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Two Worlds

Let's Make This Release a Confusing One

A note about versioning: the release schedule for Two Worlds was staggered. First released to German PC users in May of this year (under the banner of publisher Zuxxex), the game saw a North American release in the final week of August, with a general European release following a few shorts weeks behind that. The odd release schedule is probably tied to the Xbox 360 version of the game, which was released concurrently with the PC version in territories outside of Germany. So why the early German release on the PC platform? Reality Pump Studios, based in Poland, likely positioned Two Worlds as a direct competitor to Gothic 3, an action RPG which saw greater critical and commercial success in Germany than in other territories. The end result was an initial publishing agreement with Zuxxez for a German-only release, with South Peak Interactive lining up second and picking up the rights for a worldwide PC release.

So what does the complicated release schedule mean for PC gamers who pick up the most recent (non-German) release? It should mean a more refined game, as the patches which have been applied to the German release are included on the DVD with the US, UK and Australian versions. At least, it should mean that you're getting the most recent release - version 1.5, to be exact. However, none other than YouGamers editor Nick Evanson managed to pick up a general European English release that contained version 1.4 of the game. Aside from missing the most recent patches, the 1.4 release is not digitally signed, which means users of 64-bit Windows Vista are out of luck. The 1.5 release, however, is digitally signed and has no issues at all running on all flavors of Windows, from 32-bit XP to 64-bit Vista. To see the what version of Two Worlds you may have, check out the Properties tab on the Two Worlds executable.

The Coronation Will Have to Wait

This review will end where it began, with a mention of Oblivion. South Peak and Reality Pump Studios knew from the get-go that their game would be compared to the standard-bearer in action RPG circles. In every regard, Two Worlds comes up short. The game is conventional in almost every sense of the word, constantly bowing to RPG tradition and making little effort to deviate from the well-trodden path. The story is a hodge-podge of overused RPG stories, the combat system is unsatisfying and the environment is uninspiring. Brief moments of glory, such as an interesting character development system, are overshadowed by faults in gameplay, such as a difficulty level that borders on criminal. Drape the entire package in lackluster visuals, and there’s not much to cheer about. Two Worlds has some value for those who enjoy level grinding and loot collecting, and who are willing to overlook the very rough edges. The multiplayer component is unlikely to add longevity to the game, and in the end there’s little reason to give the game more than a cursory look for comparison’s sake.

Summary of YouGamers Hardware Testing

The publisher of this game state the following specifications for their minimum and recommended requirements:

To learn more about how YouGamers performs its hardware testing, click here. Through our extensive gameplay and hardware testing across the full spectrum of PC configurations, YouGamers suggests that one should use the following guidelines for an appropriate minimum and recommended setup:

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Page 1: IntroductionPage 2: Story and GameplayPage 3: CombatPage 4: Environment and PresentationPage 5: Graphics and HardwarePage 6: Summary and Scores

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