| User Name | Score | Comments | Posted On |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dalethfc | 9.25 | What ??? Part 3 ?? No romance with Clopon or her hood removed ? *Stamps Feet,, bangs desk* Need Part 3 | 08-29-2013 |
| Forsta | 10.00 | A very well made module. Because of the custom music, separate story, tilesets and especially the combat systems it really felt like a separate RPG more than a module. I liked the story very much. To be left in the dark of what really happens and about the past of Aramus added some mystery to it. And, most of all, I liked that the characters probably are not what they really seem. Though sometimes the ends for the more "evil" characters seem to justify any means. To bad you couldn't find the time for the third part. I would have loved to see the story of Aramus and Clopton continued. But I'm looking forward for the sequel 20 years later in the DA:O engine. So thank you for making this module and for sharing it with us. Wish the best, 10/10. | 03-17-2013 |
| Ko Bo | 10.00 | For anyone having the missing haks/talk table issue; download CEP 1.53 (I had to download CEP 1.52 full and then the CEP 1.53 patch), as CEP 2.0 and above is not compatible with the earlier versions of CEP, and thus won't work here. As for the module, I just finished playing through both chapter 1 and 2, and I thoroughly loved it. The story, the characters, the mood, the mechanics, the CUTSCENES - they all joined together to form an extremely polished and memorable adventure. Thank you for this masterpiece! Although I was originally worried because I'd read that the series was left unfinished, I was surprised by how well the story was concluded in the epilogue of chapter 2, and it didn't leave me feeling unsatisfied at all, even if I really want to know what happens next, and where the questions posed in chapter 2 will lead. This series utterly deserves the full 10 rating. | 12-15-2012 |
| Rhunplayer-one | 8.00 | slow download but good gameplay | 05-31-2011 |
| boy-o-boy | 10.00 | Regarding the generic bugs, the chest in Adaramus' house was supposed to be locked throughout the game. As for the chest at Khal Rock, as soon as you pick your partner for the assault on Bannerman Hill, if you talk to Arik, he will talk to you about what you will face. He then hands you a key to that chest. I guess if you didn't talk to him, you wouldn't get the key. Not sure what to do about that. I guess I could have Arik try to start a convo with you right after you choose your partner. Will think a bit more on that. | 05-29-2011 |
| Areth | 10.00 | Didn't think 1 could be topped, but you did it. Amazing. I called "balls" however when I found out that the adventure is basically not going to be continued. Rather moving on to a new adventure with a different story and characters. I died a little on the inside, truly. I have sitting on my bed two games I recently purchased. Both those games are still sitting in their wrappers because I found this module that much more interesting. I wish this was being continued. All I have to say, is amazing, truly amazing. One a few bugs to. There are quite a few camera angle bugs, particularly the one in the volcano mountain where gramps gets apprehended. I couldn't see any of the dialogue because the camera decided to focus on my characters head. This also happened with Raina flashback, where her lover wasn't anywhere to be found in the cutscene. Finally, i have one question. How do I make this rating thing go above ten? | 02-27-2011 |
| Sir Eliloth | 10.00 | this mod is a master piece thx | 12-01-2010 |
| MrGhosh | 10.00 | Sorry I just remembered I never voted for this game. It may not matter now but still here is my vote. This is a very good module you can still play this in 2010 and enjoy it more than many other games of today. One of the rare games I gave full marks. | 10-31-2010 |
| Ploedminka | 10.00 | Great to see that the new installment is coming along nicely. Although i'm still a bit sad that i couldn't see the continuation of the voyage of Aramus and Clopon. So much potential... Well, i know from this module that your storytelling is most excellent, so i'm looking forward to your DA work. | 09-29-2010 |
| FMRusso | 10.00 | Best module I've played! | 09-23-2009 |
| Goglutin | 10.00 | It's an exellent module. No arguing there !!! It's a creative and innovative way to use the toolset. It clearly deserve its 10. I only encountered two small ''issues''. First - There was no music. I checked the bmu files and they are all at their place... Second - I cannot gather red berries because they do not appear when I search on a bush... I suspect those ''issues'' may come either from my CEP version (1.53 with 1.69 patch) or from the PRC pack (I have it installed on the module). Anyway - It's the best module I ever played - better than all this official stuff... Thanks Challseus | 08-12-2009 |
| Coigreach | 10.00 | I have so far been extremely poor at grading and giving thanks for all the mods I've downloaded. But this is without doubt the best NWN module I've ever played and deserves all the praise in the world. Furthermore I'm giddy to hear you haven't given up on the 3rd chapter and knowing that it's coming I'm happy to wait. Anyway, outstanding work sir. | 07-01-2009 |
| shar1ngan | 10.00 | I had a really great time playing through this! It was by far one of the best Neverwinter Nights Modules I've ever experienced. The plot flow and the feeling of fulfillment after playing, it all worked together to enhance the experience. | 06-26-2009 |
| Scroogius | 10.00 | That's a piece of masterwork, I really enjoyed playing it, and well deserves the best vote. Really great improvements from The Coming, even if I was a little disappointed when I first met Audan, he didn't appeared so coward in the first chapter, but this matter is of no relevance :D BRAVO Challseus!!! | 06-17-2009 |
| yourself196 | 10.00 | Nice module... played it a while back but didn't rate so I'm doing that now... | 06-15-2009 |
| Phoenix_xxx | 10.00 | Ok here's my first question. In the Dungeon of summons, what i have to do to take the first chest? I am perfectly able to take second but for the first Clopon told me something that I cannot remember :( If it is just something i cannot do *now* but for what i must wait till I take over the third floor then just tell it ;) Anyway I think you shold make possible to listen again to all what henchman says.. | 06-08-2009 |
| Silvius | 10.00 | Wow. Just... amazing. I have played almost every single module that is in the Hall of Fame, and many that are not. I got this game when it came out in 2001, and I have played user-created modules ever since I figured out they existed two years later. I've probably spent 1000 hours on this game, at least, playing many of my favorite ones over and over again, and I've played modules coming from every genre, and character class. The extraordinary effort that went into this module shows, and in ways that are above and beyond the other modules I have laid hands on. The incredibly complex and unique fighting system, which makes using a fighter, whom I always found rather boring to use, extremely pleasant. The relationship between Aramus and Clopon is hilarious, and the way the dialogue is worded between all characters makes it seem real, and really helps the module to come alive. The plot is extraordinary, such of it as I can wrap my head around. I'm just afraid we are in for a sad ending, given the fact that Lesaria seems to be in control at the present time. I can always hope, though. The landscapes that are used in the module are brilliantly done, and the quests are unique, and also hilarious, in some instances,(gather red berries for an innkeeper so she can make you a magic jam, for example). Passive abilities for each character after they have been in combat for a period of time was an excellent idea, and it really adds to the gameplay. Strategy must be used to win the battles, and I appreciate that a lot, as it is all too easy to just have battles that have to be won by luck, (for example, when fighting Aloia, you have to get out of her line of sight, or her Suspended Animation will*bleep* your hp). The abilities which link the powers of two or more people are an ingenius idea, and I have seen attempts to emulate this, but none so incredibly well done as in Cry the Beloved. I have played hundreds of modules on this vault, and I have never seen one better done. I have to say that this is the single greatest module I have ever had the privilege to play. Thank you, Challseus. I look forward to Chapter 3 with much anticipation. I'm not entirely sure how it can top this, however. P.S.: I encountered a single spelling error, and a single minor bug. The spelling error was the Narrator talking, in the ending cutscene. He says that the Defenders of Legacy have next to no *prescense* here- should be *presence*. The minor bug was after Challseus was arrested, after the cutscene, he was still standing where we had last seen him. He just wouldn't respond to me. Not sure why this would happen. | 05-20-2009 |
| Kraven_Khor | 10.00 | Wow,what can i say, what an adventure, i couldn´t stop playing,this has a bit of all genres, roleplayers and action fans alike will enjoy playing this. When ´m playing at it´s 3:30 when i look at the clock lol, then i know it must be something good :). Thanks a lot for making this. 10/10 | 05-20-2009 |
| ardacakir1 | 10.00 | Great module, hard work, it is sad the plot hasnt completed.. this module, imho, much more better than official releases | 05-18-2009 |
| lavamonster | 10.00 | A wonderful story, it was beautiful and breathtaking. It was innovative and unique and I enjoyed it very much. CB | 05-13-2009 |
| white_paladin | 10.00 | Wow. This mod totally blew my expectations of the water. I've played probably over a hundred of these mods and this ranks in my top three for sure. I particularly loved the soundtrack and identifying some of my favorite Gladiator/Final Fantasy music. Challenge was just about right, definitely had my share of reloading. The custom combat systems you implemented were a blast! Great work on the cutscenes and overall dark feeling of the mod. Really enjoyed the epic feel to a lot of the boss encounters. Thank you so much for building this for the community!! | 05-03-2009 |
| Pailith Studios | 10.00 | Hey, I just finished chapters 1 and 2 and loved them. Awesome module series, great story, great character development. My only complaint would be that the story moves a bit slow at times, but in general, this is definitely one of the best modules I've played. I enjoyed chapter 2 even more than the chapter 1 and I'm looking forward to the next part. Great job! | 04-17-2009 |
| Driggan | 10.00 | Fantastic gameplay and storyline. Honestly, I've seen far less quality work put into games that you have to pay 50 dollars for off the shelf. These games have inspired me to start my own mod. I started one several years ago, but it never got off the ground due to life issues. Anyway, I'm starting it now, and working my way through the areas. So far I have about 8 major areas with most of the layout, placeables, doors, and area transitions available. I was planning on making the main character be a pre-made but custom-class character as a cook, who uses various cooking abilities to kill monsters and earns more abilities over time. I'm not sure if I can do that, as I'm rather shoddy with scripting, but I'm hoping to figure that out later and fill out the storyline and area layouts in the meantime. Thanks for the inspiration. | 03-20-2009 |
| jml | 10.00 | I just finished The Rose Of Eternity 1&2 and I'm speechless. Out of breath. What an incredible module! The most magical and poetical of all the many, many, I already enjoyed playing. Talking about immersion, I'm probably still drowning, somewhere around that Dantiras cost. For ever. Anything about it is most amazing, story, characters, fights, music, art, not to mention absolutely stunning customed special abilities and upgrades. I was too new to NWN when I first tried it, 2 years ago, but now was the perfect time to easily enjoy it, without being bothered at all by that upmost impressive technique... as light as the Keeper Of The Rose's song all along. If you have only a little time, or even more, for NWN, you should play The Rose Of Eternity. And part 2 is even more beautiful, and as long as you'd wish it to be. Long. Fantastic job, Challseus. Thanks for the dream. I have been looking for such a magical story for a long time in NWN. | 03-19-2009 |
| FrozenSnowy | 10.00 | Ah, Chal, Chal... it shames me to say I've only managed to find the time to finish this module thoroughly only yesterday (especially since I was so eager to all this time!), and I've gotta say, you and your team KNOW what you're doing! First off, I wanna say it's been surprising to see how well ideas were integrated into the game. Ten thousand years ago, when I was lending a hand to the project, I remember how several of the writers were throwing around ideas, and everything sounded a bit difficult to incorporate into the game. Back when I tried to finish the game a few years ago, it was amazing to see the DD and the various new abilities coming up and working flawlessly (script-wise), balanced nigh-perfectly in battles against the various enemies. Hard work pays off, it seems! Another thing I liked is Aramus' character development. Though the game has an arcade-ish quality, it still really helps when the main character has an understandable personality, and the secondary characters acknowledge this. In conclusion, I just want to say THANK YOU for this great module. As a writer I can safely say this was not nearly close to be a timewaste, and I really hope that since MOW was rumored to be completed, you'd have the time to begin working on the Last Petal. PS - Players, PLAY THIS MODULE! there's nothing to be said. | 02-13-2009 |
| Alene | 9.25 | Very nice - I must say that there were a few times I got seriously annoyed. The dungeon of summons definitely made me throw up my hands in the air a few times, I had to get away from my PC in case I would inflict harmful damage to it. It definitely has the feel of Final Fantasy in the game (even the music) :) I gotta say when the battle music first played my mouth actually dropped open because I couldn't believe you were usin the FF battle song but hey, it definitely is a great battle song :) Definitely enjoyed your play with the graphics and the enhancements. Totally enjoyed the movies and story telling, I definitely got into the story and wanted to do more. I definitely enjoyed your use of the range of music theme songs, a few times I had to catch myself and say "hey I know that song from that movie"! Then I actually paused the game and tried to remember what movie i heard the song from heehee it was quite funny. I must say I got frustrated quite a bit because it seemed my character was too weak and I was always getting the smack down however this was easily fixed by you having monsters respawnin every 10mins so that helped with levelling up. All in all I totally enjoyed it (even though it was frustrating because I did keep dying) but it was a totally challenging yet enjoyable experience. With the henchies, I must say Clopon totally got on my nerves and I just wanted to smack her but I had to suck it up and be all sweet just so I can get favor points hehe. I wanted to help encourage Auden more, I do like him heaps - I think he just needs to be guided the correct way to be more bold. I actually liked Raina and Aloia more :D :D :D Classheus was all time great - the wise one and I am lookin forward to seeing whom the 6th of the "six" are. From a gameplay perspective, it took me awhile to understand how to get the unison thingies to work - kinda reminded me of limit breaks etc which is pretty cool. I was definitely using my illuminate like crazy :D :D totally loved the final battle with Kain - by then I had levelled up enough and enjoyed using the trinity - it was definitely a challenging yet very enjoyable battle experience! Top notch on that one. I think I have babbled enough but a couple things I noticed :- When Raina first joins the group as an adventurer, in the description why was there alot of past tense used? Eg: Raina was Arik's sister....Raina was a Boundary ranger/warrior.. it made it sound as if Raina was going to die soon. Shouldn't it be Raina is Arik's sister and is a boundary ranger/warrior? I noticed that after they teleported Classheus away, when i walked further up he was standing there, I tried to talk to him but got no response but it might help if he really did get teleported away. :) Also I didn't go back to Adaramus's house to do the 3rd floor because I was following the plot line and thought it would let me go back to finish the dungeon (or prompt me to) and yet it didn't. All in all, a truly enjoyable module! One that kept me up awake in the wee hours of the morning!! :) I do hope you are working on CHapter 3 :) | 01-03-2009 |
