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Technomancer - Review Thread

F

FireSol

Member
The reviews are out - First time creating a review thread, please forgive me and correct me if needed. Thanks!

Gaming Instincts - http://gaminginstincts.com/technomancer-review/

Overall, Technomancer is not a horrible game and I really wanted to like it. As I’ve said previously the game had great potential for the plot and universe, but the disappointing voice acting, soulless characters make the world feel like a big void that’s missing its true spirit. The visuals are a tad disappointing and it could have been at least be set at 60FPS but that’s not the case, it just looks like a high-end PS3/Xbox 360 title that was released at the end of last console generation. There are far more visually appealing action RPG games that are on PS4 and Xbox One in the market right now that have bigger worlds and feel much more alive.

The combat system is also a disappointment due to its unresponsiveness making it feel janky in the long run and not as enjoyable as it should be. The questing isn’t anything revolutionary either. However, if you’re looking for a somewhat lengthy 25-35 hour RPG and have nothing else to play then give this game a rent and it’s definitely not worth the $60 price tag for the content that it offers

Score 6.5.
Click to expand...

IGN - http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/06/28/the-technomancer-review

So much could have been forgiven if the central, action RPG pillar of combat wasn’t constructed so poorly in The Technomancer. The world is clearly crafted with vision and attention to detail, but the characters who inhabit it come off too often as awkward marionettes who would rather be doing something else besides participating in this story. Its heart is in the right place, and that makes me wish I’d enjoyed it more. But it’s like the pancakes an eager eight-year-old tried to make their dad for Father’s Day: the ingredients are lacking in quality and the skill to assemble them just wasn’t present. All the little reasons The Technomancer is worth experiencing, all the little moments where the vision of a better game shines through, aren’t quite enough to justify choking down its shortcomings

Score 4.9.
Click to expand...

Karak's Review

Rated it a Buy (FYI Youtube may still be processing this video. It has been for 3 hours. Sometimes I hate YT)
Ask questions if you have them as the game does have issues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CYOCOXQ-3g

Pros
Worldview
All spoken dialogue and some of it well done
Lots of cribbing from Kotor
Skill system just unique enough to be interesting
Good overall gameplay
Party characters and choices WOW

Cons
Music about 50/50
Main character isn't the best voice actor but also doesn't talk
Some bugs
Combat is...better than past games but not great
Click to expand...

GamingTrend - http://gamingtrend.com/reviews/the-technomancer-review/

The Technomancer is an enormous open-world RPG with 40+ hours of content that has an expertly-crafted world at its center. Unfortunately, it’s held back by technical issues that are hard to overlook, poor narrative, and unoriginal design. Score 75
Click to expand...

Rob Cram's review:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrJpqzAOTN0 Score 8.5/10

Vexoid - http://vexoid.com/the-technomancer-review-ps4/ Score 4/10

We got this Covered - http://wegotthiscovered.com/gaming/the-technomancer-review/

The Technomancer is actually a very accomplished game that does well to fight for place among some truly exceptional action RPGs. It has A-list ambitions with a B-list budget, but more often than not it feels more akin to the former than the latter. The fluid combat system gives more than enough cause to play and replay the adventure, and a simple but effective story is well-supplemented by a rich world and solid RPG progression techniques. The trials of Zachariah Mancer are fraught with peril and danger, but his unique skills and a band of companions mean that he is more than up to the challenge. Above all else, The Technomancer is a tremendously fun adventure that more than deserves your attention and, perhaps, a spot at the top table of action RPG titles.

Score 4/5
Click to expand...

PC Invasion - http://www.pcinvasion.com/the-technomancer-review

The Technomancer is something I found as charming as it was irritating. With a runtime of about 20 hours it didn’t really outstay its welcome, but it’s also a game that’s difficult to outright recommend. I don’t think I’ve ever played a Spiders RPG before so I don’t know how common this is, but it’s a game with a lot of ideas that don’t quite pan out (time of day, say, and a few actual urgent quests) and everything from the voice acting to the quest design ranges from “surprisingly good” to “surprisingly annoying.” It’s a little over-ambitious, a little truncated, and it never really hits the lofty goals it aims for, but a few unexpected successes and an interesting premise make it a generally entertaining little experience nonetheless. If nothing else, I think I’m now a cult fan of this sort of B-grade RPG.

