Well I never thought I would ever read an article that calls the original Two Worlds RPG the best bad game of all time, but a site called Wow 24/7 did this week.

Ok. Two Worlds is a weird game. But that’s fine, because that’s why it’s worth talking about. It didn’t sit with critics all too well on its release back in 2007, but take a quick look at its GoG page and you’ll find glowing review after glowing review. There’s a surprising amount of people who seem more interested in bashing the likes of Oblivion rather than reviewing Two Worlds, as if Two Worlds was done some great injustice by being not as good as that game. I’m particularly fond of one gallant reviewer’s opinion that people who didn’t like it “felt threatened by the game’s scope.” As it happens, along with many people, I did like it – but it is terrible.

AlloySeven goes back in time and reviews Two Worlds on Xbox 360 rating it with 4 out of 5 stars.

Two Worlds gets an unjustified bad rap. I've played no other console RPGs this generation that've given me this much freedom to explore and customize my character while managing to keep my attention through the waves of quests and sidequests. As much as I've loved the Elder Scrolls over the years, I actually believe Two Worlds is more fun to play.

Maybe that's because the combat system feels more natural and actually works from the 3rd person perspective. No, the combat system in Two Worlds is not perfect and if you play it now, it will feel dated. But it is functional and I had a lot of fun experimenting with diverse skills, abilities and spells made availalbe by the rich leveling and customization systems.

No, not Two Worlds II -- the original.  Eurogamer has a piece titled Why I Love Two Worlds, with the author explaining his feelings despite the obvious shortcomings:

But there's something affable and lovably amateurish about Two Worlds. It held my attention and offered greater rewards than a number of more accomplished games.

There's a real sense of adventure; you can plod off into the wilderness to explore a landscape-feature viewed from afar, such as the game's Mage Towers. You might find an area ripe for your level and abilities, or you might find a situation in which you're hopelessly outclassed. It's risky, and that's kind of fun.

Zuxxez send over this PR announcing the Curse of Blood free multiplayer (only) add-on for Two Worlds:

Free trip to Antaloor

+++ Second “Two Worlds” add-on - “Curse of Souls” – now available for free +++

Karlsruhe, 8th May 2009 – The wonderful world of Antaloor just keeps on growing! The new add-on, “Curse of Souls”, means that there are now four totally new Multiplayer maps with around 40 new quests which will immediately hook you and spirit you away into the fantastic RPG world of “Two Worlds”. One of the new RPG missions involves the player forcing his way into a town besieged by the Orcs - then either catching a traitor red-handed, or searching for a powerful Mage who has hidden himself away near Qudinar and is cooperating with a mysterious secret organization.

For those of you who prefer hard action, you'll get plenty in the PvP mode, where competing teams have to collect magical spheres and get rid of their opponents at the same time. Whoever gets the most points wins the game!

You can download “Curse of Souls” right away - just go to “Updates” on the right of the Support section at www.2-worlds.com! The file size varies between just 100 MB (update from Version 1.6) and 1.2 GB (update from Version 1.0).

A site called World 1-1 has picked up a bargain bin copy of last years RPG from Reality Pump, Two Worlds and put up a scoreless review for it which goes through the game pretty exhaustively, mostly on the negative side:

The rest of the game is a murderous sequence of trial and error. While most other sandbox RPGs wisely assume that players are not reincarnated wizards and knights by easing them into their killing fields, Two Worlds can quickly kill you for simply wanting to explore. You will die, and die often, even after gaining several levels, from numerous wolves and boars that should be treated like so much fodder for beginning adventurers to sharpen their skills on. And if that’s not enough, ghosts come around at night to exact vengeance for killing them in the first place and if the player doesn’t have a magic weapon, they’d better start running. That last part makes sense, but in Two Worlds, it happens so often that I’m surprised Antaloor doesn’t have some form of anti-ghost league in place. All that is just at the beginning of the game.

It’s probably a good thing, then, that the enemy’s AI isn’t the smartest sword in the rack. My most often used tactic was in running circles around critters, watching them bunch up into mobs, and then picking at them until they die. Spells eventually become incredibly overpowered, especially at higher levels, allowing the player to reflect massive amounts of damage back at the enemy or leech the life from most everything by simply standing nearby…or by running in circles again until they drop dead. These cheap tactics come in handy in the beginning thanks to how deadly simple animals can be to a supposedly seasoned veteran, quickly giving way to near invincibility much later in the game as some kind of reward.

Gamepyre has a review of Two Worlds: Epic Edition that concentrates on the multiplayer aspect.  The score is 82% and here's a sample:

Talking about character creation, PAY ATTENTION TO THIS!!!!! This is both a good idea and a bad idea at the same time. Honestly I can’t decide, but I am disappointed in the fact that the manual did not mention anything about it. Your first RPG character is free. After that they cost money. Money is not the hardest thing to get in Two Worlds, but when you don’t know anyone and your first online character is a necromancer, getting funds for that 2nd character took hours. But I did it, and now I play a successful archer. I play some kind of a bow user in most RPGs (I like bows a lot), so maybe it is just coincidence, but out of the characters that I’ve tried, the archer turned out my best. I go on the theory of Why fight monsters up close when you can hurt them from far away? But that’s just me. Multiplayer offers a good variety of classes to choose from. Between classes such as the Warrior, Sword Dancer, Knight, Ranger, Thief, Archer, Barbarian, Air Mage, Fire Mage, Earth Mage and Necromancer you should find something that suits your game style. There’re even guilds that you can join, or if you can get enough friends together, you can always start your own. But keep in mind, without an internet connection, this game’s replay-ability drops to 0 once you beat the storyline.

Southpeak has announced the Two Worlds: Epic Edition has shipped in NA.  The Epic Edition adds multiplayer-focused addons previously available through DLC:

SouthPeak Interactive Corporation Ships Two Worlds: Epic Edition 

MIDLOTHIAN, Va., Aug 25, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- SouthPeak Interactive Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: SOPK; SOPKU; SOPKW; SOPKZ) today announced that Two Worlds: Epic Edition, is now available for PC at retailers nationwide for $19.99. Two Worlds: Epic Edition is the ultimate compilation including all previously available add-on content.