| Thirdpres | 9.50 | Finally gotten around to finishing this. Been sitting on an unfinished game for a long time. Thanks for sharing. | 11-29-2008 |
| Dahl | 10.00 | Just finished. It rocked. I liked the first one okay, but it just didn't stay with me very well. However, I decided to give this one a try recently, and was hooked from the start. I can't even begin to imagine how you manage to make such complex character interaction, new combat systems, and such detailed story and setting in the NWN toolset. I never knew it could be this colorful! The characters were what I really loved. Clopon is my favorite (and I think her interaction with Aramus were so cute). I like the hints of possible romantic feelings between the two as well . . . course, Aloia would not like that at all, so it's danger all around. :D Anyway, Clopon's arrogant demeanor being a cover up for her own insecurities makes perfect sense once you know her entire story. I don't care what her face looks like, I love her! Challseus is an interesting twist on the "wise, old mentor" type, since he's so forgetful and, despite his wisdom, a little bumbling. And, urg, at the end I wanted to kill those stupid genius kids; obviously intelligence does not grant common sense. But Challseus is a tough old dude, I have to give him that. Raina and Auden were interesting, though I missed out on Raina's favor points. As a whole, all characters (and villains) were well-fleshed out. I kinda have to feel for Aloia, although she seems scarily obsessive. Thanks sooo much for making such an involved and well-crafted game. I was actually dreading my level-ups because I knew they were bringing me closer to the end . . . | 09-15-2008 |
| kingnico | 9.25 | A really interesting module, quite different from anything else I've played. Pros wold definately be the unique battle abilities and leveling up options and some good personalities developed for the henchmen. The story was also quite intriguing, particularly towards the end. Cons would be be the cut scenes. There are definately some spectacular ones, but I felt there were a few too many and, as a fast reader, there were some that dragged. Yet, overall I really liked it and its kinda sad it looks like there will never be a part three :( | 08-02-2008 |
| M.D. Contra | 9.00 | Top module, but not without some annoyances. The combat is pretty unbalanced, the special abilities are bugged and some story parts aren't well explained (the whole political situation wasn't well explained, the part where the female ranger mets here cornugon-turned lover came suddenly and without explanation etc.). Otherwise a rather enjoyable experience. | 07-25-2008 |
| lemstuff | 9.75 | I agree, this is the best module I have seen. NWV needs a better reward system because some efforts need compensation. One question. The dungeon of summoners has two jump portals, first and fourth floors. Are we supposed to be able to use them? I know there is a way around floor four. lemstuff | 07-01-2008 |
| jp2k1 | 10.00 | Other than the dialogue, which can sometimes be a bit unsophisticated and perhaps inappropriate, this is a tremendously entertaining game. Great story, cutscenes, battle scenes. I really like the combined use of powers ala console RPG games. Fantastic. | 05-18-2008 |
| Frostbringer | 9.75 | Great unique module. Probably not something for D&D purists, but great for people who grow up with console rpgs like Final Fantasy. I also liked the long, professional done, cut scenes, although I guess for some they are a bit too long... But well since I played Xenosaga I am used to even longer ones!^^ I just hope there will be a conclusion someday to the story, even if it´s just something incomplete like HexCoda-02, but at least brings the story to an end. Some minor things though. I could buy a Boundary warden leather armor with the stats of a full plate armor in Dematol ... I didnt used it though, since that felt like cheating; and Challseus didnt disappeared from the map as he had to go to Stramadon with the High elder. | 05-08-2008 |
| Flyte | 9.75 | This is one of my favourite modules. I download modules every month, so I have a lot of them. I even took the time to download all the custom music, something I never do, but I had to and it really sets the mood for the game. I really hope that there will be a next chapter. Keep up the great work! | 04-21-2008 |
| Sygmus | 10.00 | Good Stuff | 04-16-2008 |
| Rising Phoenix | 9.75 | Forgot to vote first time...*sigh* I to won't repeat what has been said before, but thank you, thank, thank you, THANK YOU for a great mod and I too look forward to a (great)ending. The only think I didn't like was the non instrumental final fantasy music... Surely a great mod like this deserves powerful instrumental music throughout. Please Challseus don't leave us hanging (and please create for NWN 1 as my puny laptop cannot run NWN 2 *sob*) Cheers! Rising Phoenix | 04-13-2008 |
| molletje | 10.00 | I am not going to repeat all those words of praise Challseus rightly received over the last years for his remarkable modules of the Rose 1 and 2. I played NMN 1 and 2, the expansions and a lot of modules, but these 2 modules are in every aspect beyond anything else. Dear Challseus, I know you are a busy man, but this story deserves an ending; do it for us and for yourself. Anyway what ever the future may bring, thanks for the dedication you already put into it. | 04-07-2008 |
| shuurai | 9.75 | Really, really excellent pair of mods. Beautiful areas, great plot, interesting characters. My only complaint is the cliffhanger ending and having to wait for the next part! I for one am hoping that you complete the story in NWN1... I just really never enjoyed playing NWN2; it's pretty but that is frankly all it has going for it. Don't like the interface, don't like the switching back and forth between characters (for me that kills the role-play aspect), don't like the slow gameplay... Anyway, sorry for the rant. Looking forward to seeing the next part of Rose no matter where it's at :) | 03-31-2008 |
| d'archon | 9.75 | I just finished your module, and I have to say I truly enjoyed every moment of the journey. Well, except the moments when Aramus got stuck in the 'ready' stance in the middle of a combat and would not complete any action after that. It seems that I suffered from the same problem as Abhorsen327 above, but for me it happened also outside of the arena. The only way I found to resolve the situation was reloading, or sometimes waiting out a few (about 1-3) combats. The latter I discovered before taking the habit of saving after (and before) every combat: my last save being over an hour away, I was almost biting my nails hoping my (then weak) companions to survive the battles while Aramus was calmly sitting on his ass. Oh, I played the Linux version of NWN 1.68 (on AMD64) with CEP 1.52. Apart from this grief, the only things I can complain about were minor graphics glitches. Sometimes a 'shaky' camera made it impossible to follow cutscene dialogue, but luckily one can read it later on in the log. The animations and other tweaks (from the haks, right?) were a refreshing change, though the halo on Kain's sword was just white boxes that often covered the whole torso of the character (maybe this just happens to me?). I wonder if the 'freezing problem' of Aramus's is connected to animations? However, all this is insignificant in comparison with the positive aspects of the game. The music is great! It creates the atmosphere almost on its own. The best thing, however, is the captivatingly intriguing storyline. I only hope that you can somehow find the time to finish the story of 'the six'. The game world is so immersive that the only time I remembered I was playing NWN was when levelling up! By the way, Aramus was my first pure L10 fighter and -- I thought I'd never say this -- the combat never got boring. Merit goes to all the combat system enhancements, new 'monsters' and adequate challenge. Which reminds me: Aramus could use a few more AC points, although Stramadonian regeneration III compensates well in the later stages. Thank you for a wonderful game! | 03-28-2008 |
| Abhorsen327 | 9.75 | I just finished playing this, wonderful module! Would have warranted a 10 other than one glitch I experienced: While fighting in the arena, several times, Aramus seemingly "froze", unable to perform any combat actions or actions such as reading the manual. Dying/respawning, saving/reloading, moving from area to area, and equipping different equipment made no difference to this state, I had to reload from a savegame to fix it. FYI I'm using a MacBook Pro 2GHz, 2 Mb RAM, running OSX 10.5.2, with fully updated Neverwinter and an ATI Radeon X1600. This bug wasn't a big deal, but you might want to look into it Other than that, the module was wonderful! I especially liked all the custom abilities. Thank you for your effort in creating this masterpiece! | 03-07-2008 |
| CookiesAndMilk | 10.00 | Just got to playing this series. The ending does leave us hanging for a part 3 and proper conclusion. Really well done, when I reached the end I was literally "crap, its over" Very professional and innovative. This is one of few modules that I actually felt something for the characters and wondered what would happen to them next. Looks like NVN1 won't be leaving my PC anytime soon while I wait for user-made content for NVN2 Thank you for this great piece of art. | 02-08-2008 |
| cancha | 9.75 | WHOA!! That was some module! The story is just amazing. It was a bit confusing through the Dematol - City of tears part... as it was not very clear where we had to go and I found myself stuck a couple of times but after that, it was smooth sailing through the whole chapter. Combat was pretty hard though, and I had to set the difficulty level to easy a couple of times to make it through. Dungeon of summons was hard too (never completed it). I just loved the cutscenes (as in chapter one) and particularly the epilogue. I'm worried though. I heard you had put aside the chapter 3 project!?! If this is true, it's very disappointing. Many great multi-chapter modules are posted on the vault, they set up a great story leaving you wanting more, and then, just as you've spent many hours of your evenings to get to the last chapter, you learn that the creator had to put aside the project, leaving you with an endless story. I really hope you find a way to complete the story. Its only the fifth custom module I play (picked out from the hall of fame) and so far, three of the had no ending!! Well, I know everyone has obligations and must go on with their lives but... Still I must thank you for the great module, it was very entertaining and ranks up there in my top 2 (and both of them have a missing sequel... oddly enough) | 01-25-2008 |
| Elessra | 10.00 | Thank you for this fantastic module! (well, both modules). The story and characterisation were both great...definitely the most fun I've had on NWN. I particularly enjoyed the extra abilities and items in combat...I've always missed having control over the party (such as in Baldur's Gate 2), and this module put back that element of strategy. The characters were also great...I've rarely felt this involved with a game. Also glad to see more dialogue boxes and less auto scenes than the first module as you can click through at your own pace (ie quicker). One minor problem I noticed.... *****possible spoiler****** Some cutscenes towards the end had people and words going off the edge of the screen, such as Aloia at the Fort at the end, and Raina's extra cutscene in the Boundary , where she appeared to be talking to a statue with no responses(?) But yes...thanks again for such an original and captivating module, I look forward to Chapter 3! | 01-19-2008 |
| Sawyerr | 9.75 | Excellent series, intelligent and rich, with very good gameplay and story. I don't like predetermined characters, but I understand the importance of having one here. Keep the good job. | 12-10-2007 |
| redaxe90 | 10.00 | One of the best written modules I've come across in ages. Great fun and endless source of frustration until I figured out how to get somewhere. Excellent job and I can't wait for Chapter 3 | 12-02-2007 |
| Copperhawk | 10.00 | Just finished Chapter 2. Firstly, I am not the type of gamers that enjoy the Japanese style of RPG games. Those type of games are just too linear. Combat is usually very tiresome and repetitive. I can see that this game follows many aspect of those type of game. Perhaps the game has been broken into shorter chapters which I find it manageable, or because I simply like how the story unfolds, or perhaps I simply like the message of this game, I find it very enjoyable to me. I can see that this game is finely crafted and I can feel the passion of the designers to create this game. Although I am not the type of person that normally enjoy this type of game, I don't think I can rate it less than 10. That would be highly injustice to the people who devoted their time on it. I am looking forward to Chapter 3, in fact. But I can understand that I cannot put much hope of it, considering the fact that the author is busy with another project. I still wish you can make it. Last but not least, my wholehearted thanks to Challseus for your devotion to create this wonderful and memorable game for us. I am very much impressed. Best wishes to you! Thanks again! | 11-26-2007 |
| Apotre | 9.75 | Encore encore, j'ezn veux encore ;-) Hello!! I'm a french player who doesn't speak english very well, but i want to congratulate you for your work!! I loved playing this module, and i can't wait for the 3rd chapter... don't tell me there is no 3rd chapter, please!!!! The story is great, as for the music. I think i'm going to learn english better... | 11-22-2007 |
| DS Divine | 10.00 | THE FOLLOWING REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SOME MINOR SPOILERS! Ok, i don't usually vote, before i finish the module, but this time i make an exeption (if this is ok, with nwvault staff) For the first time im actually...stuck in module, because i couldn't beat the boss. For the first time, i played a module, that was as enjoyable as it was challenging. (well, Saleron's Gambit is another one) Once I started the chapter one, i couldn't stop playing. It was better than some real games i bought in game store. The gamelay, characters and, i should highlight the word- story, was incredible. I always enjoyed the low level modules. These are the only really challenging i think. This is the first module, where i actually got stuck, because i couldn't beat the boss. (I think, because i rushed a little through the story, oops) The Kain. As an anticheater, im still stuck and can't process forward, perhaps i will begin everything form scratch, from Chapter One. (Yes, its so good, that im ready to play it again) The only thing i could point my finger and say "Hey, i didn't liked this" | 11-16-2007 |
