I have played a few hours now, and the game looks stunning. The main story is well done, but the world needs more work. More professions, more dialog with key persons. I will give a few examples:
I have been watching a streamer play this game much different from me. He wanted to spare every life, but I prefer to kill anything guilty. His only option is to release them, the game does not give you the option tieing that person up and reporting their location to the guards. You can either kill them or release them. So much so, for the review I heard you could play this game with no combat if you wanted. It is not a true RPG yet, it is borderlining, but restrictive. It fits my playstyle perfectly to murder every criminal, but what about the pacifist.
I have laid with 3 women in this game, and none of the women you speak to speaks to you again regarding this. Sir Divish’s wife must be guilty I assumed, she must be praying for a child or repenting in the shrine where she is now most often. She does not speak ever again. The Alehouse Maid in Ulshic stands in one spot 4ever, she does not even give you the time of day. Your main courtship, after a hot steamy session, she goes back to default. Its like these women only use you for sex. It is not immersive, and even if no physical contact, some sandbox method of keeping the love life alive like going on walks or hanging out at a tavern. GTA4 and 5 had these sandbox elements, it is not hard to fathom, it just paints a mirage of continuity with relationships. If it was going to be so slam bam thank you mam, then let the player know.
Alchemy is probably the only profession in the game. I know the director said blacksmithing may go in eventually, but when will that be, if ever. I think being a blacksmith should be more than sharpening your sword, it could have simply been a bench you can beat your armor with a hammer, and then sell repaired armors and swords to shops and npcs at higher prices. It is a simple mechanic, it may have been overthunk. tailoring could be added same way, and any other profession that deals with wares.
The dialog just breaks down with anyone you had contact with, the priest no longer speaks to you after his drunken stint. He just goes back to default, and that is not immersive. the game needed more dialog, and the missing dialog is after you built relationships with key NPCs. Too much was invested on before, and many of those dialogs could have been cut.
The Ugly Dogs? I know the director has one of those weird models, but seriously no other model in game. Its like only those species existed in that era and that part of the world. No wolves, bears, and wild dogs in woods, but you hear them, I hope that is going to be added.
All in all this was a wonderful effort, by a crowd funded studio with one investor. I am enjoying it for what it is, and I do think this is a step in the right direction. I hope the game is very successful, this will only allow the studio to make it greater. So I would say to anyone reading this, buy it, if only just to get them to enhance this first effort which could become a franchise.
Awesome work and keep your head up WarHorse Studios.