The Epic Edition of Two Worlds comprises the original game along with the add-ons "Tainted Blood" and "Curse of Souls". The extended content gives players a chance to explore over 70 online quests. The game comes with eight multiplayer maps and allows for unprecedented player-versus-player challenges. Epic Edition also introduces the additional town of Tharnburg to explore, a place where warriors can train and challenge each other in the Gladiator District.

"Two Worlds was a phenomenal hit back when it was first released, and even now, the massive open-world is continually growing in popularity," said Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak Interactive Corporation. "Luckily for potential new players and those excited for the release of the upcoming sequel, Two Worlds: The Temptation, the release of Two Worlds: Epic Edition gives them everything currently available in the world of Antaloor in a single, convenient package."

Two Worlds: Epic Edition is rated M for Mature and is being offered at the MSRP of $19.99.

Please visit www.2-worlds.com or www.southpeakgames.com for more information.

Southpeak sent over this press release announcing an Epic Edition for Two Worlds, adding in the "Tainted Blood" and "Curse of Souls" packages.  As I understand it, these addons only add MP features.

SOUTHPEAK GAMES TO RE-RELEASE COVETED ROLE-PLAYING GAME IN ULTIMATE PC PACKAGE: TWO WORLDS: EPIC EDITION

LONDON – United Kingdom - July 11th, 2008 – SouthPeak Games today announced its open-world role-playing hit game will get a new release on PC with the upcoming Two Worlds: Epic Edition. The expanded game will be available in August 2008.

"Two Worlds has seen unprecedented popularity, not only upon its original release, but in the months since it has gained even more fans," said Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak Games. "Epic Edition collects everything available for the world of Antaloor into one package so those who have yet to explore its rich and vibrant lands can now do so in its entirety."

Two Worlds: Epic Edition will contain the original game and the add-ons "Tainted Blood" and "Curse of Souls", putting the massive world of Antaloor and countless hours of adventuring into one tremendous package. The original Two Worlds gave players a huge world and hundreds of adventures to undertake. The expanded content of Epic Edition adds over 70 online quests, eight new multiplayer maps, an innovative player-versus-player challenge where opponents battle to control magical orbs within a variety of arenas, and introduces the town of Tharnburg where players can train their warriors in various skills and challenge other players to combat in the Gladiator District's huge arena.

Two Worlds: Epic Edition is rated PEGI 16+. For more information about Two Worlds or SouthPeak Games, please visit www.2-worlds.com or www.southpeakgames.eu.

The official Two Worlds site has downloads available of both the latest update, taking the game from v 1.6.0 to 1.7.0, and the multiplayer, free additional content pack, Tainted Blood. You can download them here.

Here's the FAQ on the add on:

Tainted Blood FAQs

F: I can't find the Add-On.
A: The Add-On "Tainted Blood" is only available in the multiplayer part but can be played alone.

F: How do i start a map from the Add-On?
A: Login into one of the multiplayer servers, press F12, choose a map from the mission window which begins with [DC1] or [DC3], click on '*Create' and when the connection window appears press F12 again.
Now a map from the Add-On starts.

F: Can i play the Add-On offline too?
A: No

F: Will there be additional Add-Ons?
A: Yes. The world of Antaloor will continue crowing in the future.

The Two Worlds site has news the first multiplayer DLC addon, Tainted Blood, will be available for free download next week with Curse of Souls to follow later.  The text makes it sound like the offer is limited to a specific edition but we assume this is just awkward wording:

Gamers who bought the Game-of-the-Year edition of "Two Worlds" (available in the European shops for 29.99 Euro since the beginning of April) were thrilled with the brand new PC multiplayer add-on for the RPG - and now they can download the new adventures in Antaloor from the first of May - for free on this site!
Players can now go on the hunt for a crazy Necromancer, unsolve the mystery of a massacre in a woodcutters' camp, deal with a rebel knight (permanently) and lots more. The new add-on doesn't only give you a new series of Quests - it also opens up the doors to an all-new Business and Training Center! The town of Tharnburg offers you a large traders' district - and various arenas in which you can try out your newly-learned combat techniques right away.
By the way - "Tainted Blood" isn't the only add-on that will help sweeten your wait for "The Temptation" follow-up... another add-on named "Curse of Souls" is coming soon!

Worthplaying has news of a second piece of DLC for the X360 version of Two Worlds.  Here's the PR on Curse of Souls:

Four new maps offer over 35 brand new quests for players to conquer together. In addition, Curse of Souls introduces players to Tharnburg, a town famous within the Two Worlds universe for having two divergent districts. The Merchant’s District offers a great variety of shops for players to browse, while the Gladiator District will let players learn new skills and test their mettle against other players in a huge player-versus-player combat ring.

“The online portion of Two Worlds has proven immensely popular with the game’s fans. Curse of Souls not only offers new places to explore for the online mode, but also gives players a new opportunity to go head-to-head and see who has developed the strongest character,” said Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak Games. “Combined with Tainted Blood, the first downloadable content pack, there are more hours of multiplayer gaming in Two Worlds and its DLC than you’d find in most single-player games.”

Curse Of Souls is available for download via Xbox LIVE Marketplace now for 600 Microsoft points.

News via Worthplaying that the Two Worlds DLC for the Xbox 360 is now available:

The first of two downloadable content expansions for the open-world RPG Two Worlds has been released. This Tainted Blood expansion (600 MP) adds 4 co-op maps, 45 new quests, harder enemies, a new town featuring a Merchant and Gladiator’s district, with advanced trainers to learn new skills and try them against opponents.

GamersHell posts a press release  from SouthPeak Interactive announcing new downloadable content for the XBox version of reality Pump's Two Worlds:

SouthPeak Games has announced two downloadable content expansions for its open-world role-playing hit, Two Worlds. Both packs will be made available through Xbox LIVE® for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, expanding and improving the game’s online multiplayer experience.

The two expansions will add a host of new content to the vibrant and populous multiplayer universe of Two Worlds, featuring first and foremost an entirely new player-versus-player mode based around controlling key areas of a multiplayer map. Along with this new strategic play mode, additional maps, co-operative missions and a suite of new weapons are also included, adding a considerable amount of play time to the already content-packed world of Antaloor.

