In many ways,
The Chosen: Well of Souls is a return to a simpler time. But the question begs
to be asked that whether in the more modern era of computer technology, is a step
backwards – without a lot of innovation in other areas – a wise move.
That is the
weak point of The Chosen: Well of Souls, an attempt to recapture the glory of a
Diablo II gaming generation with a point-and-click role-playing title that just
falters in several areas, including the tired storyline and stereotypical
characters.
Yes, The Chosen
tries to allow for flexibility with an open character advancement system, but
the game looks like it was built five or more years ago and plays the same way.
The game is locked into a basic formula – you venture into an area, get quests,
run around and kill the monsters, Break up environmental objects for drops
(coin, potions, weapons and armor) and then move forward, along the storyline.
Meridian4 is
the publisher and Rebelmind is the developer, and while credit should be given
for the vision, points are taken away for the lack of originality. Two titles
have been released that follow the Diablo formula – The Chosen and Loki: Heroes
of Mythology. The latter embraces a slightly more modern look, operating off the
same formula. Both are linear in design, in regards to the story arc, and both
have solid skill trees that players can advance through as they level.
In The Chosen,
you begin by picking one of three classes – mage, ranged attacker and fighter.
There are three skill trees and you can pick your skills, regardless of the
class you choose, from any of the trees. So you could start with a ranged
fighter that combines the missile attacks with magical attacks. The game is a
point-and-click, so you click on a ground location or enemy and the character
moves there. In this regard, the pathing is generally pretty good.
Adding a bit
more to the equation is that you can, once you gain the appropriate level,
summon a couple of minions (one for offense and one for defense) to aid your
fight.
As you begin
the game, you are in the wilderness entering a town for the first time. It seems
that the town is overrun with demons and the terrified watchman is ready to try
to add you to the list of the dead and dying. It’s a simple misunderstanding and
soon you will enlist the aid of one of the townsfolk to guide you to the Society
of Alchemists – a place that will serve as your home base for the remainder of
the game. Hit the hot key and you will travel there instantly from anywhere in
the world – while this is a handy little feature, it spoils the immersive nature
of being one warrior against the evil invading the world. Out of potions? No
worries, if you have the coin, the Society will refit you.
The initial
levels of the game are a bit of a grind, seemingly intended to get your skills
high enough to take on the monsters that will appear throughout your journey.
The drops you
encounter are vital to your success. There is a lack of urgency in this game –
after all, you are working up to an encounter with the evil sorcerer and trying
to make certain that a portal to hell, the Well of Souls, is closed.
The game does
have a decent range of monsters to battle, many that are stereotypical, as RPGs
go – zombies, werewolves and so on. The towns are graphically fine,
but do not expect this game to challenge your machine. The sound features some
over-the-top performances as well.
Ok, all that
said, The Chosen is not a bad game. It is not up to current standards but it is
a pleasant little diversion, and one that will consume several hours of game
time. Unfortunately, the game itself, if you drive through it, can be a
little on the short side. The game does suffer from too many stereotypes, and
there is an overall lack of immersion that makes this game feel less than
urgent. You know, one of those – ‘oh, there is a bad guy opening a portal to
hell? Well, Ok, I’ll get around to him eventually’ feelings. That is not a good
thing, simply because it creates the feeling that once you have the game, you do
not need to work into it. It can sit there and you’ll get around to it
eventually.
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Gameplay: 7.0
Three character
classes, three skill trees and the ability to jump around the world at whim
tends to spoil the immersive nature of the game. Still, this point-and-click
adventure is easy to play and once you get the pets, it will have you thinking a
bit about what you are doing.
Graphics: 7.0
They are decent and
serviceable. The game uses an isometric viewpoint.
Sound: 5.0
Over-the-top voice
work that isn’t that good to begin with. It is unconvincing and tired.
Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Concept: 5.0
This is the RPG
genre of at least five years ago, simplified. The game does try, but comes up
short in terms of innovation.
Overall: 5.5
The game has some
good elements and some bad elements. It is short and simple, without making you
feel that you need to hurry to close the portal to hell. One the plus side, it
is a sedate experience that players can work through at their leisure and is
reminiscent of the RPG games of the past. Not much, though, is new and different
and that link to the past might be one that players do not wish to make. Titan
Quest did the Diablo imitation well. Loki is also decent. The Chosen pales in
comparison to both of those. A nice attempt, and perhaps for its next outing,
Rebelmind will take the foundation of this game and step it up a notch.