| Arik | 9.00 | I'll keep this quick: where The Coming covered the opening section of the traditional JRPG format and therefore ended just as it was starting to get going, Cry the Beloved is infinitely more meaty. Unfortunately it starts quite slowly, refamiliarising the player with the game world in a limited space and reintroducing you to the characters, which seemed unnecessary. The opening section of the game is the weakest - the tone is overbearingly maudlin and the writing, which was often complained about in The Coming but never bothered me to any degree, grates very quickly. But any concerns I had the game gradually melted away after getting out of the city. The previous game's areas are treated as old friends, which at first seems ridiculous as it isn't long since you left them in The Coming, but I was genuinely glad to return to Aribine. Any initial concerns about the writing dissolve as the game draws you in with its lovingly crafted atmosphere. And it only gets better from this point on. It's no small thing for an RPG to make you care about its world and its characters, but Cry the Beloved manages it. Where in the previous module the new systems were little more than tantalising promises, here the player is given all kinds of last resort, distinctive development and special abilities, and has masses of opportunity to experiment with them. The systems provide a genuinely interesting twist and manage to make NWN's generally mediocre combat actually fun, which is a huge achievement in my book. By the end I felt like I'd had a really good opportunity to explore them too, and it never felt like I was playing part of a game - indeed, the game's length and structure make it seem like Rose of Eternity: parts 2 and 3 together, giving a shedload of room for character development. It's extraordinarily generous. I can't believe I took 11 months before getting around to writing this review, but I'm certain Challseus knows just how good this game is - it answers all the criticisms laid on The Coming and then some. This is clearly a labour of love, and it deserves love in return. | 11-14-2007 |
| Ipsissimus | 10.00 | I haven't played NWN in about 2 years and thought I'd waste some time on a user module. I've looked at some of the new top ranked ones, and I've got to say that yours is THE be user module I've Ever played. I honestly found the experience and fun on the same level as the official campaigns. Thank you for creating a great gaming experience and story! | 11-08-2007 |
| socks of speed | 10.00 | the first 3 minutes where the garden movie is shown with the enya track earned the 10. The rest was sublime, and for a time threatened ff7 as best game ever for me. would that one could vote an eleven... | 09-19-2007 |
| edomar | 10.00 | amazing history | 09-04-2007 |
| Thrym | 10.00 | I am at a loss of words to describe this module - I never actually rated a module before despite having played many, but I just have to give this a 10. I can't recall any single player game before being this much fun to me, and... I paid for those! ;) I love the characters, each of them. I was worried about the premade char at first, but I grew to like Aramus quickly. His companions all have wonderful, interesting backstories and personalities, and each is very handy in combat. I especially liked Clopon, but then I always liked love-hate relationships in media. The cutscenes were wonderfully made, and the music selections through at the module was simply great - I can't remember a single time I had to fight back tears in a single player game, but you managed to make me have to do it! My favourite cutscene probably was Clopon's flashback when you first go to Adaramus Property. Music-wise, I loved the soundtracks for the battles with Castias and Kain. The special abilities in combat were great. One has to get used to them first, but... wow! The unison attacks are simply spectacular (though I have only used Whirlwind Heal, Antipode, Sym Link and Trinity Beam till now). All of them look great and are very handy (... well, Sym Link wasn't pretty, just very handy - and there is a bug with it, but more of that later). Seeing as there was little equipment to give permanent boni, and Clopon and Challseus prepared very few buff spells, the passive abilities/BoBs were very useful. Especially Stramadonian Regeneration III was a blessing. Many people seem to have found the combat rather hard, but... I personally think it was a bit easy actually. Not -to- easy, but I never had the feeling I was really close to loosing besides in the few battles where Aramus doesn't have Clopon with him. There are a few bugs/issues I encountered, but none of them lowered my enjoyment enough to make me give this anything below a perfect score: - If Aramus and Clopon use Sym Link, and Aramus then shoots a Shrapnel Arrow... well... It seems the Area damage of the arrow triggers the Sym Link extra damage, which when triggers the Area damage as well, which leads to you killing -anything- with one shot: [IMG] Link I would have loved to see Kain's Face though. :p - After completing the Dungeon of Summons and getting the Aura Summon, you can't order Clopon to resummon the Water Constituents (sp?) again if they are destroyed. Not that bad, but the little guys are really, really handy against melee bosses, far more then the Aura one, and it kind of sucks that Clopon actually gets weaker after the trial. No more endless, elicite using tanks. - Allerton did not spawn in the cutscenes for me. - Last but not least, I know you did it for story reasons, but... some of the NPCs could really use a few more places to boost their favour. I mean, as much as I like Clopon, ending with Favour scores of Challseus 1, Auden 3, Raina 7 and Clopon ... 35 ... seemed a bit extreme. ;) All in all, by far the best NWN module I ever played, and by far the best single player experience I had in a looong time. I am happy to see you still post here, when I saw that you hadn't posted at your blog since June, I was already worried there'd be no third part. A big thank you for all the effort you put into this! I had a wonderful time, and I know I will have more of it seeing as I still need to finish the coming with Challseus, and have to go see the favour sequences for people beside Clopon and Raina as well. Thrym | 08-16-2007 |
| jedinite | 9.75 | Fantastic! I was mesmerized by both the 1st and 2nd modules. Excellent story telling! Wonderful mix of cut-scene and normal presentation of story. I Felt like I was reading a fantasy novel, but was the key character and could interact with the novel. Again, outstanding! Looking forward to playing the third installment! Cheers! | 06-11-2007 |
| Tamer1 | 10.00 | One word Comes to my mind... AWESOME a must play for every rpg player | 06-08-2007 |
| AuronLives | 10.00 | Another excellent module, Challseus. It is 100 times better than ROE Chapter 1, as you said. Might I have to lower my vote on the 1st? Or am I just too generous? :) A note to others: There may be spoilers... I loved the music. I even suprised myself by almost immediately remembering the Ward of Romulus/Stramadon background music as being from Chrono Trigger's magic floating city. I haven't played that game in years; I may have to go back to it (even though I have the PSX version with the annoying load times between screens...). Amazing how music can stay with you like that. And I loved the SNES Donkey Kong County cave music in the sewers; it gave me the urge to fight monkeys. :) Also, did I hear the Wings of Light music from _Tales of Legendia_ at Ft. Brigance? Once again, you did a great job on the music. The gameplay was still as great as it was in Chapter 1, with the added bonus of the unison abilities with others besides Clopon. It was cool to unleash Galladoran Inferno and see DOL priestesses fall before me. I loved the boss battles. Kain was especially neat. I see you kept the tradition of never being able to defeat the ultimate boss in just one go. I had a bit of trouble firing off the Trinity Beam, but I managed to get it going eventually. I was a little disappointed that I couldn't fight the Stramadonians. Seven? I could take 'em. I've got the Leaping Boots, come on! But I can't have everything, I guess. :) A point of plot. When Aramus' Sword of Galladoran gets upgraded, it turns black with blue edges. Very cool. I've been re-reading _The Lord of the Rings_ and I remembered that in the _Silmarillion_ and the _Unfinished Tales_, there's a story about a man named Turin who had this creepy black sword, with, you guessed it, edges that glowed blue. That story also involved amnesia, though it wasn't Turin's. (I have a whole mess of Tolkein's books on the history of Middle-Earth.) I'm glad I managed to get all the bonus Favor cutscenes, including Challseus'. And I was just trying to be nice to everyone without hurting anyone else's feelings like the bleeding heart I am. The only exception was that blatantly mod-builder-inspired Auroran painter that I had to rate a 6 for Clopon's sake. :) I found out something strange. You can get unlimited favor points for Auden at the entrance to the Heart of the Boundary where you fight the Cornugon as long as you don't go in. I got 100 favor points for him that way. Weird, yes, but it didn't seem to cause any problems. The Arena was nice for gold, Bonds of Battle Points, EXP, and goodies. Though I never had a problem with gold because in Chapter 1, I took the warning most literally and removed Challseus' robe before ending the game. That gave me 16000 gold or something like that when I sold it to Aribine's nice and generous blacksmith. Again, this is wonderful, wonderful module, and I hope that, someday, you'll get around to ROE Chapter 3. Chapter 2 left me wanting more, and that's what every module maker, every game maker should strive for. Cheers, Challseus! :) | 06-04-2007 |
| Trunammer | 10.00 | Having played chapter 1, I thought it was a great module. The cutscenes were perfect and really loved the music. Chapter 2 is just AMAZING! It's one of my favourite modules for nwn1. I can hardly wait for chapter 3! | 05-24-2007 |
| pepa | 8.50 | too slow | 05-24-2007 |
| Picaro | 9.50 | Terrific design and use of music. The combat is well balanced and feels "meaningful" rather than random; and the unique abilities such as Bonds of Battle, Unision, Last Resorts, Passive Abilities give a very fresh feel to an NWN module showing there's life in the old dog yet. Quite interesting companions and enjoyed the favour system. However, with so many cut-scenes, very strong feel of being taken through a story with not too much opportunity to shape your own character, thanks to only one dialogue option at many key points. One of the best mods of its ilk and very enjoyable but occasionally frustrating and not quite perfect. Having changed PCs since playing RoE 1 I started with a brand new character but gave up and managed to find an old character export from back ups...which leveled up to 4 almost immediately - this was a huge benefit, so I'd definitely recommend playing through RoE 1 rather than starting with this one. Given that there's no autosave of your character at the end and no opportunity to do so once the epilogue starts, I assume we will not play Aramus in the sequel? | 05-19-2007 |
| Jared704 | 10.00 | wow this module was great. The custom combat animations were awesome and the DD points and BoB stuff really gave the game a unique feel. What really made this one of my favorite modules is the story. I always wanted to see what happened next. I hope the next chapter will be coming out soon. | 05-15-2007 |
| Nithrakis | 10.00 | Outstanding! Having just finished Chapter 1 yesterday morning I moved on to Chapter 2 and played through it in two long but enjoyable gaming sessions. Without a doubt this is amongst the best PC RPG experiences I've had and I've been playing RPGs since 1990 on both consoles and the PC. With this module you have successfully made a console like game feel perfectly at home on the PC platform. This is no easy feat but you and your team have successfully mastered the task. I'm looking forward to Chapter 3 and I for one hope it's released for NWN 1, since I personally prefer it to 2. Perhaps my feelings will change on this with the release of the upcoming expansion. In any case, I'm sure I'll enjoy it immensely! | 05-13-2007 |
| skowl | 10.00 | Even finer than the original. I don't know that modules get much better than this! | 04-28-2007 |
| cmav | 10.00 | Great work, I hope see soon the trhird part | 04-23-2007 |
| TallJimbo | 10.00 | I was sorta unsure how to vote this one - the game dynamics and combat are so far above everything else I've seen, but the story was just "moderately good" (though it did show signs of becoming more interesting in the future). But then got to the part with Clopon floating in the air with the Little Mermaid music, and that settled it. 10. Easy. | 04-22-2007 |
| Le Parcheminé | 6.00 | Very good job, but average scenario. | 04-11-2007 |
| The_Pulverizer | 10.00 | Awesome module! I especially liked the excellent cut-scenes that make it seem like being part of a (very well-made) movie. Eagerly awaiting the next chapter. | 04-07-2007 |
| Erzmagier | 9.75 | Really a great module. I can't wait until part tree. The story is fantastic and everything else too ;-). Please hurry up to finish part three ! greetings from Germany | 03-23-2007 |
| Darkling42 | 10.00 | Today, we're all about junk - junk food, junk movies, junk TV. They may be momentarily satisfying, but there's no substance. I loved this module because it's the five star cuisine of gaming. Most of the puzzles were well thought out and well executed. The characters were believable and worthy of empathy. The story was interesting and the world was detailed. Usually, games are created with a story that is an excuse for the action. It was obvious with this module that the story came first and any action flowed fairly naturally out of that. It was a well-written story, too. There's nothing I like more than sophisticated "bad guys." The enemies in this mod had a reason for doing what they do and it was easy to see how they could think that way... even while pounding the snot out of them. I've been trained by games to expect loot off of every thing I kill (who knew woodland critters had pockets!) so the low levels of treasure in this mod took some getting used to. The thing is, it made finally getting something a notable event. I didn't find money just lying around the forest. I had to work for it, worry about having enough, and then spend it wisely. It added a nice touch of realism. I am willing to forgive any rough patches I ran into while playing because this was a professional level game without professional level staffing or a professional level budget. I can't imagine the time and effort put into this by the people who worked on it. I am seriously impressed. I read somewhere that you were trying to get back to the games of your younger days. You learned your lessons well because the characters and the story drove this module and that's what makes it so great. I look forward with great anticipation to the next chapter. | 03-12-2007 |
| Leprechaun_boy3 | 10.00 | BEST module Ive played. Great characters Great music Awesome story And sooooo much custom content I doubt Ill play a better module for NWN1, unless Chapter 3 is even more fun. | 03-11-2007 |
