Tyranny - worth picking up?

[Brookshw]

I was considering picking up Tyranny and was wondering about people's opinions of the game. What did you think of the story, game length, game play? What would you compare it to?

[Keltest]

I wasn't especially impressed with it. It has a solid game engine that does what its trying to do... and absolutely nothing else to make me particularly want to play it. Id rather just go play Pillars of Eternity by the same group another time.

[Zombimode]

I was considering picking up Tyranny and was wondering about people's opinions of the game. What did you think of the story, game length, game play? What would you compare it to?

Tyranny features excellent wordbuilding, some of the best written NPCs in gaming history (and general high level of quality in ist writing), and in my view the best implementation of choices-and-consequences.
It is dark - in "real" way that might even feel disturbing.

Tyranny is not the game to pick up if you just want to relax and kill a few hours.
It is gripping but also subtle at times. It definitely wants you to think.

To me the gameplay (that is to say: the combat) felt solid, an improvement over PoE, but this is pretty much just personal preferences. Either way it is not the main draw of Tyranny.


Finding games to compare Tyranny to is difficult because I don't think there are many games that try something similar.
Personally I was reminded of Age of Decadence, but this may have more to do with how I played AoD.


All in all, Tyranny is not a game for everyone. It is of very high quality and one of the few games that can actually be called "adult".
If you like media that confronts you with hard-to-swallow themes, you'll probably love Tyranny. If you're more after "light-hearted" entertainment, Tyranny may not be your game.

[Starbuck_II]

I never finished but then I got distracted by life.

But I like that you can choose three sides. Some are more difficult, but equally rewarding.

Honestly, Prologue was really fun as well. Had to get used to the fighting style.

[The Glyphstone]

Tyranny has a fantastic opening and a solid midgame, with a very rushed and somewhat disjointed ending that feels like they ran out of time and/or money and skipped over roughly 1/3 of the story content.

[Nadevoc]

Tyranny has a fantastic opening and a solid midgame, with a very rushed and somewhat disjointed ending that feels like they ran out of time and/or money and skipped over roughly 1/3 of the story content.

This was pretty much my opinion. I loved the game on starting it. The prologue is really well done and builds the world and your character. There's a cool help text system where names and the like let you click on them and get a bit of background based on what your character knows and any history your character has (great for both world building and as reminders if you come back to the game after a few days). But the end came out of nowhere; it actually took me a little while to realize that the epilogue was the end of the game because it seemed so rushed and out of the blue.

If you're okay with a rushed ending, it's great. If that's going to bother you, though, I'd pass.

(I would recommend Tyranny over the previously suggested Pillars of Eternity, though)

[Brookshw]

If you're okay with a rushed ending, it's great. If that's going to bother you, though, I'd pass.

(I would recommend Tyranny over the previously suggested Pillars of Eternity, though)

Well.....crap, the rushed ending would be a turn off and I was considering PoE as an alternative if Tyranny wasn't sounding good. That's a shame, Tyranny sounds really interesting otherwise.

[Nadevoc]

I'm guessing that there will be a Tyranny 2 at some point, so maybe hold off for that. You'll probably be able to carry over a save.

Other people enjoy PoE, so maybe check it out. I personally find it overwhelmingly meh, though.

[Drasius]

I started a game when it first came out and made it half a dozen hours in before I got annoyed with the combat system and didn't look at it again until a couple of months ago where I turned the difficulty down to story mode and thoroughly enjoyed my playthrough, having multiple instances of wondering where the last 8 hours went.

I didn't particularly like PoE's combat system either, but it felt a little better than Tyranny despite being virtually identical, so I can't quite put my finger on why the combat in Tyranny annoyed me so much, especially since the annoying stamina/health system of PoE isn't present.

It's no Baldur's Gate/Shadows of Amn/Throne of Bhaal, but it does have one of the best world building efforts I can recall in recent times and the writing in general is top notch - probably the best writing out of the non-Baldurs Gate Bioware/Obsidian efforts IMHO, though the character interaction in Dragon Age: Origins pip them for most memorable, the rest of the world carries it over the line.

Also happens to have a very nice spell system that allows you to tailor your magic to your tastes with interesting variations. If you play a caster frequently it's a nice little feature that I feel is underappreciated.

Overall, I'd definately recommend giving it a whirl, though the other comments here are right when they say that Act III feels like it comes to an abrupt end that feels like a very obvious set-up for a sequel (dependant on your choices).

[Zombimode]

Well.....crap, the rushed ending would be a turn off and I was considering PoE as an alternative if Tyranny wasn't sounding good. That's a shame, Tyranny sounds really interesting otherwise.

That is just one perspective. While things moved fast at the end, I felt it suitable. It truly felt like an endgame. The hammer is falling and you have to play your cards.

[Brookshw]

Hmmm. Well, suppose I'll give it the two hour Steam trial. Thanks for the feedback all!

[houlio]

Just to throw in my 2 cents here, I wouldn't describe the ending as being rushed so much as being way shorter than the mid game. Instead of being divided into Act I, Act II, Act II, Tyranny is better thought of as having a prologue, a mid game, and a conclusion with a following epilogue like most CRPGs use these days.

