Don't listen to the haters...this game looks good, plays good, and has lots to offer
I understand that a lot of people were upset for two reasons...1) the multiplayer is not working and 2) this isn't Oblivion 2. Yes, the mp needs help...it really is unplayable. This is something that will get fixed, however, so don't let it scare you off. When it gets working, it will basically be a modern version of Diablo, which is definitely a good thing. And even the great Oblivion needed some work after it was released, so, while frustrating, this is hardly a fatal flaw. Now, the inevitable comparisons to Oblivion...if some of you will recall, Oblivion took a beating wtih a lot of fans because it was not Morrowind 2. Get over it...it is a different game. Lashing out with ridiculous attacks on Two Worlds because it is not Oblivion is childish and immature, just as the attacks on Oblivion because it was not Morrowind. Even more so, actually, since this is a totally seperate game and not a sequel. But, just for the record, let's see how it does stack up to the great TES IV: Oblivion:
Graphics: perhaps not as polished, but hardly PS1 or PS2-like. To make these claims is just ridiculous. The game looks fine. There are slight framerate issues and some of the menus have smaller than I would have liked items, but it's hardly gamebreaking. The characters looks great, the views are amazing, and the landscapes really do look almost photo-realistic at times. They perhaps are not bleeding edge state of the art, but they do nothing to detract from the game. Yes, Oblivion looks great, but if OB graphics are a 10, TW isn't anything less than an 8 or 9.
Combat system: Take your pick, neither is significantly better or worse. Both are basically button mashers, although TW does have a dodge button, which is nice. Magic system: Eh, have to give the nod to Oblivion...the TW system is a little clunky and not nearly as customizable as OB. You can tweak your spells a bit, and there are a bunch of them spread out over 5 different schools, but you can't truly create your own spells. Still, it's a solid system, and works once you get used to it.
Levelling system: TW is more of a traditional RPG system, driven by XP and spreading out your earned attribute and skill points in the areas that you would like to improve. There are no classes, per se, but the skill points are somewhat limited, so you do need to pick an area to specialize in or you will be in trouble later in the game. Even if you mess up, though, there are special mages that can make you "forget" your skills and allow you re-allocate them if you decide you'd rather specialize in water instead of fire magic, for example. OB, of course, has a use-based levelling system, which works just fine, as well. It's a matter of preference. I will point out that there is level scaling in both games, but it's to a very minor extent in TW...the available armor gets better as you level up and some of the enemies get a little tougher, and some of the rewards for quests seem to improve if you do them as a level 20 as opposed to a level 5 or so. However, whereas in OB, it's nearly gamebreaking and it took the player modding community to fix it, it works just fine in TW.
Story: Both games have standard fantasy fare. Personally, I think Morrowind beats both games in terms of story, but whatever...it's how the story is told that's important, not what the story is, exactly. Multiplayer: Um...even if TW mp isn't quite working right now, it soon will be, and it's something that Oblivion has no counter to.
Overall impression: Two Worlds is not as poslished as Oblivion, granted. However, OB was polished almost to the point where it lost a lot of personality and originality. They tried to hard to appeal to the mainstream, that they lost a lot of what made Morrowind great. Two Worlds manages to capture solid, traditional RPG action, while being accessible enough to casual games to go mainstream, if people give it a chance.
Is Two Worlds perfect? Of course not...it has flaws, as does any game, including Oblivion and Morrowind (one of my top 5 games of all time, btw), but honestly, there are no flaws that prevent me from having fun with the game, which is really the point, isn't it?