| cmrenberg | 10.00 | Absolutely fantastic. Cut scenes add so much to the story telling. It makes a true fantasy adventure out of the module. Some of the cut scenes take awhile to go thru but that may be because my PC is a little older and perhaps slower. I wish there was a way to hit a key and progress thru them faster like in a powerpoint display. But overall the experience was very fulfilling. I can hardly wait for Chapter 3. | 03-04-2007 |
| guises | 10.00 | This is really... fantastic. I played through chapter one and thought that it was impressive, but chapter two really blew me away. If it's going to be another year before chapter three though, I'm going to be unhappy. note: 9 to 12 hours? Took me double that. (not that I'm complaing) | 03-04-2007 |
| Rakthor | 9.75 | Great job, Challseus! One of the best modules out there. You were right when you told me it was 10x better than the first. I only had some very minor issues that others have addressed, but nothing that lessened the excellent gaming experience. I hope to see the Chapter Three soon! Rakthor | 02-25-2007 |
| Gaeldrin | 10.00 | Great game | 02-22-2007 |
| Xadfael | 9.50 | Splendid : animations, dialogs, additional game system... Only a bit difficult from time to time for a basic player like me. | 02-18-2007 |
| Kenzeitak | 10.00 | Ive just gotta say. WOW! Man this is a great module. Played through the first one and liked it better than the official NWN. Then with this chapter 2 I mean... There were 3 places where I thought the mod would go "CONGRATULATIONS! END OF CHAPTER 2" but no no no, it kept going =) Thankfully! I can hardly imagine how much scripting you must have been through to make it so bug free! I only encountered 2 bugs. *One was that I got stuck in the arena in Demotol, but as I usually do, I save before every fight so no disaster. -Solution might be placing a ladder or something you can only use when out of combat, or an additional script that checks if you're out of combat and if you are, keeps teleporting you back out every 10 seconds or something. *Challseus keeps changing his clothing back and fourth even though I've never asked him to. This causes some stuttering when he does it but otherwise its fine. -Solution might be adding an option like: "Let me decide your equipment" preventing auto equip scripts from running. I havn't finished it yet and read in the walkthrough that the third floor in the apprentice dungeon will open once you have 5 party members. Right now its a small room which made me a little confused. Perhaps some note could be added there? One thing I missed in chapter 2 was the inquiry option, like asking your team members how they feel about choices you make or just general thing. Not something that must be done, but theres always room for improvement! Thanks again for this wonderful module =) It really is better than official NWN haha, Bioware should hire you! Regards!! | 02-07-2007 |
| skyyspam | 10.00 | Loved it...AND the first chapter. I want more!! | 02-03-2007 |
| matebier | 10.00 | Best module I've ever played. Keep up the good work | 02-02-2007 |
| Hesor | 10.00 | Great! It's a fantastic story, sometimes sad, sometimes also funny, thrilling and also romantic . The story isn't finished but there is a really large finish scene. And plans of chapter 3 already exists :-) Group Characters are really nice, each one has a different behavior. I liked the favor point, worse I was not able to see Rainas because I did her quest after the favor check. Is there a possibility to view the cutscene without playing? I also liked the musik, it was so matching. And there were so many cutscenes, it was like being-acting in a story. Very interesting battle system, it must took weeks to develop it. Also I had a long playtime. *->Spoiler* My favorite cutscene was the one with Clopon arriving at her master's home. Is there any possibility to help Raina to free her love? I'm also wondering why does Kain attack Aramus. And it seems that Aloia does really loves him. A real intricate story. *<- Spoiler end* I hope chapter 3 will be released :-), and I really belief that you will finish it. But if you won't be able to, for what reasons- I don't know, please let us know only the story. It's so a nice story and it would be more as sad, if it won't be told. (I'm already being gutted of witch wake, wich was so a mystic good story and it stopped in the middle without telling you anything. And there is no planing of finishig it. Really sad for the storywriter and for all players) Acclamation to all your Team Members! Your module is better than the original NeverWinterNight Story!!! - I hope I'd chosen the right words, if not, please know, there should just favor and kind word be written - Regards, Hesor | 02-01-2007 |
| gromshluk | 9.00 | terrific module but drastically need a walkthrough, so easy to miss 40% of the game. | 01-29-2007 |
| Brian003 | 10.00 | Very Well done. Keep up the good work in Chapter 3! | 01-28-2007 |
| Steve_Savicki | 9.25 | Okay, I reloaded a saved game outside the castle and finished the module. BREAKDOWN IS AS FOLLOWS: (VOTING COMMENT:) -.25: meat regarding the dogs: I smoked all the meat from the guardhouse and the dog didn't take it. I didn't like having to reload just to keep some raw meat. A starving dog would eat ANY type of meat. I hope you fix that. -.25: runestones: I missed that runestone in the green gem circle on level 2 so I teleported at the one at the beginning of the gemstone X puzzle. Still transports me in front of Adaramus' property, but with no new event trigger which means: -.25: Overall general linearity such is doing level 3 and not going to Lord Montilo's house yet. No clue I had to, I just kept dying from the laser statues until Challseus (Leonard) told me to go back. Just needs some fine polishing. | 01-28-2007 |
| StealthWinsBattles | 10.00 | An excellent module. Must have taken a huge amount of effort, which certainly paid off. | 01-27-2007 |
| saphirefenix | 10.00 | This is the best, it is the only game I have ever played that has inspired me so much!! | 01-22-2007 |
| Azhi Dahaka | 10.00 | Amazing module. The characters are wonderfully fleshed out, and both the music and the new gameplay made me remember a kind of RPG I have not played for a long time... Thank you. | 01-21-2007 |
| Andreas Fairlight | 9.75 | I have to spare 0.25 because i didn't like some fights THAT much... but the module was truly one of the best i heve ever played! :) Congratulations especially for the story and the character of Clopon.. Thanks, Challseus!! | 01-19-2007 |
| aske | 10.00 | This is a Masterpiece... Thanks for this wonderful module. I love you guys, keep on making us dream! | 01-19-2007 |
| reservoir_dog | 10.00 | well played ROE thru and it's hell the best rpg-experience I had for quite a while.. I know that a single word can hardly be able to transport my appreciation for your work but anyway there is nothing left for me but to say: thanks, dude | 01-17-2007 |
| Jidokwon | 10.00 | One hell of an adventure! Had a couple of lockups with two of the cutscenes, but that's likely on my end. Combat was tough, score was great, puzzles were challenging, and with the EQ references I'll have to dust off the old monk on Test. Looking forward to more. | 01-17-2007 |
| balinier | 9.50 | The amount of cutscenes in the Frist modules had disturbed me a bit. I guess I was more comfortable in CTB. I really enjoyed this module and it's predecessor. Thank you Balinier | 01-16-2007 |
| TiffneyA | 9.75 | Thank You and everyone associated with making this module and the first one. I know your on break, and thinking of maybe making the next module on NWN2, but consider this, everyone who is awaiting the next module definately has NWN1 and will still have it years from now. Story has me awaiting to see how it ends. I still can't get the riddle thing even with the number clue given, is there a max length to an answer? NPC dialog is lacking, but I generally don't much to the NPC's anyway. I enjoyed this module very much, thanks again for it. | 01-15-2007 |
| Aragorn92 | 10.00 | I'm in the Danue Mountains, killed all the enemies in the first screen.. but there's no exit except the one back where I came from? what's going on? | 01-12-2007 |
| rawbee | 7.50 | Very creative game with so many extras and innovation to the builders credit. However, like the first part I thought the story was slow and the dialogue was really lacking. There was very little depth to any of the NPC characters or the background world. I think this an important contribution, but I can't quite understand this being rated as the top game overall for NWN1. | 01-11-2007 |
| Sliders | 10.00 | A wrote the following for chapter 1 "Great story, music, atmosphere. Everything just blends together wonderfully.". Chapter 2 is all of this squared. | 01-09-2007 |
| Vukodlak | 9.75 | Think about this major complication from moving the next part to NWN2 playing the orignal again would gain no benifit. You couldn't carry over favor points or how you upgraded your weapons and equipment. The choices you make in part 1 effect part 2. But if part 3 is for NWN2 then the choies made in part 1 and 2 will mean nothing. NWN is a great game people will still be playing it in 2008. HELL people are still playing and modding Baldur's Gate II. | 01-09-2007 |
| Kshatriya | 10.00 | Quite an experience, thank you for making this. | 01-06-2007 |
| Neothanos | 10.00 | Top notch storytelling and inovative combat system. Can't wait for the sequel you made the story too good! | 01-01-2007 |
| Capi duffman | 10.00 | hi challseus! I readed that you want to make the third part in nwn2. but it´s impossible to use the characters of the nwn1 in nwn2. Are you sure it´s a good idea to continue the saga in another toolset? | 12-29-2006 |
| Gaias | 8.25 | Well I just finished this modules a few hours ago, so I figured I might as well voted on it. ;) The Good: Battle system. This is probably your strongest point when it came to this module creation. The Bad: Cutscenes. Didn't like the excessive use of cutscenes in JRPGs, do not like their overuse in this module. I enjoyed it for what is was and did entertain me for a weekend. Good job on your part. :) | 12-26-2006 |
| Slygar | 10.00 | Excellent module. Your first Rose of Eternity mod seemed very overrated to me, it just didnt have any substance. This was many times better, from the clever use of familiar songs to.. well.. everything. Hope to see more of your work soon. As far as historical references, if you didnt pick up on the Dematolian Ghetto and oppression strongly being based on Jewish ghettos in World War 2, well.. damn. Hell, I'd even say the music for that area either came straight out of Schindler's List, or definately sounds like it could have.. | 12-23-2006 |
| alcachino33 | 10.00 | Ah...I finished this one in a day. You really outdid yourself with this one. I'm glad this module was as long as it was. It kept me entertained! Story, scripts...everything is so professional and well-made. There weren't any bugs as far as I could find. My wish is for you to finish up the third chapter soon. I will be waiting! | 12-23-2006 |
| malrion | 10.00 | In addition to being an excellent mod, this has also been an inspiration in my decision to create a module for NWN2. When your module makes other people aspire to create things nearing your quality, you know you've done something right, congratulations challseus | 12-15-2006 |
| Dawnseeker | 10.00 | He he he heee... Hello, Hugie! And, hello, Challseus! I finally finished part two, and it just blew me away! There are few modules that I've played with so much depth, and ROE (1&2) have so much more to offer than the average hack-'n-slash. I suppose it helps some to be of an age where I can still remember my old Super Nintendo fondly. (And Nintendo, Atari, Pong... sheesh!) This I think was perhaps something of a tribute to the good 'ol console games of the past. I certainly am familiar with some of the music tracks that you have included! I appreciate all the work that you have obviously put into this series, and in my opionion, you're a very gifted module writer as well. I want to personally thank you for sharing what must be a labor of love for you with the rest of the NWN community. Thank you and *bravo* !!!! | 12-14-2006 |
| drfrob | 9.75 | Wow, even better than Chapter 1, and that's saying a lot! A few questions/comments: * Kain's sword looks... strange... to say the least. Check Link and kain2.jpg -- is it supposed to look that way? The electricity effect, otoh, is spectacular. * There are some misspellings in recurring messages, like "Stramadonian Regneration I-III" and "Distincive Development" on one of the load screens. * Is it intentional and/or normal that the BoB effects only last for about half of each round before wearing off? (SPOILERS BELOW) * Is there any way to get enough favor from Challseus to see his cutscene without choosing him for Banner Hill? I only got about 2 or 3 points with him as I recall. * In the Summoning Dungeon, I actually got all but the 2 farthest shades down before I could deal with the statues by making a few running shots before heading back to heal. It was very time-consuming, though. ;) * My strategy on the bone devourers was a bit different from the walkthrough's: since they are very slow moving, I just got in a couple hits for the BoB points then easily stayed away from them to let Challseus deal with them. * Instead of using colors as in the walkthrough to determine who to take in each place, I found the statues to be clear enough hints, and much more natural. * In the arena, once I got my sword upgraded to the maximum and I was at about level 5 or 6, which I needed to beat the third matches, I found it very easy to beat all the matches except the last singles. I gained a level very quickly that way. :) | 12-13-2006 |
| Pigmygoat | 9.75 | Challseus, props. I've already let you know my personal feelings, so here I will relay the technical. Combat: The combat was genius, the change of style was much needed. The enemies were varied, and emphasis was palced on your special abilities. As a fighter you are par, perhaps subpar. Add a twist of magic and abilities and you suddenly are tactically superior. I think this will tie in well to the storyline. There were a few bugs I encountered while trying to level Aramus as a cleric. Yes, I know, why cleric? Its because it makes the combat quicker. Using the inflict and cure spells are next best to cheating. When you killed a boss using the inflict spells the dialogue would be skipped, forcing a load game. And as Armin stated, the combat could be too drawn out at times. If we are to face hordes of soldiers, at least make them easy to dispatch and infrequent. Overall the balance was well placed and the challenges worthy of the descriptions provided. Tricks and troubles: Very cool plan with the summoning hall. However, multiple times I was bugged out from properly using the blue crystals. Clopon never initiated dialogue like the toolset said she should. I wish I could tell you why. Challsues' favor was nigh impossible to get up, making his cutscene very difficult to view. A few times a large spawn count would crash NWN, but its well worth the sacrifice. The roleplay, I have to say was FUN. The quips and humor, the attention to detail is very desireable. I have to complain about one thing, not enough banter. Interparty dynamics were not what they could have been to polish out a great game. All conversations were directed at Aramus or left him out. It would have been great to have a three way discussion on what Aramaus and crew thought of Clopon, right in front of her. Or perhaps unlock more conversations between checkpoints. The highlight of the module is definately the atmosphere. Sometimes I want to know what my companions are thinking and all they have to say is 'lets move on'. Especially since it is a linear story, and intended to be one, there should be an excess of dialogue if we should so choose. I have a very specific quote for you, Challseus, "Power to the King, baby!" | 12-13-2006 |