Score 5/10
Click to expand...

Gamersyde Review - http://www.gamersyde.com/news_gsy_review_the_technomancer-18065_en.html

Multiplayer.it 8/10 - http://multiplayer.it/recensioni/170...-su-marte.html

Areajugones 8/10 - http://areajugones.es/the-technomancer/analisis/

Eurogamer Italy 8/10 - http://www.eurogamer.it/articles/201...cer-recensione

IGN Italia 7.0 - http://it.ign.com/the-technomancer-p...-la-recensione

IGN Spain 6.5 - http://es.ign.com/technomancer-ps4/1...-xbox-one-y-pc

IGN Sweden 6.0 - http://se.ign.com/technomancer-ps4/8...e-technomancer

SpazioGames 7/10 - http://www.spaziogames.it/recensioni...hnomancer.aspx

Hobby Consolas 7.0 - http://www.spaziogames.it/recensioni...hnomancer.aspx

XGN 7/10 - http://www.xgn.nl/review/the-technomancer-review

TheSixthAxis 5/10 - http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2016/06/...mancer-review/

Push Square 5/10 - http://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps4/the_technomancer

Gamestar.de 71% - http://www.gamestar.de/spiele/the-technomancer/test/the_technomancer,52013,3274952.html

TechRaptor 5.5/10 - http://techraptor.net/content/technomancer-review-average-experience

ZTGD - http://www.ztgd.com/the-technomancer/review/

Visually at times it’s interesting and the story has some intrigue, but ultimately I just found myself bored with it the longer it went on. Characters didn’t seem interesting, quests were typical, and nothing really pulled me in. Add in the extreme repetition and backtracking elements, and after 16 hours, I quit out of frustration and lack of interest. I forced myself to try to complete the game over and over again; I couldn’t. Spider has one of their biggest and best looking games and solid mechanics as well. Yet even with those elements in play, the rest of the game can’t keep up to that standard. I would recommend Technomancer only to those extremely interested in the setting and going into it full well knowing that this RPG has issues. Score 6/10
Click to expand...
 
T

texhnolyze

Banned
Damn, that IGN review..

Quoting Karak's review from the OT:
Karak said:
My Review
Rated it a Buy (FYI Youtube may still be processing this video. It has been for 3 hours. Sometimes I hate YT)
Ask questions if you have them as the game does have issues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CYOCOXQ-3g

Pros
Worldview
All spoken dialogue and some of it well done
Lots of cribbing from Kotor
Skill system just unique enough to be interesting
Good overall gameplay
Party characters and choices WOW

Cons
Music about 50/50
Main character isn't the best voice actor but also doesn't talk
Some bugs
Combat is...better than past games but not great
Click to expand...
 
Karak

Karak

Member
texhnolyze said:
Damn, that IGN review..

Quoting Karak's review from the OT:
Click to expand...

I tried to dislike it lol.
Hardest game I have ever reviewed for sure and it has its issues but damn I enjoyed it a great deal.
I am probably more in line with Gamingtrend's score

Also very interesting to hear some didn't like the characters. Talking to 2 other youtubers it was our highlight
 
G

Get_craycray

Banned
im_shocked.gif
 
B

bobbychalkers

Member
I wonder how this is going to fare in the end, I've watched 2 positive youtube reviews but IGN ripped it apart. Despite only hearing about it 2 days ago, I am rooting for it but I'm still not sure if I wanna hop in day 1.
 
G

GhostWriter24

Member
Something irks me in that first review about the phrase "It's not a horrible game" followed immediately by "I really wanted to like it."
 
