Tortured Hearts - Or How I Saved The Universe. Again. Reviews

This game is really cool! It has it's quirks and drawbacks, which I will get into, but overall it's a hoot! I had been for Tortured Hearts for over a decade, having played the NWN 1 mods (of the same name, check them out as well) and loved them. They are probably my favorite mods for NWN. Anywho, the game was created by ONE person and I am impressed. A true labor of love and a true gem. Tortured Hearts (TH) reminds me of an old-school blobber yet with an open world, first person feel. You are not on a grid and the movement is smooth. Dialogue! Talk to EVERYONE! That is the major charm of this game. The dialogue is key and thus you should talk to each and every NPC you encounter. Multiple times. Sometimes even re-click and talk again right after ending a conversation. New options often open up and advance the game and help solve quests. Instead of getting off on kills and melee you should be prepared to enjoy seeing new dialogue options. The banter is witty, funny, and fantastical. It is whimsical and so fun! The art is really good. Cartoonish and again, whimsical. Really well done, and SO impressive as it has been worked on for over a decade. It does not feel old. It's REALLY hard. The devolper has said as much and he intended it to be that way (BTW, check the discussions about this game they help a lot and can get you started well). But when you DO actually advance the plot or solve side quests or discover something new it really matters and feels like you achieved something solid. Some cons or things people may not like or be chagrin about: COMBAT: It's turned based, which I love. BUT, it's really weird. One of the stranger combat mechanics I have played. Again, it reminds me of older blobbers, in that you you see each character/enemy make the attacks, but you don't really have precise control over what kinds actions your character/party makes round by round. Instead, you choose a style and other options and the game chooses the attacks/buffs for you. I find this frustrating, but am getting used to it. You also cannot move about during combat at your discretion. The AI will move you. It's strange, but that's the game. You will get used to it and adapt. LEASH DYNAMIC: TH is a first person-ish game. Actually, your character will follow the camera as if on a leash. This is extremely odd to me and took a moment to comprehend. The main problem is when you "run" with the camera and move far ahead of your character and then cannot do any actions until they catch up. I was SO confused about this at first. I wish the character avatar would just keep up with the camera. When encumbered, the avatar will move VERY slow and yet the camera still moves at normal speed and can even "run." I find myself waiting for quite some time for the avatar to show up just to open a door, harvest a plant or talk to an NPC. PLAYABLE RACES: TH offers only two races to choose from for your character: dwarf and human. Not a huge deal, but on the website it was publisized as having more. If you play the demo you can cycle through a bunch of placeholders that make is seem like there will be more available when you play the actual game. That said, I am really enjoying this game and I HIGHLY recommend it. I hear it's huge (I am just at the tip of the iceberg) and I am so excited to explore more. YAY TORTURED HEARTS! Buy this game and get lost in a true fantasy world!

Not much to add to the other reviews out there. It's quite possible you'll hate this game, but you'll probably know that very quickly from the demo. If it's not for you, move on. If it's the kind of game you like, you'll probably get sucked in... I certainly did. There is a lot going on here, and a lot to investigate. Very little hand-holding on resolving the multiple intersecting story lines: the hints may be subtle in a conversation you glossed over, or said by somebody seemingly unrelated to what you're chasing down. Completing things (both the story and the various achievement quest lines) becomes more satisfying, though. There were a few glitches along the way, but the developer is VERY responsive, often posting patches the same day in response to Steam comments or emails. [b]I can't recommend them highly enough:[/b] I've never encountered a dev so devoted to their game and the players.

I recommend this game since i have enjoyed greatly. I just say a few things about the game for you to decide if this game is for you or not: - instead of the usual combat rpg oriented, this game is oriented to exploration, conversation and questing - there is combat but instead of you controling the combat actions, each turn you say to the chars how they should fight and they fight on their own. it is different and it works for this game, you just have to decide if it is good for you or not. - the quests are very varied: some easy, some average but not a few are hard, in fact sometimes it may feel a bit like a point and click adventure plus a rpg - if you love a rpg for the feeling of exploration and of discovering new areas and stuff, this game will resonate with you, if you are a minmaxer of skills and stats then maybe not so much - the game not only does not hold your hand, it literally kicks you in the a**e and throws you in a pile of ****, so the start may feel hard and unforgiving - the graphics are 3d and while not ugly if you expect top notch graphics this game is not for you. Graphics are similar to what would be a modern version of wizardry8 but they serve the purpose. There is a demo if you want to try it, the only thing that i can say is that for a single developer game, the feeling of the game is unique in this age and it has been great playing it.