| snorklepunch | 10.00 | Unbelievable. Better than the Bioware's nonsense campaigns and infitely better story. 10.00 | 12-12-2006 |
| YorgosD | 10.00 | Compared to The Coming, I wouldn't say that Cry The Beloved is better, but that's because it is impossible to get any better (in my opinion, The Coming is underestimated in its rate). But Cry The Beloved is much longer and complicated, and thus the wait was worth it. I hoped that the game wouldn't end, and I assure you it's one of the few experiences I had with a game that will be remembered for a lifetime. The strongest point, which I personally value most, is the story. At times it gives you the same feeling with reading a good book. The music selection is ideal in most circumstances, and it really sets the appropriate atmosphere for each location. But where it stands out it's the way the cutscenes are used. Most of the times it's like you're seeing a movie, and it's unfortunate that NWN's graphics are poor compared to your ambitions. The new battle systems are also critical, and they required some skilful and creative scripting. All in all it's not just an excellent module, but it's a game itself, development with NWN. A small problem is that while Chapter 1 was flawless, I found some minor bugs in Chapter 2. For example I levelled up before joining with Challseus and Clopon; as a result, Clopon was always one level lower than Aramus. Also a couple of cutscenes/dialogues tended to be broken (entering Dematolia before going to jail, and when talking to Lenin/Lenina just before leaving). However, I understand that due to the complexity of Cry The Beloved, it should be impossible to resolve all issues. | 12-12-2006 |
| Armin | 8.75 | It's a bit tough rating my first mod after a 3 month break from playing NWN1, let alone such a highly praised one. Especially when one does not agree with *all* of the high praise. But after 86 votes I think I can feel free to add whatever rate I feel appropriate ;-) As this module was such a mixed bag for me I really need to break down a vote into categories: Visuals: 10 Without a doubt, this module looks fantastic. Just enough eye candy to keep the system running smoothly, perfectly designed areas that really set the mood and enough variation to keep exploring interesting. Use of custom tilesets and placeables: just the right amount and right where it counts. The cutscenes are in a league of their own. Perfect. Sound: 10 A real wonderful choice of custom music, many from my favourite movie soundtracks. The choice of the Shindler's list theme for Dematol and many other ambient music is just perfect for the mood and atmosphere. Again, great! Technical: 11 One really needs to breaks the voting scale here, as the scripting and all the custom combat options and abilities are groundbreaking and amazingly done. All that and almost completely bug-free (only that "Trinity beam" unison ability never worked for me). Story: 8,5 Now, here's where I need to start cutting back a bit. The writing is excellent, the story wonderfully epic and poetic, some characters really wonderfully done and yet... it's a classical case of just a bit *too* much of everything. Really, the cutscenes, excellent as they are, are too many and too long, the game sometimes slowing to a crawl. Some of the Dematolians pacificsm, some of the Lesarian's atrocities... it's just piled on too heavily. And most of all, *everything* takes a backseat for the story, which seems really to be set into stone (the prisoner telling it in the series of cutscenes from apparently a distant future doesn't help that feeling!). See the next chapter about that, but, really, how many folks did I bash at for *minutes*, just to have them walk away and reappear later...? 3? 4? People who have their head chopped off with a big, two-handed sword should have the good manners to stay down ;-) Roleplaying: 7 See above. When a pre-determined story takes precedence above everything else then the player loses the main part of roleplaying: choices. There are some minor, cosmetic ones to make, but all the major things are predetermined as far actual words being put into *my* characters mouth. I don't mind linearity of story, I wouldn't really mind playing a predetermined character, as long as I had the feeling that there are really some choices that matter left for me to make. This mod really just feels like I'm only along for the ride and being constantly railroaded. 7 for atmosphere and mood, for NPC interaction and many nice minor things, but one of the weak points of this module. Combat: 6 Now here's what really spoiled the fun for me, as combat is such a major part of the experience. I wouldn't mind letting the D&D system go if it was replaced with something exciting, tactically challenging and fun, but frankly, this isn't. The combat is tedious, boring and a category one immersion breaker. I find my character constantly facing an uphill battle against artificial, absurd enemies from another universe (a plain MoJ footsoldier already has more hitpoints and better AC than my hero, most other enemies are just... silly) and yet it is completely easy, as I have all the power-ups to counter that. Sometimes it feels like one step beyond the console-style RPGs that are obviously what's aimed for. I actually had to think of Pac Man several times. Here are the ghosts, ridiculously untouchable, until you eat the power pill, then they are harmless dead meat... ;-) I really could not find excitement, a tactical challenge or suspense in battles that feel like... felling trees in lack of a better picture. I failed to see the point in depleting hordes of enemies of their hundreds and hundreds and then some hitpoints. Just chipping away at them for minutes, hitting the right special ability buttons and having the necessary potions handy, and it's all walk in the park. A long and tedious one, sorry to say. 6 points for all the effort, the incredible technical execution and a working - even if not fun for me personally - balance. So, this makes for an overall score of 8,75. Great work, many aspects are fantastic, yet it kinda failed to work for me. Would I cast a vote purely for personal enjoyment I'd go with the 6 I cast for the combat, as that's what it boiled down to in the end: I just wanted the endless battles to be done with and see how the story goes on. Speaking of the story going on: there's a part 3 announced, yet the character is not saved in the end? That a bug? | 12-12-2006 |
| MeltdownZero | 10.00 | An outstanding piece of storytelling talent, artistic flair, and no small amount of creative object-oriented programming if I do say so myself! I don't think I got as much out of it as I could have, because honestly the Bonds of Battle points, DD points, and upgrades to the sword and ring were too time-consuming to even worry about. I found having to spend time whomping enemies to get my level up a bit of a downer, and having to worry about BoB and DD points on top of standard experience points just kinda pushed the limit. Detracted from the overall enjoyment...which puts me in a sort of conundrum because I really did like that Stramdonian Regeneration. (I just wish I didn't have to work for it hehe). A suggestion for RoE3: Monster spawning areas, to make leveling up easier and less detracting from the story experience. Like for instance, a spider lair where spiders spawn every 30 seconds or so. You can just stick around and whack spiders to level up until your supplies run low. More effective use of the gamer's time than having to SEARCH for things to kill. :P My only regret is that now I'll have to twiddle my thumbs for an eon until RoE3 comes out. ;) | 12-12-2006 |
| Uberschwein | 10.00 | f*kkin' great mod, all my 10's belong to this one. | 12-08-2006 |
| ForeverEndeavor | 10.00 | I am SO impressed with this module. The story is great and the gameplay brings a totally new level and approach to NWN. I dare say that this has been the most fun that I've had with NWN since I've bought the game, online or off. | 12-04-2006 |
| Icicle | 10.00 | Sheer perfection. Poetry in programming. It would be criminal to bring a person to the pinnacle of this beautifully renditioned story and not to finish it. | 12-03-2006 |
| Vashek | 10.00 | Really great series! I cannot wait for chapter 3! | 12-01-2006 |
| whitevoid | 9.50 | Hey All, This is a superb module, with a lot more polish and finesse in its design than any of the official campains or expansion packs. It's closer to Daggerford I'd say, but still in a league of its own. Anyway, I've been playing through it and I'm just at the beginning of Chapter 2. I've had a few bugs: In the forest ruins in Chapter 1 the Bone Pile that I assume was to contain the key to the big locked door froze my NWN every time I tried to open it. In the Challseus quest the box I'm supposed to open after answering all the query globes during the trials did the same thing; freezing my NWN upon attempting to open it. Now that I'm in chapter 2 I have a major problem. I explored the whole city including going all the way to Adaramus' house by myself before returning to Clopin and Challseus at the inn. Now I'm stuck in the docks and when I try to go to the main city area through the gates NWN freezes! It's very frustrating and I can't figure out any way to get out without restarting the whole Chapter. Is there a Debug code which will automatically spawn me in the Ghetto? perhaps if I'm there it will solve the issue? | 11-28-2006 |
| eledin | 10.00 | One of the best NWN modules i ever played! It's just perfect! | 11-27-2006 |
| Goodkill | 10.00 | There were a few things that didn't quite suit *my* tastes, but in comparison to the other stuff up on the vault, this module surpasses a ten. | 11-27-2006 |
| E.C.Patterson | 9.75 | Fabulous. Sets a new standard in what can be done in NWN. Some clear improvements on Chapter 1. Final boss battle long and tedious though. Eager to play chapter 3. | 11-24-2006 |
| sqrunt | 9.75 | HAH!!! I figured out what the problem was?. Incomplete downloads!! Once I dl'd the complete files it worked!!! As for the first chapter; so far, I think its awesome. I can?t wait to do chap2. Thanks for the assist. | 11-23-2006 |
| DarkSkye | 10.00 | Excellent work, great story and addicting gameplay. Easily the best mod I've played. | 11-21-2006 |
| Ceki.cebob | 10.00 | Excellent mod, the best I've ever played... Thanks you for this very addictive story. | 11-19-2006 |
| BraliusMelchior | 10.00 | Even having known a lot of what to expect - this chapter took my breath away. A perfect 10 for the best module on the vault... well done, my friend! | 11-19-2006 |
| Original-Nickname | 10.00 | Problem solved for some reason... I extracted all of the haks and overides files into the appropriate folders on top of the old files, started a new game again, and got to see the sword again. I wonder what was wrong the second time... Anyway, My charcter was Aramus that finished the first game, that you yourself supplied in the first chapter, if that helps prenvting the bug from reacurring. And one other thing: is Aramus overcompencating for something important with that greatsword of his? I'm curious :-P | 11-15-2006 |
| sandandmercury | 10.00 | Amazing work! | 11-15-2006 |
| fardoche77 | 10.00 | Thanks a lot Challseus! This is the best of the best, And I've played a lot of great modules on the vault, like Alazander's, Stefan Gagne's, Rick Burton's, Fabien Cerruti's and so on. By the way, is it just a coincidence that we find the same Enya song in RoE1 AND in "Exil a l'Est"? Cause that mod was done waaayy before yours, at least in its french version. Anyway, what is so great about the RoE series is that it combines a very original game system (at least for NWN!) with, simply put, a lot of very fun gameplay. Many modules are fun, but not original at all and SOME are quite original but aren't that fun. Codepoetz's Kiss of Fate might come close, but it still isn't as entertaining. And now some criticisms (that's what I always do best) MILD SPOILERS Well, I realize my criticisms are mostly a matter a taste. So be it. If the game system is original, the story, while being certainly engaging, is not that original. Stephen King's rose meets Terry Goodkind. The Boundary, Boundary Warders and a guy carrying around a huge sword of light (and truth?) is still pretty cool idea, but Goodkind's books aren't. They stink to high heaven, so anything that reminds me of him is a bad thing. At least you didn't implement (as far as I could tell) Goodkind's horrible philosophy. What's funny is that when I read the interview on the vault, you just mentioned Robert Jordan, not King or Goodkind. Well, yeah, Clopon is bitching all the time, just like the women in WoT. What else? STRONG SPOILERS Finally, I couldn't find the treasure on the fourth floor of the DoS. I smashed all the fire statues BEFORE finding the treasure locator on the second floor. Is that a problem? If not, what did I miss? | 11-14-2006 |
| Cyberjackal | 10.00 | Awesome...would make great online multi-play on my dedicated server :D | 11-12-2006 |
| kasiel24 | 10.00 | Congratulations on another astounding achievement! Like the predecessor, this isn't your conventional DnD adventure, rather an independent game that just happened to use the aurora engine. As such it deserves to be accepted by different standards than you ordinary modules on the Vault. One should approach this mod as one would approach any standalone RPG with little preconceptions on what kind of freedom and choicemaking possibilities there would be. Sure there's companions with distinct personalities/abilities, choices/consequences, character-building and exploration ---- i.e. everything that characterizes a good RPG, but because the main focus of ROE is narrative, and in order to do so the has to be some measure of limitation of freedom in character building, so a lot of the gameplays focus shifts to companion diplomacy and "in-combat" tactics. Gripping story and technical prowess aside, it is this change of gameplay focus that ultimately makes ROE so unique and fresh. In essence, this plays very much like your old-school jap-RPGs. Also, challseus has made a very wise move in devoting a lot of development resources in music. As long as narrative is paramount, there will always be a certain mood a developer will want to convey at a particular point in the narrative, and nothing helps more in that aspect than well chosen music. The music selection is surprisingly wide and fitting, and it is clear that challseus has gone through a lot of recordings to find music that fit each circumstance "just-right". Technically, ROE comes to the bleeding edge of what the aurora engine can do. There many times when I cringed at the thought of how much trial and error challseus went through to make certain VERY complex specific-camera-angle-cutscenes and special/unison abilities. Almost to the point where I thought challseus would have has a lot fewer headaches if ROE was made on it's own proprietory engine. Nevertheless, if there was anything that can showcase the true freedom of the underlying scripting system of the aurora engine, ROE is it. All in all, ROE provides a fresh and gripping RPG experience like none other on the Vault. --------------- <<<<A humble suggestion to challseus>>>> - Before you start working on importing your combat systems for the inevitable move to NWN2 I would STRONGLY ADVISE to play the NWN2 official campaign first. Though the scripting system is basically the same, there are quite a few "systems"(for lack of a better term) in the OC that you would be interested in reverse engineering, if only to save time. - You might want to give credits to all the music that was used in your module. A lot of people would want to know where specific pieces came from, and it's also the professional thing to do to give credit where credit is due. | 11-09-2006 |
