Avenum V Review

[GameBanshee News]

RPGWatch gives us their take on Spiderweb Software's latest addition to the long-running Avernum series.

Much as I really enjoyed the adventure, there are a few complaints I'd like to see addressed. First, I'd really like more information in a number of areas – is it better to put a point into Mage Spells or Spellcraft, for example? Where does Magery fit in? Buffing gets very repetitive and it isn't clear how effective (or redundant) some of the options are. No doubt experienced (or patient) players will simply experiment to find the answers but I'd appreciate better feedback within the user interface.

I'd also like to see more influence from Geneforge, which typically features dialogue with skill checks and deeper factional choices. That said, Avernum has always been about classic party adventuring and should be weighed on that basis.

The biggest issue for returning players might be fatigue – have they seen all this before? The answer really depends on what you expect – yes, the graphical and UI improvements are “only” incremental and, yes, most of the mechanics are familiar but I think that devalues the work Spiderweb has put into the story, the encounters and the Battle Disciplines. Remember the grand, classic roleplaying adventures before the current crop of 20-30 hour cinematic action games that dominate the genre? Spiderweb is the only company still regularly producing those and Avernum V is a worthy addition.