I can't remember the last time I've played a game this unique. If you are a fan of huge old-school RPGs with a focus on exploration and dialogue, or if you are looking for the next big challenge in a hardcore RPG environment, I welcome you to give this one a try. ---Story and Characters--- Like many grand odysseys, you begin with next to nothing. You start out facing humiliation and accepting even the most menial of tasks in order to figure out your fate and slowly progress to uncovering secrets plots and mysteries. Similarly, the atmosphere and the dialogue slowly progresses from being very tongue-in-cheek and whimsical to incorporating more serious tones and subject matters. Although a certain lightheartedness remains throughout in a story that doesn't take itself too seriously, interesting and compelling dialogue and characters often hide behind silly humour. ---Exploration and Character Development--- Your skills and the skills of your companions unlock special actions in exploration and dialogue and can even help in combat. It seems very difficult at first, but as soon as you get access to companions, planning out character specialization for combat and exploration alike with skills and special equipment is very rewarding. Every roadblock just adds to the satisfaction of discovering things you've missed before and you truly cannot predict what will happen next. In my experience, that is pretty rare in games. ---Combat and Graphics--- Combat is turn-based and mostly automatic. You are able to choose general tactics and use your inventory between combat rounds, but the result of most fights is determined to a large degree by preparation and to a smaller degree by the roll of the dice. Fortunately, you are given enough tools to work with in order to swing fights in your favor and you can always return when you're better prepared. Given that this game of gigantic proportions is not the product of a similarly gigantic development team, the graphics are basic, but they don't distract from the grand adventure underneath. If you are unsure about combat or the graphics, I'd suggest trying the demo to get a feel for the game yourself. ---Closing Remarks--- At first impression, I was very skeptical about Tortured Hearts as I usually prefer games with a more serious tone, but the more I play, the more my initial misgivings got replaced first by curiosity and then by the joy of exploration and interest in the plot and characters. It is pretty difficult though. So if you want a truly unique adventure and have the patience and perseverence for a huge odyssey, try it out, take it slow, and don't be afraid to ask for help if you're stuck. The community is great.

I'm not much of a review writer, so I'm not going to do an in-depth analysis, but 150+ hours in I've become completely addicted to this game. As advertised, it's old school in the larger sense of its design and flow, but it has elements and specifics that are entirely unique. It is difficult at first to figure out how some things work, so you do what pretty much all old school RPG'rs did: play for a while, figure out how things work, then start a new game for real. There's a huge demo that can serve that purpose for you. This is not one of those games with 40 hours of cut scenes and an onscreen arrow pointing you to what you need to do next, where flashy graphics (that sometimes even work) substitute for game play. You will get quests that you will not be able to solve until well into the game, and you'll have to stop and think about where you need to go and who you need to talk to. If you want a game that holds your hand and points you to every answer, this is not for you. If you want to solve things on your own, can handle some frustration and you value the game over flash, I think this is a great game for you.

Game has some great potential but just far too frustrating. I fully get the concept of trying not to "hand hold" to make the game more difficult, but so much of this game is just running all over the map just hoping you find the right person to talk to and trigger the correct speech line. The entire game is mostly just based on brut force. Then there is the combat system. You have no control at all over what your team does in combat. To make it worse, the AI is horrible. You will find your team wasting mana casting a cc spell on an already cc'd enemy or casting the same spell over and over that the enemy is immune to. A strong monster will be one hit away from death and your mage will cast three straight buffs instead of killing the monster. To top it off, you are constantly getting hit with random debuffs with no way to remove them. Some of them are crazy hard and take half your HP. So you just have to sit and leave the game running until they wear off. Was very disappointing because the game has so much going for it. So close to a truly great game, but these frustrating elements just build over time and were too much for me to overcome.

This game is really brilliant, a true rpg with non-linearity . It has a steep learning curve, and may not be for everyone. It's a bit rough, but it"s an indie game. The great thing about it is the fact it goes out of the classic 'chosen one' situation. You play a cynical adventurer, and your first task is to clean yourself because you jumped in a pile of dung after gambling too much. Afterwards, you can do pretty much what you want, the way you want. And combat (even if necessary) is often not the best way to solve problems. It's very well written, with interesting and complicated npcs, a good sense of humor , and an universe very rich and detailed. Not to mention this is huge. I've played hundred of hours, and finally finished it. It was really a great experience. This game has been developped by a very small team (mostly one person) . They deserve to have their chance. And personnaly, I'd be glad to play their next game! On a technical point of view : the dev corrected a small issue i had the DAY it was detected. If it's not a good support, nothing is.