Gamebanshee  posts a factoid on the new Temptation stand-alone addition to  Reality Pump's Two Worlds, garnered from the Zuzzex forums.  They've obligingly translated a post there from Dick Hassinger, VP of business development:

As I already said Two Worlds - The Temptation becomes a completely new game and not an add-on. Not one 3D object from Two Worlds is reused. That cannot be done already out of technical reasons. We're using a new graphic and sound engine. Multiplayer is also using completely new code. And an add-on it can't be, because it is not compatible with the first Two Worlds. We don't call it "Two Worlds 2" because we don't think that sounds right. Simply compare the screenshots of 2WTT with 2W. I know that there are currently only 4 on the Internet, but new shots will be released in the next PC Action and in the next GameStar.

RPG Codex has a few tidbits about the Two Worlds followup, Temptation, via Polish magazine CD Action.  Apparently Temptation will be standalone and feature improved combat:

Here's a summary: you won't need the main game to play. The single player campaign continues the story of TW's hero and his sister; we'll again try to save her from a curse and stop the Taint, a horrible magical evil, from deforming the whole world. Bleh. The campaign will take part on a new, huge continent, at least partially inspired by the Arab culture (while the cities will have something in common with Assassin's Creed).

The combat system will be a bit more developed, requiring more player input - there'll be two strike modes and active blocking. 14 new creatures will be introduced (gargoyles, baboons, mysterious tripods (?)...). The graphical engine will be revamped, together with the physics system, which will now enable you to pick up ladders and use them in various places. (Innovation!) You'll also be able to sail the seas surrounding Antaloor in a boat.

I'm guessing someone is a huge fan of Oblivion because otherwise, Two World's appearance in Game|Life's 10 Biggest Disappointments of 2007 seems a bit out of place:

Two Worlds. It was called the "Oblivion killer," and if Two Worlds had managed to pull through with its promises of dynamic combat, expansive storytelling and online play, it very well could have been. Sloppy controls, broken online, and numerous glitches made Two Worlds virtually unplayable, however. On those rare occasions that it wasn't crashing, its blindness-inducing menus and useless journal system made exploring the Kingdom of Cathalon an exercise in drudgery. Zuxxez Entertainment is doing its best to support Two Worlds just the same, releasing patches and new content that have, so far, failed to make much difference.

Reality Pump has four Two Worlds: Temptation wallpapers on offer, each showing different landscapes from the upcoming addon. 

Zuxxez sent over the following press release, which reveals increased use of the Z-axis in Two Worlds: Temptation -

Lots of new enhancements in "The Temptation"

Karlsruhe, 21st December 2007 – The "Two Worlds" universe is now even more interactive. Together with the upcoming sequel "The Temptation", a new gameplay feature has been developed that will enable the player to influence his environment even more! He can now use chests, barrels and other items to defeat his opponents or to reach higher ground - and as far as the vertical is concerned, there are ladders available in "The Temptation"!

And when you've climbed up there, you'll be able to see the wondrous new landscapes which have been created by the developers! Two examples of these are a Savannah and a Jungle. You'll have mangroves, lianas, cacti and new animals, all filling the new worlds with an abundance of life, like rhinos, baboons, leopards and panthers.

CEO Alexandra Constandache: “So with ‘The Temptation’ we've succeeded in realizing a truly intensive gaming experience - an experience that also includes the refining of the 'older' elements together with truly stunning new features! When you move objects, for example, the possibilities are almost endless... you can use all your creative talents and enable very interesting quests at the same time."

Gamebanshee has posted a press release from Zuzzex entertainment officially announcing  The Temptation, the planned expansion to  Reality Pump's action RPG, Two Worlds:

The developers are focusing on a blend of the proven and the new: besides several well-known regions of Antaloor, there are also completely new territories to explore. The combat system has been further enhanced too – now you can use active blocking, for example. Many other additional developments have been added – developments which have enabled a completely new means of transport and a much enhanced reaction from NPCs – but more on these and a whole host of other surprises shortly! The release of “Two Worlds – The Temptation” for PC and consoles is planned for the first half of 2008.

You can see some screenshots at  www.2-worlds.com/temptation.

PC Games.de has revealed an addon for Two Worlds, titled Temptation, according to fansite 2worlds-game.de.  Previously the title for a PS3 port, Temptation will apparently feature a new transport mode, active blocking, diving, improved AI and NPC reactions and, of course, new areas and enemies.

Thanks Dark Savant on our forums.

The long awaited v1.6 patch for Two Worlds is available at Worthplaying.  Weighing in at only 25Mb, here are the final notes:

v1.6 patch details (PC/Xbox 360):

Horse steering has been improved
Character development curve not as steep over level 25
HP regeneration slower for max values above 2000
Death strike skill - executable by strike button while in sneak mode
Critical hit skill fixed
Damage is now allowed over 32000
There is a cap on damage and armor at 99999
Necromancer spells have been balanced
Magical boosters - effect restricted to 5 boosters
Stacking potions with different statistics - fixed
Objects stacking - objects can't be stacked up if result has higher level requirements than current player level
Equipment Class cap on 50
When killing in towns - after you leave the town and go back guards will ask you to pay instead of immediately attacking you
NPC's in towns don't resurrect
Tweaked hi- level monster balance
Wing Membrane ingredient added to Helllord
Dragons strike not breakable by player hit
Bomb traps attached to some chests and wardrobes
Balanced number of lock picks in chests and wardrobes
Walking under water and not dying has been fixed
Inaccessible Cave north of Ashos has been fixed
Multiplayer Lag issues have been improved
Multiplayer too many skill points generated due to combat stats has been fixed
Friendly fire disabled in RPG mode (players cannot damage each other)
Resurrect spell on players has been disabled
Experience points for killing players has been removed
Disarming skill disabled against other players
Freezing/stopping spells disabled against other players
Multiplayer RPG quests given to all, reward splitter between players
Team assault - main monuments 50 times stronger
Barbarian - berserk skill in PvP reduced to 5
Chest and wardrobe lock levels improved in multiplayer

PC specific:

Issue of moving money between servers has been fixed
Maps D2,E4,F4, Multiplayer Tharbakin - missing triangles or flying objects have been fixed
Enter opens console in single player
Horse steering - stopping horse by back key changed
Cloning character when logging on new WarNet server is fixed
Boosters disappearing in Arena modes
Atmosoheric fog for multiplayer towns added
Chat over open dialogs possible (by F11 chat dialog)
All PVP arenas unlocked from beginning

Xbox 360 specific:

Improved single player framerate
Interface - repeat changes selection left stick hold added
Game HDD cache cleaning possibility - RB + A + B during game launch
Achievements for 5 elements is fixed
Map interface improvements - only one open quest at the time, quests selection box better visibility, hero location on map better visibility, quest name on tooltip
Hit info fonts larger
“BACK – Show Instruction” text disappears
Double saving multiplayer characters to protect character lost from power-off or hard-locks
Interface - no controls after "server refused connection" is fixed
Doubling gold in multiplayer is fixed
Doubling objects in multiplayer is fixed

Asbjoern sends word that Two Worlds is now available on Steam (USD$31.95).