| vespercirrus | 10.00 | Simply the most amazing mod. Ever. I applaud you. Thanks for everything. 10. | 11-09-2006 |
| han do jin | 10.00 | I was impressed with The Coming but this just blew my socks off!! So much originality in the game play, combat spot-on (if you like it nice and challenging; )and characterisation was superb. NWN2 is all installed and ready for episode 3.... | 11-07-2006 |
| FeyKina | 10.00 | I just finished ?Cry? and have to give it top marks for its sheer scope and imagination. It is a challenge of good proportion , with a depth that few Mods even approach. The cut scenes made the dialog move in a beautiful way. What a great amount of work and dedication! Without a walkthrough was frustrating at times but it is nice to get that ?AHA? experience all on your own. Deep thanks for a work of art.. Wondering about a few things though? - The lovely Kira always there as a Madonna/ Magdalene like conscious ?. What was her purpose at those last battles? ?Guardian angel? perhaps? Carrying on dialog at the Fort was aggravatingly slow in comparison the ease of the rest of game (love those cut scenes) - A little heavy handed on ?being saved by the Father god,? but I suppose that is a big plot point in the struggle. Now that this is complete for NWN, we Mac users despair. Does anyone out there know where we can make our voice heard in the best way? Will it again be years before we can play the new stuff? where can we complain that won?t fall on deaf ears? It?s Very late, I?ve a very sore mouse arm and a very small tear in my eye , I thank you Frater Challseus FeyKina | 11-07-2006 |
| Manne | 10.00 | Truly brilliant. | 11-07-2006 |
| xavori | 9.25 | I just finished this 2nd Chapter, and so I'll give my review on it: Overall: 10 out of 10. There are a few bugs, but nothing that the author can't fix ;). There's also some situations that could've been simpler or easier, but nothing too serious that brings down the mod overall. I liked it more than the 1st one, not only because of the longer duration but because of the music tracks and boss fights. Story: I realize it's linear, and there aren't many options in the main plot, but in my opinion, it's for our own good. The dialogues are fun, entertaining, and well written, and while we get some options here and there, the cinematic dialogues are fine as they are, and I won't request even more effort from Challseus to create options in the main quest that turn the story 180 degrees. Interesting plot-twists, specially near the end. Can't wait for the next chapter to see how it continues. Battles: The bread-and-butter of this game, in a way. Very fun, challenging, and very well done. The boss fights are very, very tough but doable, with the exception of the very last one, which could've been a tad easier, since I was fighting the last boss without ANY potions whatsoever, making things difficult indeed. Music: I wish this could be out of a 100, rather than 10, for I'd like to give 100 to the selection of music tracks for this mod! The music Sacrifice goes excellently with the boss fights, and all the other musics are very well placed in each area. Bugs: Only a few I could find, and unfortunately they were mood-killers for certain sequences of the story. For instance, when Aramus is talking in the cinematic with his 4 companions and the Morrowind theme is playing, the camera behaves as if there was an earthquake, ruining the inspiring mood of the scene. Other than that, I can say with determination that the mod is bug-free. Conclusion: If you love Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, and all that jazz, this mod is a MUST. Even if you've never played those, give it a try, and you'll see :) | 11-06-2006 |
| InsertCoins | 10.00 | probably the best module I ever played and probably one of the best CRPG I ever played as well. The storytelling and the role playing opportunities made me remember the old days of pnp groups. | 11-03-2006 |
| Taine | 10.00 | Finally got tired of waiting for the walkthrough and finished this mod - I was waiting so I wouldn't miss anything, but its pull was greater than my willpower. Anyway, I believe this is the first 10 I've given out. The reason for it, and probably the biggest compliment I can pay to your mod, is that it is the first game since Fallout 2 to keep me so totally and utterly absorbed that I failed to notice the sun rising outside my window after playing through it for the entire night. There were a few issues I had, but apparently they've all been resolved in the recent patches, so I will ignore those. The only real complaint I have is that NWN crashed during the fight with Kain, and then again while loading the epilogue cutscenes. Of course, this is the game's fault and not yours, but it was still annoying. It wasn't perfect, though the rating may imply it is - there were still a few stray grammatical errors, though that's understandable in a game with this much dialogue, and Mathewin's annoyed me enough in his brief conversation to *almost* make me lower the rating. Oh well, you can't please everybody all the time. This was definitely a huge step forward from the first game, and I'll be waiting impatiently for the 3rd chapter. The story really seems to be getting interesting. Thanks for the great mod. | 11-03-2006 |
| KrysNyte | 10.00 | I really enjoyed this module, and chapter one too. But I want to know how do you feed those cats? I saw someone say that someone had some fish but I didn't see that. I'd really like to know this! | 11-03-2006 |
| Faleyrune | 10.00 | did i already voted? i forgot xD well if not here it is... | 11-02-2006 |
| Midnight16 | 10.00 | ARGH! DARN YOU AND YOUR CLIFFHANGERS!!! (Just kidding) Oh man...this mod was just amazing,I think I had a small heart attack due to awe... 1) Amazing custom battle animations and such. 2) Storyline definately has me hooked and it ain't letting me go for a loooooong time. 3) NPCs induce not just hate, but pity and compassion to. (I'm most eager to find out what happens to Castias, I have come to be quite fond of him) 4) If I keep going on, this will take awhile. I hope to see part 3 soon or else I may die of sadness...two BIG thumbs up! | 10-31-2006 |
| MasterChanger | 9.50 | Everything was unique about this module--the way the writing played into it; the combination of abilities (illuminate, leap slash, etc), combat styles, BoBs, etc keep the battles fresh and fun; and the whole atmosphere created by the music (even some Chronotrigger in there) the art, the rolling hills, etc. A couple of minor complaints--and this is why I'm giving this 9.5 instead of 10: a) The cutscenes. Ah, the cutscenes. Truly wonderful, but perhaps a bit overdone. They are much better than dialogue at creating the atmosphere and building a good narrative, but given that you were looking to accomodate more people with different machine specs, it seems like at some point there could be a compromise. Some of the info could be imparted to the player through dialogue or journal entries--not *everything* has to happen by cutscenes. They sometimes either took a ridiculous time to load, or they wouldn't quite work out and somehow they'd get skipped, which I was not trying to do, and then things would be really weird and I couldn't progress, so I had to reload.% | 10-31-2006 |
| Eriol | 10.00 | Congratulations B.R.C. productions for this module or should i say the series. Great story line( i liked the favor system expecialy), great dialogues, great cutscenes ( the most beautifull is in my opinion the ariving for the first time at Adaramus's home), awesome combat system ( leaping slash, last resort ( the way more images of the same person were converted in the caster of the last resort), unison..awesome), great music and the costomised effects were just divine. Once again CONGRATULATIONS!!! | 10-31-2006 |
| FlameofUdun | 10.00 | I love this module I played the first one, and enjoyed so much.. That's the best you can take out of NWN. Yesterday I started the second one, and it's really great.. BUT... There is no walkthrough I searched in the website, it says it will come soon. But I can't wait, I'm stuck. Tried everything... But there is nothing left for me to do, and nowhere to go. | 10-30-2006 |
| Egaskrad | 10.00 | A great module. | 10-30-2006 |
| shappy1010 | 9.00 | Man, you outdone yourself this time, thanks for putting in so much energy and time to create another wonderful RPG experience. This mod by itself is better then many commercial stand alone games. I was playing Titan Quest for a while, but with no story or character interaction it gets old soon, your mod has the perfect bland of action and storytelling. I actually enjoyed the battles more then I did them in the official NWN products, I'm not really too fond of the D&D rules in NWN (I did in BG, but party control worked differently), and your tweaks and added stuff makes it so much more fun. Again a good selection of music, making the cutscenes more dramatic. On a more negative note, the cutscenes where a bit to long here and there (but you must have heard this before) and it is a fairly linear game. At one point I wanted to go back to the dungeon of summons and to town to buy a few potions, but the story kept moving me forward with no going back no more. The same happens here and there with boss fights, there is just no rest at some point where battle after battle takes place, held together by more cutscenes. But in the end, it's a wonderfull story, I can't wait to see the next part, I just hope you will find the time and energy to continue working on this, it would be a shame to never know what really happens to the keeper of the rose. | 10-29-2006 |
| Tourmaline | 10.00 | This is probably the only time I've ever given a solid 10. *Everything* that a player wants to see in a module is here. An addicting and multi-layered plot, well fleshed out party members, combat that makes you think, interesting puzzles, TONS of custom features, stunning graphics, music and cutscenes... all with minimal bugs and spelling errors! (Yes, I am one of those people who nitpick spelling and grammar. I'll proofread text for Part 3 if you like!) Some people here didn't like the puzzles. If anything, they were a bit easy by my standards. You want to see a puzzle that'll make you rip your hair out, try Twilight's maze of lights. Others had problems with Auden, but personally, I rejoice to see a sensible archer companion! Far too often, archer NPCs will rush into the fray and shoot at ridiculously point-blank range. It's ranged combat for a reason, which Auden knows! If you're having issues getting BOB points, spend Auden's DD to max out the accumulation range. I think that was the first thing I did with his DD points. Finally figured out how to correctly use the Trinity Beam, and beat Kain into a bloody pulp shortly thereafter. ::blush:: I can't believe I missed that part of Challseus' dialogue the first time around. Side note: Weapon Master PrC FTW in this mod! Illuminate + Ki Damage = happiness. | 10-28-2006 |
| Mangangatha | 10.00 | Can't wait for NWN 2 (and Chapter 3!) Excellent job, Challseus! | 10-27-2006 |
| Firax | 10.00 | The Coming was my all time favorite mod, being in my eyes leaps and bounds ahead of any other mod I've ever played. That said, Cry the Beloved is leaps and bounds ahead of the Coming. The Rose of Eternity is shaping up to be a true piece of art. Thank you so much for making it. BTW what's the music that plays at night on Admaramous (sp?) Property? I really like that. | 10-25-2006 |
| Drizza | 10.00 | Ok I have to post again I just beat the game and all I have to say is please keep your word on chapter 3. There was a guy name Xalterax who created possible the best rpg wc3 maps (he pushed the limit a lot) called final fantasy forever and didnt complete it. Plz dont go that route man this is a very epic module. Hats off to you man I may buy NwN2 just for this module. | 10-24-2006 |
| magicfx | 9.75 | I think this module has streched the limits of what you can do with NWN. The battles are tough but not too tough if you complete most of the side quest and upgrade your weapons gradually, it works out nicely. I just wish the whole story was complete. I hate it when I can't finish a series after having been drawn in. :) | 10-24-2006 |
| Berra | 10.00 | The continued story of "The Rose of Eternity - The Coming" becomes even better than the first part of the story. Playing this module, is like playing one of those old-school roleplaying games like "Final Fantasy", "Chrono Trigger", "Dragon Quest" etc. and it really succeeds in bringing this old roleplaying magic back to life; once again ... but with an originality beyond limits. :) Great job Challseus! I really enjoyed your work and I must truly say that the wait was well worth it. :) Thanks for putting your soul into this project, since it really shows and you manage to bring this feeling out to the player as well (at least, to me you did). Hope you enjoy your well deserved rest; you have really earned it. :) Later. | 10-24-2006 |
| sirspanky | 10.00 | Challseus, Congratulations on a true piece of art. Creating an epic module like this one starts with having a great story; and you've carefully crafted the beginnings of yours here. Can't wait to see where it goes. I would also like to compliment you on your originality in so many ways - the custom content, character interaction, cinematic narrative and many other qualities, made me feel like I was in a whole different world - kind of like I feel when I read an incredibly engrossing story, or watch one of those films you can't get out of your head for days after. So *Hats off* to you sir - and thank you for a great ride. | 10-24-2006 |
| thasic | 10.00 | I am nearly finished with this module and It is great. The story is linear and the fights are difficult but well worth the effort. | 10-24-2006 |
| hypnotic meat | 10.00 | huzah | 10-23-2006 |
| tan_credd | 9.75 | Stunning bit of work. Cutscenes handled like scenes from a film, using complex camerawork and clever scripting (dialogue, that is). Multi-henchman battles using all kinds of fun new abilities that depend on teamwork, giving the party a very 'Fellowship-of-the-Ring' feel. An epic, multi-layered story with a cast of thousands. The Coming (part 1) promised a lot, and Cry the Beloved delivers. Only a few minor issues prevented me from giving it a 10 - but these are tiny, minor things, and didn't really spoil my enjoyment. | 10-23-2006 |
| Poly_VZ | 9.50 | **Spoiler** I reached the end without having gone back to the trial of summons a second time, I had assumed the story line would lead me back to it. Since my teleporter went away I dont even know if its possible to run all the way back to the trial and if its possible to complete the trial without chal | 10-22-2006 |