Karak

Karak

Member
kurahador said:
Hmm...this gen Alpha Protocol?
Click to expand...

Absolutely. And mentioned in a podcast I had a couple days ago where I slipped up and said JUST THAT lol

bobbychalkers said:
I wonder how this is going to fare in the end, I've watched 2 positive youtube reviews but IGN ripped it apart. Despite only hearing about it 2 days ago, I am rooting for it though but I'm still not sure if I wanna hop in day 1.
Click to expand...
Its a cusp title. Probably why my review went longer than I usually go. But honestly I am playing it a second time for sure.
 
Karak

Karak

Member
bobbychalkers said:
I wonder how this is going to fare in the end, I've watched 2 positive youtube reviews but IGN ripped it apart. Despite only hearing about it 2 days ago, I am rooting for it but I'm still not sure if I wanna hop in day 1.
Click to expand...

Like Alpha Protocal lol. Its a flawed game but for some its going to be worthy for a lot of talk. For others. Its going to be unworthy of ANY talk.
 
Karak

Karak

Member
Warxard said:
Karak could you elaborate on the characters and choices?
Click to expand...

Sure its a lot like Bioware titles. You usually have a home base in whatever place is nearby which you can stop and change out team members of which you gather some at different times. Plus of course interact with them at any time while on your adventures.

Without spoilers I felt that some of the choices were some of the most heady ones I have experienced in some time. Not all of them but there are a couple that...shocked the shit out of me. In fact much of it felt a bit like some of the branches you could take in Alpha Protocal with characters there and branches.
Choices are normal otherwise. Help them with stuff and so forth but I felt, and this is just me, that some of the choices were HIGHLY personal compared to other titles. They just felt like actual help. The politics of the team members also seemed more thought out than say a Mass effect which usually fell into species lines of hatred or later acceptance.

Lastly I liked the characters alot so in that way again it looks like many youtubers felt one way and the bigger companies felt another. But the game is far far far from perfect and as I said before the hardest game to come to a conclusion on in a long time if not ever for me.
 
Karak

Karak

Member
texhnolyze said:
Alright, IGN's score might be the anomaly. We'll see.
Click to expand...

It looks like its lower but there are a number of low scores scores on open critic. In the 60-75%. Of course 75 not being low.
LongMuckDong said:
This is the feeling I felt when reading the initial reviews and getting those feels.

Alpha Protocol ver.2016

aka Insta-Buy from me.
Click to expand...

Pretty much how I felt though this is longer and has far more systems. Also though I enjoyed Alpha Protocol I never felt like the gameplay systems later grew. Here they may not exactly sprout friggen wings but I kept learning far longer
 
Stiler

Stiler

Member
Finaika said:
No female avatar option is a minor quibble?
Click to expand...

They have a very limited budget, making a female character and having to re-tool the entire storyline + hire a female voice actress to do the lines would add up to quite a bit probably.
 
D

danowat

Banned
I watched some game clips on XBO this morning, looks a little janky and the first thing that came to mind was Alpha Protocol!

Might be interested once the price drops.
 
Finaika

Finaika

Member
Creaking said:
They're not a very big studio, are they? Plus the protagonist is voiced.
Click to expand...

Karak said:
And its the story they wanted to tell for a long time with that character.
Click to expand...

orthodoxy1095 said:
Considering who's making this game? Yeah, it probably is.

Avatar options would be towards the bottom of my concerns for a Spiders game.
Click to expand...

Stiler said:
They have a very limited budget, making a female character and having to re-tool the entire storyline + hire a female voice actress to do the lines would add up to quite a bit probably.
Click to expand...

Bound by Flame had a female avatar option.
 
M

Mezoly

Member
Finaika said:
No female avatar option is a minor quibble?
Click to expand...

I haven't played the game so I don't know if my following statement will be true. If the devs want the avatar to be of one gender and do the story based on that gender I think it is fine as in the case of The Witcher or Horizon.
 
Karak

Karak

Member
Finaika said:
Bound by Flame had a female avatar option.
Click to expand...

