It was time for something new and we received it. Two Worlds is a third-person role-playing game complete with a gigantic interactive world. As a player, you have the opportunity to mold your character, though not in the usual manner. Instead of choosing a character class at the start of the game, you must mold the character into whatever you want.

Antaloor is very much a living world where player decisions matter and the effects of others? actions are also apparent. In one mission, the player must choose whether to acquire and supply illegal alcohol to an individual who is willing to pay well. Decisions to murder or to forgive also creep up, though it is up to you what your character will do in Two Worlds. Skeletons and zombies live in certain areas, put there by the necromancer population. While it is your choice to use magic at all, the main quest involves individuals attempting to set loose an evil god of war and, along the way, you?ll be meeting mages of all types. You also have the choice to learn the dark arts of necromancy though you must seek out training to obtain and use this skill.

Similarly, it is also your choice whether to train your character to be a thief, assassin, ranger, or fighter; whether your character is just and good or evil and self-consumed. Due to the amount of combat involved in play, violence is inevitable and can be bloody. While you are watching your character engage in combat, the camera can be zoomed in quite close to be right in the action. Atop one particular hill there happens to stand a set of gallows including a recently hung assumed criminal.

Though there are a few hiccups here and there, Two Worlds is very much a worthwhile play for those interested in an in-depth role-playing experience. Two Worlds includes a lot of the features gamers have been asking for including mounted combat, customizable spells, and multiplayer capabilities. While the game is lacking in some polish, the inner workings are in place. We do suggest purchasing the PC version if you decide to take on Two Worlds for a slightly better overall experience.

» By Stephan Mack, Plain Games. Published 9/21/2007 1:45:13 PM.