| Duchess of Dandelion | 10.00 | What can I say; it is one of the best of the best! I can?t really compare it to anything I have played thus far. I have never seen music nor cut-scenes used so effectively. It was so cinematic. I was very sorry to see it end. I played through the whole thing completely unpatched. So I will be playing again a second time with all the fixes, and I can?t wait! There were some things I missed out on. I never did get back to finish the dungeon of summons, and I never did find any food for the kitties!!! :( As if I needed an excuse to go back and play it a second time. I loved all the little details. I admit that I never thought combat in NWN was too spectacular since it is turn based and rather ho-hum, but all the custom systems in this game made it soooooo much fun, and they really worked out fantastically!!! I was really quite in awe when all the special abilities would activate. I really appreciated the different combat animations as well as the fact that Challseus and Auden would actually distance themselves from the combat. All the party members became so much more than that; you really developed an appreciation for each one of them as separate characters. I loved how all the characters seemed to have their stories or their relationships intertwined and everything seemed interconnected. I was tickled to see Lenin and Lenina work their way back into the story. I got a kick out of Raina ?cus I?m a big purple freak myself, and I have to admit I have a big soft spot for Auden ;) Someone mentioned before that Cry the Beloved is a fitting farewell for NWN, and I would say that is true. I can?t imagine a more stunning mod to see it off. It makes it seem all the more poignant. I beg you Challs ? don?t abandon this series now! (although you most definitely deserve a well-earned break) But, I would buy NWN2 even if it was solely in order to play the next part of this story!!! | 10-22-2006 |
| Shaeun_Fae | 10.00 | I very much enjoyed this mod. It had everything an enthralling story, a mystery still not quite solved, exciting gameplay, and it even had that extraordinary new playing and action system. Full votes and kudos go to Challseus for such hard work and a great adventure. | 10-22-2006 |
| tybae | 10.00 | You have outdone yourself again. Superior gameplay and story. The only downside is the prefab characters. I normally frown on them, but this one is perfectly acceptable because of the story. The intro was a little long, but very well done. Is this a "how much custom content can I fit into one module" attempt? ;P Hope you are making more. Truly entertaining. | 10-22-2006 |
| Jamfletch | 10.00 | Thanks for your work! Is the best module i have ever played and one of my best games. Spoiler: I see one bug in Auden when he join the party the second time: i cant speak with him to level up, change tactics and all the options for the characters. Only appear a dialogue: "i thoug you were arrested......" Because of this I have ended the module with Auden blocked in level 5. The rest is perfect. ill be wanting the next part. How is the 3rd chapter status? Thanks! | 10-22-2006 |
| Phoenix1985 | 10.00 | An excellent mod that has had more custom work put into it than any other I've seen. It surpasses the engine it was built on in many ways, and so far, I have only found one fatal bug (going back to the oddly clothed bear-keeping sparring partner before picking up your 4th party-member means you cannot enter the eastern forest). | 10-22-2006 |
| elfingrey | 10.00 | Challseus, -quote "Blast! The end of my initial post to you was essentially trying to point out that there has been a walkthrough for the Dungeon of Summons since last weekend. Is that enough to get a change of heart, and have you continue the game? :)"-end quote Thank you first off, for your graciousness in the face of some pretty withering criticism. You answered me with kind and helpful words. That says a lot about you as a person I believe, and I'm not so jaded to think it's ALL about point averages, either. I don't think I would have been so acerbic, had I let some time go by, between my last try at the puzzle and posting my thoughts. A lesson to be learned there for sure. So in answer to your original question, yes I have had a change of heart and will now most assuredly continue the game. I found your walkthrough (thank you for the direct link) which was all I needed, and completed the "X Marks the Spot" puzzle on the second try. I had been to your site quite a few times before, but had failed to notice it. Must be too many hours in front of the screen, both professionally and recreationally ;) At any rate, if this module is anything like the first, and I have already seen signs that it might even be better than that(Clopon's flashback sequence at her murdered masters' home to name one such innovative instance - at least to me), I can't wait to see what else is in store ahead. So, without further ado, I hereby and forthwith recant my former vote of 5 and walk out onto a very broad limb by doubling it to a 10. This is based on prior game play and of course on the first module. In the future, I will seek my answers to prickly questions here amongst the community and directly with the author. Thanks again for allowing me to finish what looks to be a wild ride. Cheers! Regards, elfingrey | 10-22-2006 |
| Zadok | 10.00 | Challseus I believe I know what's causing my issue, I used my Aramus from The Coming, and he was pretty close to Level 4 and in fact leveled up before Clopon and Challseus joined the party again. Nevertheless I was able to complete the game and am just in awe. Easily the most "epic" NWN module I have played and the characters are level 10! I can only imagine how much time and effort you put into this, but rest assured it is definitely appreciated. | 10-21-2006 |
| MrRoboto | 9.75 | I absolutely loved the first mod in this series, and Chapter 2 lived up to it. Music: The Music is very well done and fits with events that happen throughout the story. Cutscenes: I haven't yet played a mod that was able to use cutscenes as well as what's done here. Story: I want Chapter 3! Seriously though, I couldn't stop playing because I wanted to know what was going to happen to the characters. Combat: During combat I felt like I was playing a completely different game. It didn't feel like I was playing NWN, (which is a good thing). The only thing I could consider a minor flaw is that with all of the custom content for your party. It took me a while to get the hang of all the new goodies while in combat. Great job Challseus, I'll look forward to Chapter 3! | 10-20-2006 |
| Liolel | 10.00 | Just completed this about 10 minutes ago. To put it simply this is only the second perfect 10 I've given out, and this module was the best I've ever played. To break it down: Beware their will be spoilers through the entire review First the battles: A lot of increably fun moments. I will say a fully upgrade illuminate seems to be a fair bit broken. And the Inferno unision abilty absolutes murders groups. Did lead to a funny moment. When going through the trenchs I chose to defend the gate. Three or 4 nice lines of soldiers come out. I activate Gallernioan Inferno which inflicts massive amount of slaughter. When I got the message "Aramus is relieved to notice the relief force is almost here" all that was left was a few near death priestess. There wasn't any fights which I found to hard but I am also the type of person who takes almost every sidequest avaliable. All in all the new abilites made the fights fun, and some of them (Kain especially) felt quite epic. Story: This area came off even better. Once the story actually gets moving when you return to Aribine, it was quite capitivating. The story as a whole also effected me emonantally a few time. (The excucution, and the epiloge.). The only annoyance is that the module ended with still many questions left unanswered and so many problems that still needed dealing with. Seeing as how this isn't the last module in the series it was to be expected. The cutscenes were also well done. I reallly liked the music, especially since I've a big fan on consle rpgs so it was also intresting hearing something familar. Now a few bugs some of which have probally been fixed as I played through 1.1. The only real annoyance was that Aramus wasn't invisible in the epiloque that took place in Strammadon. I'm pretty sure you fixed that. The other two are minor. First when I came back to Armadus's property to finish the dungeon of trials I saw young Colpon and Armadus standing their. The last cutscene that had taken place and the only one that took place since the last time I stopped their was Colpons favor cutscene. Also when Aduen left the first time when he was returning his items he returned the bow, and I couldn't give it back to him when he rejoined the party. Also theres one small thing that could have improved the module for me. I missed Ranina's favor cutscene, and when I was trying up a few lose ends before the last stage of the journey I killed the coruagan and suddenly got a bunch of favor with her. It would have been nice if I could have activated the cutscene by talking to her then. Finally I one small question. Is there a reason why you didn't export a copy of Aramus at the end? | 10-19-2006 |
| BlueKnightOne | 10.00 | Congratulations Challseus! Excellent continuation of an excellent story. | 10-19-2006 |
| Midia | 10.00 | Beautiful, emotional, evil, dark, hopeful, frustrating, rewarding, hard, addictive...yell at your computer when you die and swear you're going to bed now....and look over at the clock two hours later and your butt is still in your computer chair... The only modual that I actually was worrying I was getting to the end of and then...it would be over. Well, until the next chapter. | 10-19-2006 |
| joriandrake | 10.00 | You made the patch, and here is my promished vote :) (+ I wrote an email again) | 10-19-2006 |
| aidrico | 10.00 | great new edition to a great series | 10-18-2006 |
| jonf | 10.00 | loved it all, epecially the epilouges | 10-18-2006 |
| Hushmoons the Wanderer | 10.00 | Just as I thought Amazing | 10-18-2006 |
| juras | 10.00 | Just finished the module! :D It was worth the waiting and I can't wait to play the next chapter! Thank you for creating such a wonderful module!! PS. Is it possible to get the names for the Castias and Aloia theme? I really like their theme songs! :) | 10-18-2006 |
| kmc | 9.75 | Incredible work. The custom abilities were difficult to use, or perhaps just needed a bit more explaination. The interaction between henchmen was very well done, often very funny. excellent work. | 10-17-2006 |
| 97AndyMacK | 10.00 | Right, FANTASTIC! I could go on but youve probably heard enough of that... ***SPOILERS(probably) Definatly!*** This is still the best story that i have ever seen and I want to know the next bit. I cried i two places-the dematol execution and when i finished it :) Favor system: I think I did some bits wrong, I ended up with Auden 21, Clopon 17, Raina 1, and Challseus -1. Fight with Kain: I got him right down to Near Death without cheating before I figured out how to use the Trinity beam. During that I got Chained blades-10!!!!! (liked the increase of exclamation marks). I thought that the boss fights - Librarian, Kain, Alania(or somethignlikethat) were a bit on the tough side for a level 5/6/7 character. Thata was probably the point. Beginning cutscene: BLOOMING HECK, that was SOOOOO good. Loved it so much I immediatly quit the game and watched it again. Ending cutscene: the bit with [insert name of commander of the defenders of legacy here] was really happy-making. The bit with Clopon and Aramus was also. The cutscenes were great but the camera movements and character placing could do with a bit of mprovement, although I was playing v1.0. Some times the words went off the screen, but that was OK because I scrolled through the status-bar-readout-thingy afterwards. Please release the ending.bink as an avi because It didnt play at the end. All in all, The BEST game I have ever played (untill next time...) from Andy P.s. need any help with the next one :) | 10-17-2006 |
| monsinyana2 | 10.00 | Great atmosphere. | 10-17-2006 |
| DoctorPhanan | 9.75 | Wow. Just wow. "Cry the Beloved" is just an amazing module that surpasses it's rather underwhelming predecessor, "The Coming." (which isnt to say that "The Coming" was bad, but it lacked "oomph") Cry is actually one of the best modules I've ever played, and I find myself burtsing with anticipation for the next one, even more so than NWN2 (strange as that may seem.) Minor annoyances aside, (the epilogue was nostalgiac of watching The fellowship of The Ring for the first time, with a full bladder) this is easily the best module I've played since Honor Among Thieves, and thats only because I have this thing for rogues. The story was phenomenal, the characters were easy to like, (I did miss being able to talk to them when I wanted to though) and the effects (custom abilities, splashy visuals, sound) were absolutely stunning. A couple bugs, a not so great installation folder (it works but it could be alot better) and the really bad upgrading system are the only things that prevent me from giving this module a perfect 10. | 10-17-2006 |
| Clay | 10.00 | Beautiful mod, Moving cutsceens. Really nice! Thanks Best to you... | 10-16-2006 |
| OleGrumpy | 9.00 | In many ways more a proof of concept module than a true adventure. Very nice change of pace | 10-15-2006 |
| Bluegnome254 | 10.00 | Awesome moduel can't wait till the 3rd part :D | 10-15-2006 |
| morphousblob | 10.00 | Wonderful game, mod. Felt I was playing a fantastic console rpg of old, completely immersive experience. Had some small issues, with I believe the 1.0 version. *spoilers* Journal entries such as crossing the mountains, and the fort, which did not complete. Also had one of those blank journal entries entitled Auden's favor or something like that. Is it possible to complete the mod with the Unison abilities for all your party memembers unlocked, as opposed to just one? ie I had chained blades with Auden, but not with Raina, nor the symlink or the inferno. The ending cutscene Aramus was not invisible, so the seekers attacked him (scene where challseus is being interrogated) *end spoiler Again, great mod, thanks for sharing it with us. | 10-15-2006 |
| Zensunni | 9.50 | It's harder to polish the system of small bugs and imbalances when there's this much custom stuff. Really amazed me how this module knocks out the limits of the engine. Gameplay and story were great. Liked the music as I recognized most of the tracks, and they fit their scenes well. | 10-15-2006 |
| Jaegan | 10.00 | Cry the Beloved has achieved everything it set out to do, and then some. As NWN2 comes out and a new engine is released to developers, I can't help but think along these lines: there could be no better send off for the aurora engine than the release of a masterpiece like Cry the Beloved. The game is incredible, and the few kinks or problems will be hammered out shortly. These issues, which are few and far between, are such small imperfections in Challseus' creation that they are completely dwarfed by the greatness of the work. Do yourself a favor and play the best game to be released on the Aurora engine since The Coming! | 10-14-2006 |
| Self-Destruct | 10.00 | Frickin' awesome. I'm now going to go cry, now that I beat it. | 10-14-2006 |