Southpeak sent us over news that an Xbox 360 demo will be released for Two Worlds.  The news also outlines the anticipated v1.6 patches - we've seen the patch notes previously and these look substantially the same but some of the wording is a little different.  No word on exactly when the 1.6 patch will be available:

SouthPeak Games will be releasing a playable demo of their massive free-roaming RPG adventure - Two Worlds - tomorrow (Thursday) on Xbox LIVE (for download). (www.2-worlds.com)

The demo offers a huge portion of Two Worlds’ expansive single-player map to explore, complete with numerous quests to solve and wandering monsters to battle.

Also, based on feedback received from players, a free title update will be coming soon addressing issues some players have experienced. Here are some of the improvements players can expect:

Both platforms (PC and Xbox 360)

• - Horse steering has been improved
• - Character development curve not as steep over level 25
• - HP regeneration slower for max values above 2000
• - Death strike skill - executable by strike button while in sneak mode
• - Critical hit skill fixed
• - Damage is now allowed over 32000
• - There is a cap on damage and armor at 99999
• - Necromancer spells have been balanced
• - Magical boosters - effect restricted to 5 boosters
• - Stacking potions with different statistics - fixed
• - Objects stacking - objects can't be stacked up if result has higher level requirements than current player level
• - Equipment Class cap on 50
• - When killing in towns - after you leave the town and go back guards will ask you to pay instead of immediately attacking you
• - NPC's in towns don't resurrect
• - Tweaked hi- level monster balance
• - Wing Membrane ingredient added to Helllord
• - Dragons strike not breakable by player hit
• - Bomb traps attached to some chests and wardrobes
• - Balanced number of lock picks in chests and wardrobes
• - Walking under water and not dying has been fixed
• - Inaccessible Cave north of Ashos has been fixed

 

• - Multiplayer Lag issues have been improved
• - Multiplayer too many skill points generated due to combat stats has been fixed
• - Friendly fire disabled in RPG mode (players cannot damage each other) 
• - Resurrect spell on players has been disabled
• - Experience points for killing players has been removed 
• - Disarming skill disabled against other players
• - Freezing/stopping spells disabled against other players
• - Multiplayer RPG quests given to all, reward splitter between players
• - Team assault - main monuments 50 times stronger
• - Barbarian - berserk skill in PvP reduced to 5
• - Chest and wardrobe lock levels improved in multiplayer

 

PC specific:

• - Issue of moving money between servers has been fixed
• - Maps D2,E4,F4, Multiplayer Tharbakin - missing triangles or flying objects have been fixed
• - Enter opens console in single player
• - Horse steering - stopping horse by back key changed
• - Cloning character when logging on new WarNet server is fixed
• - Boosters disappearing in Arena modes
• - Atmosoheric fog for multiplayer towns added
• - Chat over open dialogs possible (by F11 chat dialog)
• - All PVP arenas unlocked from beginning

 

Xbox 360 specific:

• - Improved single player framerate
• - Interface - repeat changes selection left stick hold added
• - Game HDD cache cleaning possibility - RB + A + B during game launch
• - Achievements for 5 elements is fixed
• - Map interface improvements - only one open quest at the time, quests selection box better visibility, hero location on map better visibility, quest name on tooltip
• - Hit info fonts larger
• - “BACK – Show Instruction” text disappears
• - Double saving multiplayer characters to protect character lost from power-off or hard-locks
• - Interface - no controls after "server refused connection" is fixed
• - Doubling gold in multiplayer is fixed
• - Doubling objects in multiplayer is fixed

If you were to simply read the feature list, Reality Pump's Two Worlds looks the perfect game for those who love free roaming action/RPGs, but the response from players and especially critics has been decidedly mixed. So, how do we see it?

Where the game shines brightest is in the overwhelming number of diverse and sometimes inter-related side quests, which are kept track of by a very well set out journal. One of the things I liked about the game is that it doesn't take itself too seriously and if you pay attention, you'll notice lots of tongue-in-cheek humour. This is frequently in evidence from the comments made by your PC when every person you talk to during a quest wants you to do something for them before they will help you out. You'll find all the standard conventions being used, but it's all part of the fun. Many of these side quests are far better constructed and offer more choices than the main one, and I could have easily played the game for another 20 hours before completing them all.

Read it here.

Fraglands has a review of the X360 version of Two Worlds, with a score of 62.8%.  More specifically, the summary says the console version "sucks monkey balls" while the PC version apparently "rocks".  Here's a grab:

Another negative point is the way in which battles are fought on the ground. Although you do have the ability to perform quite the number of combo’s, they all seem to come back quite often. “Hack, hack, slash”, a very repetitive pattern. Once the enemies get a bit more powerful and smarter, there will also be a “dodge” added to the movement combination, but that’s about the deepest the swordplay will go.

Dark Savant writes in to share two news items from the Two Worlds community.

First, there is now an interactive map available in German and English at fansite Aeon's RPGs which can be used to spot key game features such as:

* Named locations for all camps, caves, cities, geographic points, graveyards, landmarks, villages and places defined by the in-game models (e.g. teleports, mana sources, etc.).

* All Ingredients: Plants with permanent or with temporary effect, and mushrooms. Ingredients that yield temporary dexterity, strength, willpower, vitality, mana, damage, and HP. Those that yield poison immunity, or cure poisoning, or heal wounds.

* Complete list of Beings: Animals, creatures, humans (teachers, regressors, merchants, Mages, factions, soldiers and misc chars) and other species (e.g. Dwarves, Groms, Varns, Trachidis, etc.)

* Finally items to be found in the world: Chests, Wardrobes, traps, resources, quest related items, and game internal markers (special spawn points).

