Sunday February 14th, 1999
This is a bit late, but the Vault Network has posted a very comprehensive review of Return to Krondor. Here's the skinny:
Although the game was shorter than I was expecting, the story was engaging and well-written. Due in large part to the talents of Feist and the chapter structure of the game, the plot moved along quickly and kept me interested the whole time. The ending will certainly come as a bit of a surprise (although one could debate whether this was the original one envisioned for the game…), and sets things up nicely for a possible sequel.
Overall, it appears to me that Return to Krondor did not benefit from its long development cycle, and that the end product is not the ambitious game the team set out to make three years ago. I suspect that when Sierra bought the license back, their primary interest was to finish it as soon as possible and to get the team working on a new Krondor game. Rushing to get the game out the door might help explain the uneven pacing in the second half of the game.
Return to Krondor is not the game I think most fans were looking forward to. It seems more a polished 'work in progress' than anything else. However, I know the team that created the game is capable of bigger and better things. Here's hoping that the next Krondor game, due out in late 2000, with live up to the high standards fans expect.