That said, the game has some really good writing, some really good world building, and I find it to basically be mechanically superior to its cousin PoE. Story-wise you have a lot of options to change how the everything is resolved, which I don't see too often. The game also does a really good job of making you feel like someone important from the get go and throughout instead of just shmuck-adventurer #8. The magic system is a lot of fun to play around with, and the game brings back ChronoTrigger-esque multi-character moves. It isn't exactly mechanically challenging, but it is fun.

[NeoVid]

Damn, you missed the free weekend a couple weeks ago. My experience with it during the freebie impressed me in a few ways, but not enough to buy it after everything I've heard about how unresolved it is at the end.

[Inarius]

I would recommend the game. While you could classify the last act as rushed I sort of thought it felt thematically appropriate to feel that way. If you are on the fence after trying it for 2 hours the Steam summer sale will probably be coming up in a month or so and Tyranny will probably be discounted at that time.

[Zombimode]

Damn, you missed the free weekend a couple weeks ago. My experience with it during the freebie impressed me in a few ways, but not enough to buy it after everything I've heard about how unresolved it is at the end.

But it isn't unresolved! Really. If "some people on the internet are saying that the game is a bit short in the end" is keepin you from playing the game, you are doing yourself a massive disfavor.

[Drasius]

Hmmm. Well, suppose I'll give it the two hour Steam trial. Thanks for the feedback all!

If you've not grabbed it yet, it's 66% off for the next ~week - ~$15 USD

https://www.paradoxplaza.com/tyranny/TYTY01GSK-MASTER.html

For that price, it's a pretty good deal, but at full price, not quite as much.

[enderlord99]

Anyone know where Fel is?

[Anteros]

But it isn't unresolved! Really. If "some people on the internet are saying that the game is a bit short in the end" is keepin you from playing the game, you are doing yourself a massive disfavor.

I get that you like the game, but this is just a straight up lie. The game ends abruptly exactly when you'd expect the final act to begin. It builds up all game towards a conflict that never materializes.

They spend the entire game building the pending conflict between your character and Kyros, and nothing ever comes of it except a few lines in the epilogue about the confrontation being put off to the future. It's some of the worst writing I've ever seen, and it's especially jarring after how good the writing for the first half of the game was.

[Brookshw]

If you've not grabbed it yet, it's 66% off for the next ~week - ~$15 USD

https://www.paradoxplaza.com/tyranny/TYTY01GSK-MASTER.html

For that price, it's a pretty good deal, but at full price, not quite as much.

I'm definitely game at that price, thanks for the heads up!

[Anteros]

I'm definitely game at that price, thanks for the heads up!

It really is worth it at that price. Just be prepared for the fact that it's not a full story and hopefully they'll make a sequel one day.

[houlio]

I get that you like the game, but this is just a straight up lie. The game ends abruptly exactly when you'd expect the final act to begin. It builds up all game towards a conflict that never materializes.

They spend the entire game building the pending conflict between your character and Kyros, and nothing ever comes of it except a few lines in the epilogue about the confrontation being put off to the future. It's some of the worst writing I've ever seen, and it's especially jarring after how good the writing for the first half of the game was.

I mean, the game isn’t served by the traditional 3 act structure that CRPGs use as orthodox these days. That doesn’t mean things are unresolved. If anything should be said about the last act, it’s that everything is resolved too quickly. This isn’t even a bad thing necessarily, as I find most games have endings a bit too drawn out. Tyranny lets you play out some scenarios and jump right into making your final decisions.

Is that to everyone’s tastes: no, of course not. Does it otherwise ruin the game (which might have some of the best moments in rpgs in general), probably not.

Saying that we should resolve our conflict with Kyros (which obviously was built up to be something done over a series) is much like saying that Shepard at the end of ME1 should have dealt with the Reaper threat. The game is basically complete as is, and (much like the ME series) is primed for a sequel.

In Tyranny, you are sent to the furthest frontier for conquest and you do that conquest. There’s a ton of ways to resolve that conquest. Dealing with Kyros doesn’t need to be in the cards there.

[Rodin]

I mean, the game isn’t served by the traditional 3 act structure that CRPGs use as orthodox these days. That doesn’t mean things are unresolved. If anything should be said about the last act, it’s that everything is resolved too quickly. This isn’t even a bad thing necessarily, as I find most games have endings a bit too drawn out. Tyranny lets you play out some scenarios and jump right into making your final decisions.

Is that to everyone’s tastes: no, of course not. Does it otherwise ruin the game (which might have some of the best moments in rpgs in general), probably not.

Saying that we should resolve our conflict with Kyros (which obviously was built up to be something done over a series) is much like saying that Shepard at the end of ME1 should have dealt with the Reaper threat. The game is basically complete as is, and (much like the ME series) is primed for a sequel.

In Tyranny, you are sent to the furthest frontier for conquest and you do that conquest. There’s a ton of ways to resolve that conquest. Dealing with Kyros doesn’t need to be in the cards there.