Use the menu bar on the left to access the different map features.

In addition, this forum post by Phalanx at InsideTwoWorlds reveals the 1.6 update is out of beta testing and will be released by Reality Pump after further quality control. The list of bugfixes is embedded in the post.

Thanks, Dark Savant!

A "C" is the grade for Two Worlds in GameShark's review:

The game also has a lot in common with Diablo and the games of its ilk. The combat is pure hack and slash, and it often ends in a dance of hit the right trigger repeatedly, retreat and heal. Rinse and repeat. In fact you will often encounter groups of creatures and most of the time, especially at early levels, it is best to try and draw them out one at a time. This is a frustrating game mechanic; your hero is the main protagonist of the story and a mercenary at that—and he can’t handle three wild boars? One of the positives that the game draws from Diablo is the unique items and sets. While you will find similar items, there are many combinations of armor and weapons to be looted. It makes clearing out that skeleton cave or tomb worthwhile.

YouGamers has a lengthy review of Two Worlds, including a highly detailed examination of the graphical flaws.  The score is 67 and here is an early clip:

The single-player campaign opens with an obligatory cutscene that does little to explain the backstory - something about the death of the Orc-god Aziraal, a magical casket and a land "infested with the Taint." As the protagonist mercenary (which must be a male character model in the single player campaign), the catalyst for action is the kidnapping of your sister and traveling partner Kira, who was abducted as she lay under a tree while you sought help. How was she injured? Who knows. Where were the two of you traveling? A mystery as well. What we do know is that Kira was insufficiently dressed for the weather, and that both she and her ample bosom were abducted by persons (or evil creatures!) unknown. The story is both trite and confusing, which doesn't bode well for story-based gameplay.

Strategy Informer has a review of Reality Pump's action RPG, Two Worlds more or less on the positive end of the spectrum at 6.2:

The story of Two Worlds is familiar enough to confuse you as to which game you’re playing today, but also frees the player from concerns about exactly what’s happening: a matter which indirectly promotes the free-roaming aspect of modern RPGs and encourages gamers to choose a direction for their character that’s not necessarily dictated by the most direct route to completion of the game.

Two Worlds succeeds at what it sets out to provide – a poor man’s Oblivion and a simple, unrestrictive introduction to role playing games. Freedom really is the nature of the game, and if exploring a new world – and slaughtering hundreds of wild boar - is something you’ll enjoy, Two Worlds isn’t a bad choice. Splashing around in these shallow waters can be a lot of fun, but the depth isn’t there for gamers who want real submersion.

Top Game Moment: Although a lot of the dialogue is simply painful, the main character has a great line as he heads into battle: “Say hello to death!”

Another pair of reviews for Two Worlds on the 360 have hit the 'net, with the expected mixed results.  Let's go to PALGN, who awarded 6/10:

 But where the port goes from mediocre to flat out bad is in the visuals. Two Worlds suffers more frame rate problems than any other game we’ve seen on the 360. The game seems to generally run around the 20-25 frames-per-second mark, yet still somehow suffers massive dips whenever there are too many people on screen, or you enter a new area. Gor Gammer, a large area in the game, constantly chugs for the entire time you are in it. Almost every time you kill an enemy, the game will pause for a fraction of a second, while it loads a death animation. Unforgivable. Oh, and then there is the criminal pop up – enemies can appear mere metres in the distance, as can buildings, trees and other objects. What makes it even worse is that the visuals, while being far from bad, are not impressive enough to warrant such frame rate hassles. After playing Two Worlds for a few hours, try going back to any other 360 game – the difference will pretty damn obvious. Then there’s the animation, which is somewhat broken. For example, if you try and mount a horse from the right, you will suddenly teleport to the left and jump on. If a bear tries to attack you and you run around to face it from behind, the bear will suddenly be facing you, as if it has access to some sort of teleportation technology. These are very serious flaws, and make Two Worlds feel like a budget game at times. There are also countless little visual flaws across Thalmont, such as it raining inside caves.

...and Gamepyre with a score of 74%:

Are you are looking for a game that has a ton of plot and story? Are you are looking for social group vs. underground cult vs. underdog rebels all fighting for power? Are you looking for epic war torn lands to travel and explore? Well Two Worlds might just be your game. I was shocked at the shear amount of stuff packed into this game. There is a ton of different factions to work for and fight against. There are thousands of people to talk to and interact with. There are millions of places to go and see. With all this stuff you have to ask your self "Is more better?" The answer is a resounding NO! Two Worlds is huge no doubt but the problem is that it has little to no personality. Were everything in Oblivion felt lovingly crafted, Two Worlds in extremely clinical and by the book. If a person died, if a faction hated me, if the good guys lost, or the bad guys won, I did not care. The only motivation to keep playing was exploration and getting that new Uber-Glowing-Sword-Of-Death-And-Destruction; not saving the world.

Two new reviews for Two Worlds, each on different platforms and with very different conclusions.

Boomtown looked at the X360 version and slammed it with a 4/10 in their review:

The last thing likely to put you off playing Two Worlds, once you’ve got past the PS1 graphics, has got to be the dialogue and the delivery of said dialogue. Everything is in mock-medieval, with a hey-nonny-nonny and a verily, forsooth and gadzooks. It is so badly written that it’s no surprise that the voice talent delivers the lines with all the emotion of a house brick. Perhaps they too had to listen to the low-rent Enya music that makes up the soundtrack. Whatever the case, the result is unintentionally funny at best, and outright obscure at worst – even with subtitles.

...but Play.tm played the PC version and came away reasonably happy, despite being one of those reviews that starts "I'm not a massive fan of RPGs". The score is 75% and here's the conclusion:

These issues are relatively minor when considering the massive playground you have at your disposal. It quite bluntly isn't as good as Oblivion's (you never thought it would be did you?) but it does provide an awful lot to sink your exploring-teeth into. Indeed, it'll certainly be a lot of fun if you like this sort of thing; its ambition and open-ended nature should satisfy genre fans at the very least. Two Worlds does offer mini-games by way of multiplayer (horse racing, death matches, etc) however disappointingly nothing by way of co-op quests. Still, it's better to have something than nothing and extra marks go to Reality Pump for making the effort.

A well-crafted and ultimately huge slice of video gaming.

