I picked up this game for cheap a reasonable while after the initial release. I had no experience playing the Numenera RPG at the time (which uses the mechanics of the innovative ‘Cypher System’). At first, I found the mechanics of the game to be a bit confusing. However, after a while of playing I got the hang of it and found them to be perfectly passable – if a little odd compared to the majority of RPGs I have played before. Replaying the game now after having played the tabletop RPG version I have found that I have a much richer understanding of the mechanics and the world, making my experience overall much better. The world itself is fantastic, and is full of curiosities and weirdness that is just waiting to be explored. With rich lore and diverse settings, I really enjoyed the opportunity to find out what was lying in or around the next corner. The soundtrack that came with the game is good, and the map is a cool addition if you like those kind of things.
PROS:
- Interesting world and lore to explore
- A refreshingly non-combat focused RPG, with exploration and social interactions equally important
- Good port of a tabletop RPGs mechanics to a video game format
CONS:
- Mechanics can be a little confusing at first (if you aren't familiar with the Cypher System), with a bit of a learning curve.
- Reasonably lengthy load times on the xbox one (although not too bad).
- While the world is conceptually beautiful, in terms of graphics it is nothing too exciting.