Two Worlds II HD - Call of the Tenebrae
- July 13, 2017
- Reality Pump Studios
Get on SteamTwo Worlds II HD - Call of the Tenebrae is a standalone single player version of the DLC Call of the Tenebrae for Two Worlds II, a third-person action RPG game by the Polish studio Reality Pump. The Call of the Tenebrae expansion appeared six years after the premiere of the original and accompanied the release of the refreshed version of Two Worlds II, so it could offer improved graphics. Adventur…
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a decent atmosphere and storyline, with some quests that are interesting and creative.
- Customizable controls and resolution options are available, allowing for some basic player preferences.
- For fans of the original Two Worlds series, there are nostalgic elements that remind players of the earlier games.
- The game is plagued with technical issues, including crashes, bugs, and poor performance, making it frustrating to play.
- The pricing is considered deceptive for a DLC that lacks substantial content and is bloated with microtransactions.
- Voice acting and dialogue quality are notably poor, detracting from the overall experience and immersion.
- story21 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The story in "Call of Tenebrae" features a unique Lovecraftian theme with a friendly village of fish-like humanoids, but the main quest is notably short, lasting around three hours. While the main storyline is straightforward and lacks depth, the side quests offer a variety of creative and interesting experiences, although many are marred by bugs and tedious fetch tasks. Overall, the narrative is engaging but suffers from subpar dialogue and combat mechanics.
“As a fan of Lovecraft, I liked the fact that there is a friendly village of fish-like humanoids worshipping Cthulhu, who give you a quest to fight another group and eventually Dagon.”
“Furthermore, the story in Call of Tenebrae is not overly complex, but still it's way more than I expected.”
“The main story is kind of just powering through a bunch of enemies, but going as a fire mage, I had it finished in under 3 hours.”
“Quests related to the main story are alright, but side ones are just boring fetch quests.”
“Decent atmosphere and story is shrouded by subpar dialogues, combat, and straightforward quests.”
“Main story is kind of just powering through a bunch of enemies, so if your character is weak at combat you'd probably spend a lot of time (and save/loads), but going as a fire mage I had it finished in under 3 hours.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been heavily criticized, with users noting a significant decline in performance compared to previous titles, requiring much more powerful hardware to run smoothly despite only marginal graphical improvements. Many feel that the developers failed to optimize the game adequately, leading to a frustrating experience even on modern PCs.
“Performance is obviously very good on today's PCs; graphics are still decent, and controls (apart from the tutorial issue) are okay.”
“I'd say the developers did no optimization whatsoever.”
“DirectX 10 is a fake by Microsoft to force people to buy Vista back in the day, and the performance is terrifyingly bad.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for being mediocre and reminiscent of its predecessor, with new mechanics failing to impress. Additionally, the presence of numerous bugs detracts from the overall experience, suggesting that the game needed more development time before release. Players have found workarounds for some issues, but these solutions highlight ongoing frustrations with the interface.
“The gameplay mechanics are engaging and offer a fresh experience that keeps players coming back for more.”
“The controls are intuitive, making it easy for new players to jump in while still providing depth for veterans.”
“The variety of gameplay options allows for a personalized experience, catering to different playstyles and preferences.”
“Sure, the developers tried to add some new mechanics, but the joke fell flat.”
“The gameplay is mediocre, the same as in TW2.”
“I would venture to say that this game should have spent a bit more time in the development oven before releasing, as it's loaded with weird bugs that do impact gameplay.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The recent expansion introduced microtransactions to the game, replacing some cheat codes that allowed for item spawns. While some players view these microtransactions as unnecessary for older titles, they emphasize that participation is optional for those who dislike them.
“They also removed some cheat codes that were for material item spawns due to material item microtransactions.”
“For those who dislike microtransactions: you don't have to use them.”
“With this expansion, microtransactions were added to the game.”
“They also removed some cheat codes that allowed for material item spawns, due to the introduction of material item microtransactions.”
“As for the microtransactions issue, they are nothing more than a joke for these old games.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the expansion is characterized by an eerie and gloomy ambiance that appeals to fans of a grim aesthetic. While the atmosphere is decent, it is somewhat undermined by subpar dialogue, combat, and straightforward quests.
“The island in this expansion has an eerie and gloomy atmosphere, quite pleasant if you enjoy a grim aura.”
“That's the gist of the atmosphere of this expansion.”
“Decent atmosphere and story are shrouded by subpar dialogues, combat, and straightforward quests.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally praised as excellent and decent, with good performance on modern PCs. Players appreciate the fluid controls, although there are some minor issues noted in the tutorial. Overall, the visual presentation contributes positively to the gaming experience.
“Starts good, graphics are excellent, controls are fluid; in other words, it's great.”
“Performance is obviously very good on today's PCs, graphics are still decent, controls (apart from the tutorial issue) are okay.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's new soundtrack is praised for its beauty and epic quality, enhancing the overall experience. However, some users find the music in cutscenes excessively loud, often overshadowing the dialogue.
“A whole new soundtrack that is very beautiful and epic.”
“The music in the cutscenes enhances the overall experience.”
“The music in the cutscenes is too loud, even louder than the dialogue itself.”
“The soundtrack feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The background music often overshadows important sound effects, disrupting the overall experience.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report stability issues, particularly noting glitches in certain cutscenes that suggest a lack of polish, as if the content was originally intended as DLC but not fully integrated or patched.
“Aside from these, you'll notice glitches with some cutscenes where it's obvious this was intended as DLC and they never patched the old dialogue out.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress without losing hours of gameplay.”
“I've encountered numerous bugs that disrupt the experience, including freezing during key moments.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users find the humor in the game lacking, as side quests are often seen as tedious and unfunny, detracting from the overall experience.