1UP gives us their review on the PC flavor of Reality Pump's Two Worlds, alotting it a score of 6.5 of 10 (average):

Missing siblings, Orcs, imprisoned deities, magical artifacts cut into pieces and scattered across the land -- Two Worlds is like a fantasy Mad Lib. You're a mercenary (male only-sorry, ladies) seeking his kidnapped sister and acting as the unwilling pawn in a saw-that-coming plot to resurrect the evil Orc god Aziraal. As in other open-world games, you're free to follow or ignore this banal storyline, with its absurdly pompous Olde Englishe script and atrocious voice acting...

If you relish level grinding and clickalicious combat, you'll find enjoyment in Two Worlds -- a couple hundred hours' worth of play for those willing to overlook small but numerous flaws. It's stable, attractive, and engaging enough to keep you coming back. But the game kitchen-sinks itself. Had the developers made it about 30 percent smaller, cut the fat, and tightened its assorted good qualities, they may have realized its true potential and produced something special. As is, nothing's intrinsically bad about Two Worlds -- but neither is anything memorably good.

 

 

Jolt has kicked up an Xbox 360 review of Two Worlds, and - as has become customary for this platform version - the result is a kicking.  The score is 2.2/10 and here is a clip:

Let’s discuss combat. Something, in fact, we wish the development team had discussed at some point with anyone who knew anything about games. That way we could have avoided the total abomination that we have here. Button mashing isn't gameplay and it never has been. With examples like this, it never will be. Quite how anyone thought that mindless button mashing would make people feel like they have achieved something or fought a brave fight is anyone's guess. There is no skill involved in combat by melee or combat by magic, which are both pretty core elements of a game where you are playing the role of either a fighter or magic user. We didn't think it would be that complicated to figure out, but we were wrong.

Over at the Inside Two Worlds site, an annoucement has gone out along with a link to download the beta for the 1.6 patch:

 Reality Pump is currently preparing Patch 1.6 for PC and Xbox 360. It should be available in the next weeks. There is no fixed date known, so asking after it would result in a "When it's done".

What does this patch fix? Just a few of the fixes: Reduced MP Lag, friendly fire in RPG mode - disabled, Crime System and Forgiveness in SP fixed, all known MP exploits like cloning of objects, framerate problems (Xbox 360) - and many, many more.

To test this new patch on PC we have created a new Group named "Patch 1.6 Betatest". To test the new patch AND provide feedback you have to
visiting Group Memberships and apply for the Group Patch 1.6 Betatest.

Please don't apply if you only want to take a look. We need people who are testing the game and providing feedback about that.

Head to the site and apply if you are interested and able to test and provide feedback. 

Gamebanshee has posted some clips from four reviews of Reality Pump's action rpg, Two Worlds, once again showing the variation in quality between the Pc and XBox360 versions:

Gamer 2.0 reviewing the XBox 360 version, gives it a 5/10 and uses the "poor man's Oblivion" comparison we've seen in other reviews.

Multiplayer is like a cruel joke by the developers, tricking players into wasting more time by thinking there is any sense of excitement found online with others. It’s quite astounding that playing online with others is more boring and broken than playing by yourself in the main game

Deeko also slams the XBox game with a score of 3.5/10, saying:

Have you ever played a game for fifteen minutes and were so disgusted by its quality that you literally were in pain after playing it? That made you feel like throwing the Xbox 360 against the wall in frustration? Where you wished they still had cords attached to the controllers, just so you could strangle something? Well, if you're a fan of those kinds of games - and who isn't - then you're going to absolutely love Two Worlds.

Gamezone gives a more in-depth and positive review of the PC version of the game, with a score of 7.1/10:

While all this may sound like a game that should be avoided, it is quite the contrary. Two Worlds is a robust role-playing game that has a lot of depth, from the crafting elements (alchemy) to the combat and way you can level up your character. With an open-ended quest system, and the choice to take and/or complete quests, players will find a lot to enjoy about this game as well as the opportunity to invest a lot of hours playing it.

There's also a review of the XBox version from MS XBox World, adding to the consensus with 3/10:

What really killed the longevity of the game for me ... was the fact that I committed one minor crime in a major city (where there were lots of active quests). This resulted in the guards chasing me down and then presenting me with several options to bribe or pay a hefty price. I opted to offer the guard 15% of the fine ... to turn a blind eye; however he refused and then all hell broke loose. It seems that once this happens the entire town for the rest of the game will attack you on sight and this includes important quest characters as well as guards. There is no way to reverse this... This is poor game design at best...it’s a terrible oversight and just one of a long line of flaws the game has.

GameZone is the next site to review the X360 version of Two Worlds and, for once, the article doesn't have an emphasis on graphical glitches and hiccups.  Instead, the underlying tone is that Two Worlds is OK but Oblivion is much better.  The score is 7/10 and here is a snip:

Unfortunately, the game lacks the charm of Oblivion’s world and the little touches that might seem insignificant but make the difference between traveling in a world filled with interesting spots and traveling in a world that can seem a bit barren at times. Really, there are times in Two Worlds where you’ll see nothing but green grass and tall tress for miles. When it comes to the quests and side quests, there are no intricate side stories that have you attempting to cure yourself of a vampire curse, you won’t be joining an assassin or thieves’ guild and you certainly won’t be attempting to rescue a floating ship/inn from pirates. These little surprising elements that made Oblivion such a treat to play are missing in Two Worlds.

Eurogamer has their Two Worlds Xbox 360 review out, smacking Reality Pump over the head with a 4/10:

Forsooth, 'tis oft uttered from the mouths of knaves that to unleash a game upon a console is a much different endeavour to unleashing that self-same game upon the PC. Verily, verily, thine developer should have to be some kind of knave to attempt such a release without great alteration to the very fabric of the game!

If that paragraph made you want to stab me in the face (and frankly, we had to hide all the sharp objects in the room while writing it for fear of facial self-harm), then your path is clear. Close this tab in your browser, leave this review, and never, ever consider playing Two Worlds.

Describing Two Worlds as "polarising", IGN's review seems reasonably balanced amd the score is a modest 7.3/10.  There are plenty of complaints but let's take a positive quote for once:

The quest itself is very open-ended, at least after the first couple hours or so. Making progress is more than a simple matter of traveling from place to place marked on your map. Instead you'll need to take on many side-quests to build your reputation in order to make the allies you need to achieve your goals. This might not appeal to shotgun players who don't want to roam the countryside or talk to random villagers, but those that prefer a more leisurely pace will enjoy the sense of consequence it lends. Seeing sub-plots unfold and your reputation evolve can be a lot of fun.

