After spending many hours with the PC version of Two Worlds, I am here now to set the record straight. this game is nothing at all like Oblivion. Seriously, it barely even has a handful of similarities.
However, this game shares similarities with other great RPG's. Combat plays out like Fable. Button mashing melee with an alternate spell button. The spell can be changed with another button. On the PC version, the game also has a World of Warcraft like toolbar, from which a simple number press can activate a spell instead.
Combat is really nothing special though. In fact, sometimes it can be a bit frustrating. Oblivion has FPS perfect controls, so your level of maneuverability was outstanding. However in Two Worlds, you'll often accidentally run into a bandit camp filled with 30 bandits, and have a hard time turning around to get out. Maneuverability is in the toilet, so you really have to be careful in tight places. You do get a backwards jump, and yes you can turn around. But even still, you'll notice the sluggish maneuverability.
Combat can be a bit more fun once you start learning new techniques, like kicking sand in the enemy's face. However, techniques like this happen at random, with a % chance to trigger based on your spec.
That brings me to the next part, skills. Skills aren't in trees like EQ2 or WoW. Instead, the bubbles can be upgraded with points at any time. Some of them require special training, some of them come from the start. Like WoW though, which skills you upgrade determine what kind of fighter (or mage) you'll be.
Spells fall into many different schools, including fire, air, water, necromancy, etc. Spells are upgraded two ways. You can find new spell cards on monsters and enemies, and upgrade the potency of each school of spells in your spec tree by using skill points. Your defensive and melee skills will suffer if you put all your skill points into spells, so be careful!
When you level up or complete certain quests, you will receive skill points and/or attribute points. Attribute points work just like any standard PC RPG of the last decade and a half. In fact, this game plays out more like Titan Quest than anything. Sure, the combat and the POV aspect match games like Fable. But the core of it, from the quests to the exploration of the world, is very much like Titan Quest, or any of the games that used the Snowblind engine.
Another huge similarity to those games is the inventory and loot system. You get a hell of a lot more space in Two Worlds than in those other games though. You'll also recognize the portal system, which was standard for the aforementioned games.
Conversation in this game is drab. The voice acting is horrible. Monotone, stale, and downright boring. Thank god for subtitles. Unless you have a high tolerance for pain, you'll probably end up reading this game more than listening to it.
The minimap resembles fable's a lot. The main map is more like Titan Quest. Of course, you get the standard "fog of war" covering everything until it is discovered. While I enjoy "fog of war" sometimes, I don't think it worked for this game. You wander off and die somewhere, you ressurect at a shrine surrounded in black. Now you have to explore and navigate your way back. Easy enough, right? Not so much. taking the road isn't even safe in this game. You are constantly running into mobs of wolves, bandits, orcs and more. These enemies aren't always easy to kill, so you can see how getting lost can be a bad thing.
Remember the mobs in Dungeon Lords? Yeah, that's about what they are like in this game. Not easy to take down, and fights can be to the wire...all the time.
Character models are the worst thing about this game. They got the bodies right, but the faces. DEAR GOD THE FACES! The developers tried to do something like Bethesda did with Oblivion, where certain sections of the face can be adjusted with a slider. Unfortunately for Two Worlds, this makes most of the NPC's look like retarded aliens. I'm not kidding. You'll also be dissapointed in the lack of character customization. You can only be one set guy, much like in The Bard's Tale, and only key features of your guy can be adjusted.
The rest of the graphics are decent. They aren't the best of the generation, but they are not bad either. Without HDR, the game would feel bland, and sometimes the shadows seem excessive. The day to night change is nice, but it happens way too fast.
The sound effects and music are ok. I wasn't blown away by them, and you probably won't be either. It wasn't horrible, just nothing special.
I won't get into the story other than you are some mysterious bounty hunter, who for some odd reason, everyone already has heard of. The story isn't bad, in fact it's better when read. The voice acting kills it. I know I already mentioned it, but it really is bad.
Internet play is just like the Snowblind games and Titan Quest. Actually throw Diablo II in that mix, as I forgot to mention it earlier.
Overall, I liked the game. It isn't as good as I had hoped, but I had fun playing it. The false association with Oblivion is really gonna burn people, which I think will burn this game. People expecting Oblivion are going to be downright dissapointed, and will probably return this game right away.
For that reason alone, I say rent this one or wait for a demo. Decide whether you like it or not. There will be people who like this game. It is not a horrible game. It just isn't what you expect it to be...at all.
My Verdict: RENT before you BUY
Afterthought:
There is a huge misconception that this game has no loading screens. While that is true for most cities and a few dungeons, there definately ARE load screens, particularly for most dungeons. I don't know where this stupid rumor got started, but add that to the list of wrong expectations of this game.