This is one of the most addictive games I have played in a while. The fun is in figuring out how to advance the story line, acquire NPC's for your party, and defeat tough foes by repeated interaction with NPC's and acquiring the right skills and items. Combat is largely automatic, but the outcome is influenced by the combat tactics and items you select to use from your inventory prior to each combat round. The game still has some bugs that need to be fixed by the developer, but the developer is very responsive to player input. Overall a very good game that requires some tweaks by the developer to make it a great game.

Nowhere near worth the asking price of $39 and change when tax is included. Graphics which look like a pre release game from 2001 as if using the most terrible UNITY ASSET Store models. Horrible confusing user interface and game design. Most boring non interactive combat i have ever seen where its almost like a child imagining everything happening in their mind with no actual sense of physical impact in the real world. I did absolutely no damage to a grizzly bear and the grizzly bear was taking forever to do any damage to me. Finished a quest to bathe my character so the town's people would talk to me only to have them not want to talk to a newbie afterwards.

What does it mean to you to be an adventurer? Is it the thrill of discovering new and exotic locations? Accomplishing difficult tasks using your wits or brawn? The munchkin like search for the ultimate loot? Is it a form of escapism? Tortured Hearts - Or How I Saved The Universe. Again. is a unique, fun, old-school and hard-core crpg that will help you find the answer to the main question above. The game may appear intimidating because of it's length and complexity, but, in my opinion, a very rewarding experience. Play at your own pace in order to avoid the burnout and you will discover a gem of a game. The game truly feels like a love letter to the genre. This game was made by one person which is very impressive! The dev is very responsive, gives hints, fixes bugs, adds more features and more! big kudos! pros: - The game is extremly non-linear and many quests have multiple solutions. - Every skill and attribute is used in some circumstance, no dump stats. During the game you may earn titles and even they affect quests and their outcomes somtimes. - The dialogues are fun and interesting to read. - The game has an interesting lore with some throwbacks to the neverwinter nights mods (no worries, you don't have to play them). - The companions are great. They are not easy to find, so when you get one it truly is an accomplishment. They share their thoughts during quests and when discovering new major locations. There's also a lot of party banter which helps flesh out their character. - The dev is very responsive and helps if you're stuck (which is bound to happen because this game is huge). - The game is absolutley massive and inter-connected. Old areas never go stale which is something that doesn't happen in every rpg. New npcs appear and old npcs become relevant again in future quests. - You will sail the seas and travel the planes to interesting and sometimes alien locations. cons: - The skill system is complex in my opinion, but I guess it's part of the old school aspect. - The combat system is the weaker part of the game because of the lesser player interaction. That said, the player can give directives to characters and has tactic control regarding temporary consumables inbetween rounds - summons, healing and more. - The graphics are not up to date which may be less appeling to some folks. That said, there are many unique models and the graphics have their charm. - the leash camera control mechanic. I discovered there's a teleport the part to your spot when you right click which helps greatly. Tips for starting the game: 1. Companions will make your life exponanitally easier. Even the mighty one had companions that helped him. 2. Pick some skills and specialize in them. You will find companions that will help you deal with tasks that require skills you lack. In particular pick a combat skill and in the early game attempt to raise it to at least level 4 as it will provide you with close to 100% to-hit chance which in turn will make battles feel less drawn out (because of misses). 3. Consult your journal, inspect objects and search for traps. Also, left-shift is your friend, it expands information. 4. Save often and in different slots. 5. If there's a hopeless battle and parley fails, run. If you encounter a hopeless task, be it combat or not, you can come back to it later, more experienced and tackle it again. You are an adventurer and you will need to tackle tasks in unconventional ways. 6. Use your consumables wisely - There are potions that have long-lasting effects, use them daily to make your life easier, be it skills checks or combat. Use your temporary consumbles. This is not the type of game where you get cool stuff that you will never use. Your opponents may have strong equipment and mighty resistances but using your wits, resources and a little luck, you may overcome odds that seem impossible. As of writing this review I finished the game and got one of the endings. It was a very pleasent experience and I enjoyed it greatly. Who knows, maybe lady luck will smile on us and in the future we will be able to meet at sylfeung or another location for a new adventure.