Quoting: KeyrockI thought the Shadownrun games looked quite nice. The character models left something to be desired, but the 2D backgrounds were beautiful IMHO, particularly in Hong Kong.

I agree that the environments were nicely designed, but "dated" in the sense that these games could just as well have been released 15-20 years ago and looked the same. Art is timeless, and great artwork is featured in these games. But since their environments are so interesting (way more interesting than a fantasy-themed scenery ever will be in my personal opinion) it sucks hayballs that the camera view were stuck in the birds eye perspective. Again - this was something we were used to if we go back fifteen-twenty years ago, but I expect more today!

Quoting: KeyrockThen again, I quite enjoy reading, I'm weird like that.

So do I - but then I will read books, not start a game. Games are an interactive audio/visual media. Therefore I both expect audio and video content as well as my input to matter. To have the "actors" hold up text signs for me to read takes us back to the age of silent movies (if we compare with other media).

Quoting: KeyrockOn the plus side, the D: OS port seems to be a really good port, at least on my machine

I agree - it is!

Quoting: BillNyeTheBlackGuyHonestly, HBS could have easily chopped up Shadowrun: Dragonfall's dialog and added voice acting to appeal to the papamole consoles players, but the game story would have been as crappy as Divinity: Original Sin's story and dialogue. Thankfully they didn't do that.

What a weird claim. That's like saying that a good story can't be told in a movie - it must be told via a book.
Of course good stories can be delivered via acting, animations and even the environment. And regarding the "papamole console players" mudsling... Oh come on.

Quoting: BillNyeTheBlackGuyAlso, I don't really like Divinity: Original Sin graphics. I know appeals to the people who like that cartoony-realistic style from World of Warcraft or League of Legends

You talk about artwork, not graphics. A common mistake. The artwork can be any style from realistic, cartoonish, dark, childish, explicit, adult, all styles imaginative - the graphics can still be outdated or high tech or whatever.
I talk about the graphics, not the artwork. The visual effects, the animations, the "technical specifications" if you like. The artwork in Divinity is very average - very predictable for a fantasy RPG. No more no less.

Shadowrun (or Bastion, Expeditions: Conquistador, Legends of Aethereus or most other comparable RPGs available on Linux) all offer a dated graphical output. Like I say in the reply above, it could just as well have been released fifteen-twenty years ago and been the same.
Now I'm not saying Divinity is a tour de force in regards to graphics - it's not in any way - but at least I'm not unsure if I play a mobile game or a PC game.

Quoting: throghThe games made with the Infinity-Engine are optical also today on a very high level.

With all due respect, but they are not. They are on the level of average mobile games today.
But hey I'm not here to put down all and any other games and favourites around here. I just want to express my excitement for a RPG released that finally was on the technical level I've been missing. Now let's hope some games on that level but a more interesting sci-fi/steampunk setting (or really, any other style than fantasy) is released. That's the next milestone for me. :)

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Quoting: BillNyeTheBlackGuyI personally think Shadowrun: Dragonfall and Pillars of Eternity are better games overall

Technically better? Cause the setting of the Shadowrun games are much, much more to my liking, but I really wish that technically it was on the level of Divinity - who I think is on another division altogether.

Quoting: KeyrockMind you, I only just started the game, but I'm finding the writing to be pretty cringeworthy.

It's very fantasy. Seriously I find all fantasy stories to be at some level cringeworthy because they are so cliché. :D I can't stand the genre. But the lighthearted and fun tone in this game and most of all the freedom of choice (judging by first impressions) combined with the technically superior game engine is enough for me to invest a lot of hours into this.
I sense I'll get "my own story" in this game based on how I build my characters and play them out - and that's core components in an attractive RPG for me.

Quoting: KeyrockI thought the writing in the Shadowrun games, at least going by the very small sample size of D: OS I've experienced so far, was several orders of magnitude better.

The writing, perhaps. Problem is, the Shadowrun games look so outdated and technically dull, so I never got motivated to bother reading the "walls of text" as they were thrown towards me. I'm sorry but text adventures just doesn't cut it in 2015.

Quoting: elbuglione- Torchlight II
- baldur's gate I and II
- Pillars of Eternity
- Icewind Dale
- Sword Coast Legends

You think all of those are better?

It's your subjective right to think so of course, but in my opinion Torchlight II was far, far too simple, both in concept and difficulty. I mean, I would not even hold them against each other. It's an ok game, but more "action" than "rpg" in my book.

Baldurs gate: The games from around 2000? Seriously? Well then you can't have a single interest in anything related to graphics or modern game production values, and we are too far apart in preferences to even discuss it. :)

Pillars Of Eternity: Haven't played it yet - purchased it yesterday - so I'll hold my judgements. But it's a highly rated release so yeah, I look forward to play it.

Icewind Dale: Again a title from the stone age. :p

Sword Coast Legends: It was pretty much raped by the reviewers and got a meta score of barely 60. I've not played it but I won't buy it. I plain refuse to believe it's qualities are anywhere near a game with a meta score of 90.

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Happy holidays and merry xmas and all the best to everyone in this community - a community that is really shaping up to be a great gang full of competent and kind people.

And a special thanks to Liam of course, for your persistence in keeping this site up to date with all the marvellous stuff happening in Linux gaming nowadays.

Cheers!

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So, I got to play it a bit more and I just gotta say: Finally. FINALLY a good RPG on Linux. "Good", not as in "good to be an indie" good, not "good for the budget they had" good, but just plain good.
This is the best RPG available for Linux today. There's not really any competition, even. If only the Shadowrun games were like this...

But yeah - I'm ready to vote for this years GOTY.

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I do find it amusing that with your characters, you control both of them when talking to each other. Can't say I've seen that done before, and it certainly makes it interesting, but also easier to do what you want.

I haven't tried this myself, but if you make one of them with a personality "AI" I bet they will reply in the conversations according to the profile you set.

Also, if you play in coop I bet it makes more sense as well.

This game is *all* about options and I love it!

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And it looks bloody great too. I particularly love the effect when you zoom in, the background becomes gradually more blury the further away it is. Great sense of depth.

Also it's worth mentioning that you can zoom in quite close on your characters (and ergo, explore closer the surroundings) to get a little more sense of "being there" than the often found static isometric view can offer (and that I hate).

Also, great voice acting and lots of humour!

The first impressions are fantastic, and if this is an indication then this game is fast climbing up towards my GOTY vote this year. It's got a fantastic metascore rating too: 90. That's a level for the absolute top releases to reach for.

I won't play no other game this xmas. As far as I am concerned, this is the xmas gift to Linux gamers this year.

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Works flawlessly here, so far!

And for those it may matter to: You can create the two protagonists from scratch, including gender. They don't need to be a male and a female, like all screenshots I've seen earlier has indicated .

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Quoting: voyageurNever Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) appeared with a Linux/SteamOS icon just in time for this sale :)
Download in progress!

Ah indeed!

Purchased too. Downloading as I type this. :)

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... And there, Pillars Of Eternity is pocketed.

To Be Continued.

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Ah shiiit here we go again. I love Steam winter sale!

So far I've fetched:
Satellite Reign
Kairo
Dark Echo

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