lies in its world building, and, thankfully, the drenched-in-evil universe of Tyranny is fantastic, both in the way it is structured and in how it handles the concept of morality. Unfortunately, its potential has been thrown from the tallest spire's window, and instead of becoming the magnificent masterpiece that it sometimes feels it is, it turns out to be a very rough diamond that reeks of rushed production.
Tyranny is a good game, but not a great one. In a year that's been light on RPGs, it's a solid offering worth picking up, but don't expect it to be as good as Pillars of Eternity.
Tyranny may have its issues and it may be shorter than other RPGs but it often means that, in the end, it comes together as a greater and more concise experience.
An enthralling world with 'meaningful choices' is surely ahead of you, but for such a short game in this genre, the story stumbles and trips in its consistency and its appeal. On top of that, for a fantasy world, there's not much variety in enemies or creatures, so it can be a bit of a disappointment in that regard.
Tyranny has little flaws which prevent it becoming a perfect game but after all, it is a worthy CRPG. Obsidian knows how to make great CRPGs and after Pillars of Eternity, Tyranny is a good example for that. If you’re a CRPG fan or a gamer which likes story-based games and don’t mind reading a lot of dialogs then Tyranny is for you.
Review in Persian | Read full review