| Altas | 9.50 | I figured more people would have reviewed this already, but since they haven't, and you're already providing updates based on feedback thus far, I guess I should add some of mine. Before I begin, I should mention that the note in the readme regarding not needing to download the hakpaks provided for chapter one doesn't apply when using an older version of the module (1.60 in my case). I'm not sure if I'm the only one running around with an outdated version, but I'll mention it in case someone else complains they've done everything in the readme and NWN still complains about missing hakpaks. ***SPOILERS*** GAME MECHANICS: I found that the game was well-balanced (Aramus at level 4, reached level 10 at the first-half of the boss battle) once I learned how to use the various unison and last resort abilities, so I would prefer if you kept the majority of it the way it is. Raina's Chained Blades unison ability makes some of the fights easy (the corrugnon, for example, which died in less than half the allotted time), so you might want to tone that down if others find likewise. I found, much as angus00 noted, that it was easier in places for Aramus to use the wand than Challseus, since the latter tends to dump all of his wizard spells right down to his cantrips before grabbing the wand, even when told not to do so. (I also think the wand does too much damage when fully upgraded, as 8 x level without a saving throw per round is roughly what Aramus can do with two average damage critical hits and is way more than almost anything Challseus can muster in spells.) Also, I found myself wearing the boss with the blue armor's armor, since it was giving me three more AC than Aramus' fully upgraded green cloak. I'm not sure if this was intentional, but it was weird watching the cutscenes dressed in blue, instead of the green exemplified in the portrait. One thing I don't like that you do is to autosave immediately before a major fight. The reason for this is that the fight music starts (or the dialogue cues that a fight is to begin), so I get ready for battle mentally, but then, suddenly, the game has to cycle the hard drive for a bit (around five seconds in my case), which detracts somewhat from the fight itself, as I have to wait until it's ready so I can pause and consider my tactical options. I realize that you do this to avoid players having to watch the cutscene again if they need to reload (which might be more annoying), but you might want to consider another solution if you find others feel as I do. PUZZLES: I think it's actually clear that one is not supposed to solve the *whole* puzzle place in one go, especially since Clopon states as much after passing her first test. I will agree with the others about the red X puzzle, since I eventually got frustrated and began having Aramus pull all the chaines until it worked. I suspect that is what was intended, but it doesn't really feel like one solves the puzzle, but instead merely defeats it. Also, only by accident did I discover that one could use the reflect ability to destroy the flame statues (I was trying to use the blue illumination on the centre blue arrow crystal on the third floor and still had it active when I went to solve some of the other puzzles. Not sure if that was intentional on your part). I wouldn't worry too much about making the first floor stuff clearer, as fiddling with it for a while doesn't produce any results and hints that one should come back later. CUTSCENES: Well done with these. Only issue that I had was with the one where Challseus gets his brew potions ability. In that one, the camera was not rotating and Challseus was hidden behind a pillar or some such that the camera starts behind. Not a big deal, but just letting you know as a potential bug in case it comes up in more machines than mine. STORY AND MUSIC: It was a good idea not to make a lite version that lacks the music, since you otherwise lose quite a bit of the unique feel that you've crafted for each area by playing the generic NWN music everyone is sick of hearing. One of the storytelling techniques you utilize that I like is the Narrator cues that appear every so often in the non-cutscene areas. These remind the player that the story is being told by the convict, but they also relieve the jarring effect that usually occurs when the perspective is taken away from the main character and on to the storyteller. (I suspect this normally occurs because players become attached to the characters and forget that they are experiencing events in the story that have already been decided. This reminds them without being intrusive.) OTHER: The special combat animations are a good thing to have included, since it makes Aramus, Raina and Arden stand out from other characters in other modules. It's probably a lot of work, but for future modules you might want to utilize special animations for Clopon and Challseus, particularly when they're casting spells. (Or if you did, I didn't notice them for whatever reason.) GENERIC BUGS: Only two things that I'm not sure about. One is the chest in Adarmus' house, which was locked the whole game for me. The other was the chest before trying to find the prisoners (where you meet Arik and Arden's father), which was locked both before and after completing the associated quest. I'm not sure if I missed something or if these are bugs, but I'll mention it nevertheless. ***END OF SPOILERS*** CONCLUSION: You've put this together well and obviously play-tested the hell out of it, since even minor bugs were minimal. I'd wait for more feedback before updating the module significantly, just in case the complaints lodged so far are in the minority. | 10-14-2006 |
| trekie9001 | 8.75 | *Revised Review* After playing most of it, I believe I'm getting close, the module gets a whole lot better. AREAS & MUSIC: Fantastic, just that, fantastic. COMBAT: I like the combat systems; the bonds of battle are my favorite. However some of the combat, especially in the trenches, and the Fort is pretty overpowering. I though Castius was a bit too tough as well. The combat is fun it just slows the game having to load saves over and over. STORY: In the beginning of the module the story is pretty slow but after awhile it really begins to unfold. CUTSCENES: While the music and action in the cutscenes is excellent for some reason almost all of them had the aqua constituents running around in them. In some times it's a bit distracting at other times I couldn't even see what was happening. PUZZLES: The puzzles just didn't seem too intuitive to me. I got that you lit the green crystals with Illuminate, took me awhile to knock out those white crystals, and (yes I know it is now fixed) but being stopped without any clues leaves you with the feeling that you just haven't figured it out; instead of feeling like you should come back later. CONCLUSION: Sorry about the confusion earlier, I'll wait just a bit longer before posting a review next time. Great job but still some kinks to work out (especially the cutscene "extras" :) | 10-14-2006 |
| Folex | 10.00 | Need I actually give an explaination for a 10? :) Just wanted to say this was by far the most original module I've ever played. Generally I'm not much of a fan of heavy hack n' slash modules for NWN because of how repetive it can get (the ole click and wait), but with the custom battle skills RoE offers that isn't the case. Now because of this I can see why some people would give the module a low vote, if you're one to just click and wait there is going to be encounters that will be near impossible. You actually must become skilled with using the special/unsion abilities provided to overcome some battles rather than just having your character a certain level, and that in my eyes makes for a great module alone. The writing and detail put into this module though makes it a classic. Honestly I haven't felt so immersed in a game since Baldur's Gate and thought I never would again. This module kept me up all night because I refused to stop playing until I completed the whole module. The riddles and puzzels too were great, they had the Zelda feel as you mentioned. Some of them were pretty challenging, the riddle Jarl (I believe) gave me in Stramandore made me feel like quite the idiot. Once you understood the principle of the module though, that being some things you need to come back later to, they really weren't all that difficult or 'show-stopping' as some people have called them. All in all I've really just been covering what quite a few other people have already so I'll stop there. This isn't a module that just pushes the Aurora to its limits, but rather what an RPG should be in general. Truely a masterpiece Leonard, creating RPGs is your calling. | 10-14-2006 |
| MaxenThor | 10.00 | I have been waiting for release of Chapter 2 and downloaded yesterday. I've progressed only as far as Adramus's House but I have really enjoyed Cry the Beloved so far. Love the music and the story line. Everything appears to be extremely well done. | 10-13-2006 |
| Peridan | 10.00 | I'll give, the blue crystals in the Summoning chamber have me stuck. Any hints? | 10-13-2006 |
| angus00 | 10.00 | hip hip... | 10-13-2006 |
| Hagaar | 10.00 | After Playtesting this, I can honestly say: "WOW!! What a ride!" I'm currently playing and enjoying it muchly!! *Looks around room* Now then... *if* you'll excuse me, I'd like to get back playing!! 8) | 10-13-2006 |
| Sargen | 4.00 | Didn't like it. 4 for effort | 10-13-2006 |
| Gravelooter | 10.00 | Great work Challseus! Right now I'm a bit busy with my own projects at the moment, so I'll write this review based on the beta version of the game...(but don't worry, I'll surely play through the full version once I have the time!) The intro was fantastic like The Coming's. The way the camera and music was used...it's just something that no other nwn module has done so well before. Dialog, everything...all top-notch- it really makes you want to play the game and experience it all. Story...great, even better than the one used in The Coming. More epic, more dramatic, there are more scenes where you can't wait to see what happens next. I particularily liked the way Ranon keeps questioning the convict. It's an excellent way of telling the story, while keeping all the pieces together and in one place. The game is no longer a "road-movie". You have more freedom to choose what to do (you can ask Challseus to teleport you anywhere you want early in the game), although the main quest remains linear. The gameplay itself remains similiar to The Coming's. You still have all of your old abilities (Illuminate, Whirldwind, Last Resorts, etc.) but all of them have been improved and revised. Not only that, the game introduces so many completely new character development systems that really add some replay value to the game (and effectively balance the fact that you only get to play a specific character and not your own, unlike in typical nwn modules). In combat, the game looks stunning with all the new animations and effects. I loved the way the characters who travel with you were made. They are surely no mere henchmen, but companions who each have their own unique story, last resorts and abilities. Not only that, the party size has been increased! Like in The Coming, you still get to travel with Clopon and Challseus, but you'll encounter lots of new faces along the way...again, I've never seen any other nwn module take this kind of an advantage of a big party. Some quests in the game can only be done with specific characters, or by combining the powers of multiple people, for example. The dialog is very cunning and you can easily see each other's different personalities very often. The favor system worked well in The Coming, like it does in Cry the Beloved. You can still get favor with people by...well, doing favors for them. Cry the Beloved extends this even more- you can now gain favor with every person in the party. Higher the favor, better the chances of unlocking more hidden mysteries from that person. Unfortunately, however, probadly due to the larger size of the game, you can't gain favor with most of the NPCs you'll meet along the way. The only persons who you get favor from are the ones in your party and some of some people in Dematol. Not a major con, but it would've been nice to see this thing get more attention in the game world as well. Cutscenes...you want 'em, well now you got 'em! There are wayy more cutscenes in Cry the Beloved than in The Coming. I can quarantee that you will *never*, ever skip a cutscene while playing! Excellent stuff all the way around. No nwn module has reached the same amount of quality so far in both dialog and the use of camera, special effects, everything. The quality comes with a price, however...even my machine (2.93 Ghz Intel P4 CPU, 1024mb Ram, Ati X700 pro 256mb videocard, SB Audigy 4 soundcard) can't handle some of the cutscenes at an acceptable framerate. Challseus tried hard to optimize the game for everyone's systems, but some of the cutscenes may still lag badly unless you drop the details, even in the final version. Sometimes I couldn't even get the cutscenes to fire correctly, but I am quite sure that the nwvault release version takes care of this problem, so anyone downloading this shouldn't be worrying about that. Music...I couldn't be happier. Lots of tracks are familiar from FF games (and from The Coming), not to mention a massive army of tracks that have been added to Cry the Beloved. All tracks are great and fit in the darker mood of the game very well, some of them are very emotional, while some are great and intense battle tracks. I'd say music is probadly one of the major things that Cry the Beloved will be remembered best for. Good work! The amount of sidequests remains basically the same as in The Coming, with some new additions. You can now complete some of the quests that you couldn't do in The Coming, and you will often receive very nice rewards for each quest. There are larger sidequests to do as well, some of them even require the completion of a large dungeon, or to explore a certain area of the Shinkara Forest, etc...there are also lots of eastereggs to be found, but I won't spoil them here :) What else is there to say? DOWNLOAD IT NOW! This is, in my opinion, the best NWN module ever made. It greatly improves the things that were already present in The Coming, and introduces you to a darker chapter in the Rose of Eternity series. You will not be disappointed- FF and other console RPG fans should feel welcome here, as well as veteran computer RPG players, if they can stand the fact that you'll only play a specific character throughout the game, and that the game isn't based anyhow on D&D (with the exception of game engine). And, last but not least, those of you worrying about the fact that you'll get to play a preset character- look no further, it's perfectly possible to create your own version of Aramus (you'll be levelled up at the beginning of the module): Gravelooter's List of Possible Builds: -Any warrior class build has no trouble going through the game (Fighter, Barbarian, Paladin, Ranger, plus prestige classes) -Bards are possible. Just be sure to have high CON, or maybe dual class a warrior class to gain more HP. Having high HP is critical in RoE, and any weaker character will be whacked to death in mere seconds. Bards, however, take advantage of a higher party in Cry the Beloved- boosting both your allies, buffing yourself and summoning allies at the same time. It may be tough at first, but once you gain levels, your character will become a powerhouse! -Clerics are great. Thanks to Clopon, you don't need healing spells in Cry the Beloved. Focus on buffing yourself up, and you'll have no trouble cleaving your way through the game. I'd suggest using animal and strenght domains for this Aramus build. -Druids are possible if you dualclass a warrior class. I haven't tested this however. You must have the martial weapons profiency feat, so dualclassing is the only way to go. -Rogues are also possible. You'll need to take the martial weapons profiency feat as soon as you start the game however. It's possible to cheat a bit by playing a rogue- Illuminate should make your enemies vulnerable to sneak attacks! My suggestion would be to get high STR and medium-high DEX. Since RoE doesn't have any traps and such, you can freely focus on other skills than picking locks! | 10-13-2006 |
| pokstair | 10.00 | This module is great and a must try. If you played The Coming and liked it, then this module has more of it for you..and if youve never played The Coming, then still, this is a must try, it has MANY things you'd never see in other NWN modules.. of course there is stuff id like to say here, but it would be spoilerish, so challs, its in the forum. | 10-13-2006 |
| RapidDeployment | 10.00 | Thank you. I loved the first one and I must say you're scripting is first rate. | 10-12-2006 |