GameVortex' article scores 65% and it's clear they are approaching from a casual gaming perspective:

Two Worlds' story doesn't tread any ground not already covered by other RPGs. A god, Aziraal, was sealed in a tomb. Three hundred years later, the tomb is uncovered and as luck would have it, you're the only guy who can open it. Of course, you have little interest in what lies in the tomb or even that you're the guy with the keys to the place; all you care about is finding your missing sister. Two Worlds follows the same linear, but not-so-linear path as Oblivion. You can follow the main plotline or take on side-quests and discover new things around the world. Though the open-world structure is appreciated, Two Worlds takes a big misstep by almost forcing you to complete a number of side-quests if you want to enjoy the main one. Unlike Oblivion, there's no mechanism that balances difficulty with your character's level; instead the game is hard from the start. If you want to make it through the main quest, you have to take on side-quests in order to level up or find useful equipment.

Gamebanshee has launched a subsite for Reality Pump's Two Worlds, with plans for a comprehensive walkthru and other features. They also have a review of the game:

Despite Two Worlds not having much in the way of a storyline, in the single-player campaign you’re forced to play a human male character whose skill set doesn’t match any of the game’s 12 official classes (in multiplayer, you can also be a female or an elf, and you have to pick a class). Your character is sort of an “everyman” character, with an assortment of skills for melee combat, ranged combat, and magic. Later, as you visit towns during your travels, you can learn new skills to make your character even more versatile.

Skills include abilities like “strong hand,” which increases the amount of melee damage you do, and “disarming arrow,” which disarms opponents from afar (and which is really a pain when it’s done to you). There are also thief skills for sneaking, stealing, and picking locks, and a “riding” skill for riding horses and other mounts. Magic is also considered to be a skill. There are five schools of magic, and as you put more skill points into each school, you’re allowed to cast the higher level spells in the school. The damage done by spells isn’t controlled by your skill level, though. Instead, the magic system uses “cards,” where the more cards you play, the more damage you do. There are also booster cards that you can use to reduce the mana cost of a spell, increase the duration of a spell, and more.

A group of new Two Worlds reviews are up around the 'net - often with disappointing results, although it's worth noting all of these are based (or mostly based) on the X360 version, which seems to have framerate issues that don't plague the PC version (the irony...).  Let's start with Worthplaying for an overview, who awarded 5.5/10:

If you're looking for a sub-par RPG with a sub-par storyline, sub-par gameplay, sub-par sounds, and very sub-par multiplayer, then sure, pick up Two Worlds, but I really wouldn't recommend it unless you're a die-hard RPG fan just looking for something new. If you do decide to get Two Worlds for some reason, please do so for the PC because the 360 version just isn't playable at the moment.

TeamXbox goes for 5.1/10 and here's a bit on combat:

The combat in Two Worlds leaves more than a little to be desired, especially if you choose to focus on melee attacks. You’ll basically spend your whole time mashing the right trigger to swing your weapon of choice. Granted, it’s not like Oblivion’s melee combat was amazing or anything, but it felt much more immersive and looked more realistic. Watching my Two Worlds character magically leap back during combat was very odd. The game’s AI is also atrocious, as they’ll basically stand in one place until you approach, and will stop as if hitting a magic wall if you choose to run past them. Worst of all, they don’t seem to like crossing that wall, so you can hit them with ranged attacks while they just stand there.

GameRevolution says 'D+' and hates the Olde Englishe and voiceacting:

First off, it's got a speech impediment. You can join me in making fun of the ren faire dialog all you want, but the real problem lies in the awful acting. It seems they didn't tell everyone whether Brumhill is “BRUHM-hill” or “BROOM-hill.” Same goes for Tharbakin (Tar-BAH-kin vs. TAR-buh-kin). Then things start getting really weird because the guy with the horses all fenced up complains of a man trying to steal his “coral” when clearly it's supposed to be (and even says, in the script) “corral”. Give me a break and go hire some actors who speak English.

PlanetXbox360 scores 3.2/10 and gets straight into multiplayer:

Game starts, players are standing around near each other in the town.  Player 1 hits 'X' to ready their weapon.  Game freezes. 

Player 1:  "Oh sh*t, sorry"

Waiting countdown begins… 9...8...7...6...

Player 2:  "What did you do?  I'm frozen"

5..4...3...

Player 1:  "Yeah, me too.  I whipped out my sword and the game froze."

2..1...0...0...0...

Player 2:  "What did you do that for?!?!?"

0...0...0...

Player 1:  "Ha, ha, ha... This sucks..."

(3 minutes later) 0...0...0...

GamerNode's score is 4/10 but acknowledges the game can be addictive...even if the author doesn't really know why:

But what about the good? While most of the game will frustrate and annoy you, Two Worlds does do a few things right. For starters, it's surprisingly addicting to play once you've put any time into it. Even if you recognize the game is awful, you just can't put the controller down. I'm not exactly sure why that is; it just is. (Think of it as the video game equivalent to a horrible B-movie.) There's also a lot to do in this game, so you certainly get your money's worth if you put time into it. 

...and for a change of pace, a site called ZTGameWorld awarded 7.5/10:

Two Worlds is not a bad game, in fact there is an epic adventure underneath this rough exterior that is rewarding to those willing to spend the time uncovering it. While initial impressions have been bleak it is nice to know that gamers willing to dedicate themselves to this game are finding its merits. Fans of old-school PC games such as Diablo will find plenty to entertain them and the amount of items and weapons to discover truly is impressive. As I said at the beginning comparing this game to Oblivion is a mistake, but the amount of fun that can be found within this game is definitely just as epic as Bethesda’s opus.

A decent 'B-' is the score for Two Worlds in Gameplay Monthly's review:

The story is rather generic, but the persistent world aspect puts a unique twist on the way it is presented. While the sheer number of quests is impressive enough, actions the player performs within the game affect the way certain quests will play out. For example, one townsperson asks for an item from a woman. If you have learned of a particular plot line, you can use those details to trick the woman into relinquishing the item. If not, she'll ask a favor of you instead. And since each action, each quest you complete, fail, or decline changes the dynamic of character interaction, playing the same game twice will be tricky.

