Betrayal in Antara - PC Review - Gamecenter

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Betrayal in Antara

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Antara's goodies don't stop there. The game is automatically saved before each battle. It's nice to find a game that admits death is the most common use of the save feature. Also, each save places a thumbnail graphic and map location with the file, so it's easy to tell them apart. Mapping in Antara is a thing of beauty. The detailed overhead map moves with the party, and seals (personal notes) can be placed next to items of interest. I'm also impressed that, like in real life, quests aren't always rewarded. If you save a boy from a cave, you might only get a thank you instead of a mythical Sword of Slaying. Finally, I really like the puzzles necessary to open certain chests. Betrayal in Antara They offer a challenge for those willing to solve them and can be ignored by those who aren't.
For those new to the series, lever chests require solving a word puzzle in order to glean their contents. Pressing levers with letters next to them in the right combination will form a word and open the chest, which keeps the generally illiterate peasantry away from valuables--a believable device. Here is a sample: "The pirate Thofas dared to kiss his captain's favorite wench. The angry captain gave him this and left him in a trench." Check the tips section if you're interested in the answer.
Once past the title, the first noticeable difference from Krondor is the graphic style. Gone are the digitized actors. In their place are well-drawn artistic renderings. Even though Aren is drawn as if constantly thinking, "Duh, which way did he go, George," the artwork is well done and suits the mood and style of the game. Krondor was one of the few games whose video segments didn't irk me, but they aren't missed in Antara.
It's Not All Rosy
Speech quality, on the other hand, is downright awful. The voice acting is poor at times, but this might not be the fault of the actors as much as the dialogue writers. Many conversations are trite or unbelievable. Lines are also spoken or repeated inappropriately--even if Aren is mortally wounded in battle, he can still find time to cheerfully make introductions and chat. What is most frustrating about communicating in Antara, though, is the dialogue system. When the party encounters a character, the player is presented with a series of topic choices. This is not Wing Commander IV where the choice affects the outcome of the game. In Antara, choosing any subject in any order will always produce the same spiel. This is an attempt to make a noninteractive cut scene interactive by letting the player click on topics. The effect is lame, and just adds to my frustration with the whole dialogue system. Unfortunately, much of the story is told through dialogue, which devalues an otherwise interesting plot.

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Betrayal in Antara

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