The game does end pretty abruptly. I loved the game and I was stunned when the game just ended. Defeating Kyros isn't in the cards - he's at least one continent away and there's no indication that you are prepared to fight him. However, there is mention of a huge army coming to crush you. You use the power of the pillars to vanquish that army off-screen, and the climax to the story is missing. I thought I was at the end of Act II, with the consequences of my actions hitting in Act III. Instead, the story just ends.

Again, it's not about defeating Kyros once and for all. The continued warnings throughout the game are "Kyros will find out sooner or later, and he will be PISSED". The story never deals with the consequences of your actions.

[Narkis]

Tyranny promised a lot of things that it didn't quite deliver. I loved the idea, the setting and the prologue, but I feel it quickly devolved into standard RPG "you're the chosen one" territory.

I did like the magic system much more than Pillar's though.

[houlio]

The game does end pretty abruptly. I loved the game and I was stunned when the game just ended. Defeating Kyros isn't in the cards - he's at least one continent away and there's no indication that you are prepared to fight him. However, there is mention of a huge army coming to crush you. You use the power of the pillars to vanquish that army off-screen, and the climax to the story is missing. I thought I was at the end of Act II, with the consequences of my actions hitting in Act III. Instead, the story just ends.

Again, it's not about defeating Kyros once and for all. The continued warnings throughout the game are "Kyros will find out sooner or later, and he will be PISSED". The story never deals with the consequences of your actions.


Exactly as far as the ending being basically immutable. This game is never supposed to really be about dealing with Kyros directly. I also don't really see any good way they could add more to last part of the game without just adding on useless padding. By the time you are confronting the archons you've already resolved all the edicts in the Tiers.

From what I remember, you don't quite blow up an army with an edict as you use an edict to blow up a city or something big to send a message, which seemed fine to me at the time. It's been awhile since I played though so I might just not be remembering all the specifics.

I wouldn't say that game doesn't give you any consequences. I mean, all the companions seem to have a pretty big impact depending on your relationships with them and choices throughout the game. Siding with certain factions and saving the lives of certain people also really change what happens to the places you visit throughout the game. It's got about the same amount of impact as you get in Pillars of Eternity. What it doesn't have is a sequel which can properly explore another part of the world after the events of the first game.

Because this is a recommend thread, a spoiler free version is that the ending is really rushed, and the game really wants a sequel. At like $15, I'd say it's worth it. I was a really fun game to play (for me at least) with a pretty interesting setting and style of storytelling, but it gets held back a lot by what it can do for an ending.

[Kish]

Exactly as far as the ending being basically immutable. This game is never supposed to really be about dealing with Kyros directly. I also don't really see any good way they could add more to last part of the game without just adding on useless padding. By the time you are confronting the archons you've already resolved all the edicts in the Tiers.
Do I detect a "everyone made the choices I did" assumption?

My understanding is that unless you choose the "kill all these factions" path, you cannot resolve all three Edicts in one playthrough. Certainly you're stuck leaving one alone if you ally with the Vendrien Guard.

I don't think it's bad design; logically, Kyros wouldn't just wait forever while you undo everything they've done in the Tiers. But if they wanted to make the game longer, they certainly could.

I also think, in fairness, a number of people expected to clash directly with Kyros as a final boss, instead of one of the Archons being a final boss depending on what choices you make.

Non-spoiler version for Brookshw: I don't agree with the people who said that the ending is rushed from the point of view of making all the correct assumptions about what you'll be doing in the game; I do think those assumptions are not particularly obvious, and without them you could easily be left going, "Wait, I'm not going to...? But I thought there was...?" It is, very much, a setup for a sequel.

[Morty]

I can agree with much of what's been said. A very interesting and compelling setting, original premise, great writing... but also pretty clunky combat and a rather rushed ending. I'm not sure what they were trying to accomplish with the "level by using" system, really. It doesn't work in Elder Scrolls and it wasn't likely to work in Tyranny.

And while I'm not exactly in love with Pillars' faux-D&D magic, Tyranny's system didn't click with me. It's mostly that we have very few sigils to work with early on, so our casters will just cast the same few spells a lot. Maybe if I'd started as a caster myself it would've been better - instead Lantry was my caster for a good while and just had a few spells he could cast.

I do give them props for the (relatively) moral path not being easy or obvious. And for making throwing weapons a viable choice. The latter is a small thing, but personally important to me. I generally liked the Bronze Age aesthetic.

[ufo]

I wouldn't call the ending rushed as much as just falling kind of flat, but there are a lot of paths through the main story and some are not very obvious, so I guess it varies. I played the game twice, the second time using a walkthrough to touch upon as much as possible of the world that I hadn't the first time.

I think the worldbuilding is absolutely wonderful and novel. I just started playing PoE2 and I was immediately reminded what turned me off the first one: the aggressively generic fantasy world. The world of Tyranny takes it's themes more seriously without taking itself too seriously, which is a great approach for exploring actually fantastical elements, like the Scarlet Chorus or the modular magic system. Plus, cool to see Bronze Age fantasy I guess.

[roybigley]

Tyranny is worth picking when you want a game to consume you. This one really requires all of your focus and attention