I know this review is a bit late to the party.  I was having trouble posting with my account for the last few months and just got right.  I hope you enjoy regardless.  

Worlds 2 (TW2) is a tremendous leap forward from its predecessor's failures. That may not be saying much to many of the folks who braved the original, but definitely believe the hype. TW2 has gone to great lengths to separate itself from Two Worlds. Unfortunately, for all the good Reality Pump has done, they've also made what I consider to be some unnecessary missteps.

Who would you recommend this game to? Definitely to fans of the first. I would also recommend it to anyone who liked Oblivion, Risen or Divinity 2.

TW sucked, what could possibly be better about this sequel? Just about everything that was wrong with the first was addressed and fixed for TW2. The graphics are much improved, there are no framerate problems (first ever for a 360 RPG from Europe) and the soundtrack is outstanding. I completed every sidequest in the game (~70 quests) and only encountered one that was broken.

Did TW2 actually have a story? Yes. First, you have the main quest story arc - which is mostly forgettable and often poorly translated. Second, you have the sidequest story lines which range from ridiculous to hilarious to amazing. Overall, this game won't chart new territory with its narrative, but if you play the game to its fullest, you will definitely see some awesome character moments.

How about the combat? Combat in TW2 is the first of the handful of missteps I spoke of earlier. Instead of the manually controlled targeting system, the game will auto target enemies for you. It's not a huge problem, but can be annoying in fights where you are trying to execute a specific strategy. Also, hit detection can range from functional to terrible. At times, you'll just be swinging at thin air. There are also enemies that seem to be able to block infinitely, requiring you to invest more time than what would seem logical to dispatch them. Switching weapons can help, but it still breaks up pacing more than it should.

Archery seems to work pretty well this time around. There was a good amount of variety in attack methods and all of them seemed very effective even at mid-range skill levels. Magic on the other hand seemed a bit clunky at lower levels. As you level and learn greater spells, you can counteract the clunkiness by basically killing everything on the screen with the more powerful spells (so there is definitely a decent balance).

And the other "missteps?"

Controls. For whatever reason, the devs did away with the precision controls in TW1 and replaced them with what I call the "Disney on Ice" control scheme. Controlling the main character while walking or running felt more like controlling a person slipping on ice. Stopping on a dime is not possible. For an RPG, I'm not quite sure why this more "realistic" approach is necessary. I fell off a few bridges and cliffs as a result. Nothing major, but definitley an unnecessary minor annoyance.

Camera control. Not having an option to turn off the "camera automatically moves to look in the direction your character is facing" feature was a mistake. It makes all tactical and assassination situations frustrating. Trying to sneak along a wall while getting a look at the enemy before using your dagger was all but ruined by this mechanic.

Exploration felt hampered. The world in TW2 felt significantly smaller than TW1. In reality that isn't the case, but using the "multiple island" approach just made the world feel more compact than it was. Especially when you factor in the Swallows where they pulled a 'Fallout 3' by forcing you down corridoors instead of allowing you to explore.

Looting felt pointless later in the game. This further led to a lack of motivation to explore. Somewhere around level 26, I found weaponry made for a level 46 character. I never found anything better than that at any point there-after. TW2 is all about customization over discovery when it comes to good equipment.

How about the online play? I'm not an avid online gamer, so maybe I'm not fit to review this portion. However, I can't imagine that there are any people that felt the online play added any value. I still contend that online play in RPGs need not exist save maybe for co-op main campaigns where characters can jump in and out of games together and maintain their progress.

Playtime to Completion and Achievements? It took me 40hrs to complete every quest in the single player campaign. All of the achievements are fairly straight forward and fun to accomplish. Just make sure you read a strat-guide about the sidequest missions - especially if you want to 100% this game in one run -as some are missable or failable.

So what's your final answer? If you loved TW, then TW2 is a logical next step. I had a great time playing the game even with the disappointments I spoke about here. If you hated the first, there are two scenarios to consider: 1.) If it was the broken mechanics that turned you off, consider jumping on TW2 as some have been fixed. 2.) If you just didn't care for the gaming style, TW2 won't do much to change your mind. Even with the mechanical improvements, it just doesn't do anything gameplay-wise to make this edition a must-have for previous unbelievers.

Original Article @ Second Letter Media