Poor old Reality Pump. While theres nothing particularly wrong with the developers latest swashbuckling adventure - in fact, its easy to get lost in Two Worlds sprawling fantasy land and epic story - the games Identikit RPG structure and set-pieces are achingly familiar in a marketplace thats already overcrowded.
And following in the wake of 2Ks sublime Oblivion, its hard for any magical quest to make a mark, never mind one that apes its biggest rival so closely.
Like Oblivion, Two Worlds features a colossal mythical landscape where players can pick their own route, either choosing to stick with the main plot arc and save the world from tyranny, or stray off the beaten path to complete challenges, win treasures and foster relationships with other characters. Moreover, in fine RPG tradition, your adventurous avatar starts off as an underpowered rookie with little experience in swordplay or magic, giving players the opportunity to evolve their hero and transform them from a ten-stone weakling into a badass killing machine.
But while the similarities to Oblivion are obvious, Two Worlds loses its way in a few key areas; the combat can be achingly dull, with players simply hitting the attack keys without ever making full use of the skills theyve spent time developing; the vast number of side-quests makes for a bewildering and often unfocused experience, which is fine for kids with too much time on their hands but wont appeal to gamers with limited windows of gaming opportunity; and while the game does everything well, other recent quests have handled the RPG conventions with more panache, making Two Worlds feel like a game that should have hit the shelves a year ago.