Why did you quote me? I am talking about the story the dev wanted to tell.

danowat said:
I watched some game clips on XBO this morning, looks a little janky and the first thing that came to mind was Alpha Protocol!

Might be interested once the price drops.
Click to expand...



FYI Console version is FAR FAR worse than PC sadly.

Makikou said:
Could be a lot worse, getting that Alpha Protocol feel indeed.
Click to expand...

Pretty much how it felt too.
 
T

texhnolyze

Banned
O

orthodoxy1095

Banned
Finaika said:
Bound by Flame had a female avatar option.
Click to expand...
And Bound by Flame kinda sucked butts.

I can't imagine they have much in the way of budget these days to mess around with customization options. I seem to remember what was even in Bound by Flame being pretty poor with some weird shared dialog and repeated animations.
 
R

rockx4

Member
The game seemed interesting until I watched gameplay videos. The backroll animation is terrible, and the person playing it kept doing it. It looks so bad.
 
T

tskeeve

Member
You would think developers would learned by now -- it's just not that fun to watch your character dance around on screen when you press a button. There needs to be a more direct link between a button press and a single, satisfying action. Diablo, MH, and Souls got it right.

Is there anybody who really wants to watch a locked-in 2 or 3 second animation of their character attacking every single time they press an action button?
 
Karak

Karak

Member
tskeeve said:
You would think developers would learned by now -- it's just not that fun to watch your character dance around on screen when you press a button. There needs to be a more direct link between a button press and a single, satisfying action. Diablo, MH, and Souls got it right.

Is there anybody who really wants to watch a locked-in 2 or 3 second animation of their character attacking every single time they press an action button?
Click to expand...

Well wait. Dude lol Souls is canned as well. Or maybe you just mean the ability to break during frames? The problem is both offer tangible penalties in the realism department for sure

rockx4 said:
The game seemed interesting until I watched gameplay videos. The backroll animation is terrible, and the person playing it kept doing it. It looks so bad.
Click to expand...

One of the issues is with that in combat for sure. Each art has an escape move and though for instance I loved Rogue and Warrior I wished that they had metted out random moves. Then once you see it you realize its for their collision detection waist high boxes. You either leap out of the way, go below it, or go above it. Typical design decision but could have mixed it up with a couple other animations. Sadly while the game is full of gameplay systems there probably wasn't a rush to do that.
 
P

prudislav

Member
BananasWithGuns said:
So the combat is awful then? Shocker.

Maybe one day these guys will finally put it all together and create a hit.
Click to expand...
well judging by how people denounced the one in BbF I am pretty sure i will like it .... I remember watching gameplay from some of those reviewers who ciriticized the combat to high hell and it was blowing my mind that they didnt even understood basic combat mechanics :-D
 
Karak

Karak

Member
prudislav said:
well judging by how people denounced the one in BbF I am pretty sure i will like it .... I remember watching gameplay from some of those reviewers who ciriticized the combat to high hell and it was blowing my mind that they didnt even understood basic combat mechanics :-D
Click to expand...

This is heads and shoulders above Bound just an FYI. I mean...way better.
 
Stiler

Stiler

Member
tskeeve said:
You would think developers would learned by now -- it's just not that fun to watch your character dance around on screen when you press a button. There needs to be a more direct link between a button press and a single, satisfying action. Diablo, MH, and Souls got it right.

Is there anybody who really wants to watch a locked-in 2 or 3 second animation of their character attacking every single time they press an action button?
Click to expand...

The AC games have had some great looking combat, if they could just parely the animation quality and varying animations into something with more depth it'd be great imo.

Diablo is quite different then the Dark Souls games, plenty of attacks in Dark Souls will lock you into an animation that plays a few seconds, especially with the bigger weapons.
 
M

matrix-cat

Member
I haven't paid any attention to this game, but all these Alpha Protocol comparisons have me interested. I feel like I need a Quick Look of this with Vinny at the controls.
 
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