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Nox is the latest Role Playing Game from Westwood Studios. To be honest, I
did not have high hopes for this game, coming on the heels of the horrible Lands
of Lore Series. Westwood had not exactly defined its place among the great RPG
producers, so I was more than doubtful when I saw it on the shelves.
I am happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Nox is a wonderful Role Player, wherein you plan a character named Jack Mower who lives in a trailer park and is magically transported to the mythical world of
Nox. There Jack can take on the role of a warrior, wizard, or conjurer in his quest to save the world from the evil necromancer who threatens to take Nox for her own.
Each of the classes has its own advantages, and require very different strategies to successfully play, adding to the replay value of the game. The number of spells available to the spell casting classes (conjurer and wizard) are varied and very cool, letting you submerge yourself deeply into the game.
The graphics work against the game, with the view being over head third person, though this in itself is not the
reason why. The characters and monsters are so small that the potential detail is lost, taking away from the visual aspect of the game. The sound is adequate and certainly works toward player immersion, though it is nothing spectacular.
The real draw of the game is the story line and the progression of Jack through the world of Nox. You meet characters that are enjoyable and not without a sense of humor. In fact, the fantasy aspect of the game is taken slightly tongue-in-cheek, though not so much so that it gets silly. The opening sequence had me laughing out loud, and the game play carries this humorous twist effectively throughout.
The game allows on-line play as well, though the character development and Role Playing aspects are removed for on-line play. It is more of a death match scenario, and for me, the appeal is lost. I enjoyed the stand alone game far more than the on-line offering, but this is by no means a criticism. The game has role playing for those who are into that, and competitive play for those would rather
decimate their neighbor than a band of ogres.
Kudos to Westwood for this outing, and if they can continue on in this fashion, their place among first class Role Playing Game producers may not be completely out of reach. They still have a long road to walk before I can forgive them for Lands of Lore II and III, but Nox goes a long way toward restoring my faith.
by Galen
Wilding
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