The first of the major US reviews for Two Worlds are out with GameSpot and GameSpy both cranking out critiques. We'll take GameSpot's first - the same review is used for both the PC and the Xbox360 version, although the text seems to have been written primarily for the X360. The score on PC is a modest 7.4/10 and 7/10 for 360 due to UI issues and gimped MP for that version:

A poor man's Oblivion. This description may seem a bit damning, but it puts the game in awfully fine company when you consider the sheer greatness of Bethesda's role-playing game opus. Reality Pump's RPG certainly has it where it counts in the aspiration department, even if, largely due to some design quirks, the first-time RPG developer can't quite match the gold standard established by Oblivion last year. With that said, the epic scale of the game, along with outstanding character development, free-flowing action, and good quest variety, make it a worthwhile play for any RPG aficionado.

But GameSpy sees it very differently, awarding the X360 version 1/5 and calling it all sorts of names:

Short of either an intense desire to see the RPG genre sullied or irrepressible masochistic tendencies, you've got no reason to play Two Worlds. Except for an interesting pair of item creation and character leveling systems, every element of Two Worlds lurks somewhere between "atrocity" and "horror." It's rare we get to simply lay into a title, but Two Worlds for the 360 is undeserving of any mercy.

Video Game Talk says 3/5 and "rent it":

As I stated earlier, players need extensive knowledge about RPG titles before starting Two Worlds. Playing Oblivion was like being on vacation with a tour guide compared to this. Two Worlds drops you in the middle of nowhere, without any instructions, and expects you to survive. This is a hardcore RPG that will turn away beginners within minutes of starting a new game.

...and CheatCCC has an ordinary article that scores a "good" 3.8/5 but then says there is no reason to get Two Worlds unless you crave "Oblivion filler":

Even with the many amusing flaws that I encountered, including the birdlike motion your character does when jumping, the constant freeze frame when you encounter a new area, and the witty dry boasting your character does when vanquishing evil, there really is no reason to check out Two Worlds unless you are looking for the solid Oblivion filler. If you are, then Two Worlds is your next buy. There's a lot to Two Worlds that will take you an eternity to complete. This is probably the biggest draw to the game that I can mention. It is one of those games that you can put down, wait a while, come back to it, and rekindle the enjoyment you had the first time around. So race out, dive into the world of Two Worlds, and find out for yourself the mysteries of the Taint.

First impressions of the final Two Worlds build are up at IGN.  The article is fairly short but modestly positive:

So far, Two Worlds boasts a story worthy of the term "epic," and is my personal favorite aspect of the game. Your ultimate goal is to find and save your sister. And to do that, you need to hunt down an ancient artifact said to have the power to resurrect an Orc God. Rest assured that the game makes prolific use of its installed Reputation system. Different factions will require the player's help at several junctions throughout the game by way of different quests, some furthering the main story, others acting as side quests. There's a wide selection of quests to keep players busy for dozens of hours.

Topware Interactive Managing Director James Seaman has been interviewed at Xbox Exclusive about Two Worlds.  Here's a snip:

In this crowded market of RPG titles what will make Two Worlds stand out for gamers?

We tried to pay attention to what gamers want out of an RPG, for the most part we heard cries for mounted combat and no loading times and that’s what we’ve done. You’re able to fight on horseback with a number of weapons and magic. When it comes to load times, once you’re in the game everything is streaming so if you walk into a town, no black screen of doom – the door opens and you’re in the bustling town. On that note, the world is very much alive, everyone has a job and they’re carrying out their daily duties so it’s you that has an impact on the world, not vice versa. If you decide to go into a town and start destroying things, people will react, you’ll get bad reputation and probably be hunted down as a criminal. However, if you decide to do the right thing and help people in need, you’ll be sought out as a hero. Every decision that you make ultimately has an impact on how the game plays out. Not only that but we’ve included multiplayer options that are totally free to play. I think that’s pretty different!

Thanks, Steve! 

Southpeak sent over the following announcement:

    SOUTHPEAK GAMES RELEASES TWO WORLDS FOR PC AND XBOX 360™

    Eagerly Anticipated Role-Playing Game Gives “Player Freedom” Like Never Before

SEATTLE, WA - August 24, 2007 – SouthPeak Games, from the 2007 Penny Arcade Expo (PAX), today announced that Two Worlds, the publisher’s new, open-ended role-playing game for PC and the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft is now available in stores nationwide. Two Worlds features over a hundred hours of single-player quests, stackable weapons and magic, as well as epic online multiplayer PvP and RPG gameplay. PAX show attendees will be among the first to experience Two Worlds through demos and mini competitions at the SouthPeak Booth # 603 during the three-day game festival for tabletop, videogame, and PC gamers.

Developed by TopWare Interactive and Reality Pump Studios, Two Worlds delivers the ultimate role-playing challenge. The game features unprecedented “player freedom,” with player decisions shaping the world permanently and directly affecting how the world reacts to the mere presence of the main mercenary character. Their journeys will take them through cities, dungeons, snow-covered mountains, bamboo forests, barren deserts and cause kings to be overthrown, cities to be sacked, and organizations to be eradicated. The world lives its own life, but it’s well within the player’s power to change it. The entire game of Two Worlds explodes with personality and original features like stackable weapons and magic - for the first time in an RPG, every item you collect has value. The ambience is at a new level with stunning graphics and Grammy Award winning composer Harold Faltermeyer providing the soundtrack. Combine this with online options that allow players to adventure together, and it’s easy to see why Two Worlds is destined to become the premier role-playing game experience.

 “Two Worlds is a huge leap forward for role-playing games in terms of scale and new ideas,” said Melanie Mroz, Executive VP of SouthPeak. “We can’t wait for everyone to start exploring the world of Antaloor.”

The storyline, based in the ancient world of Antaloor, thrusts players into a silent war amongst all of the civilized races and the Orc hordes, an evil legion of vicious beasts. The Orcs are desperately seeking to rediscover the power of their fallen leader, Aziraal, the god of war to launch their own holy crusade and take over the world. As one of the few people able to unlock the secrets of Aziraal’s tomb, gamers play a pivotal role in this ancient conflict. All the forces of the world wish to find the tomb first and seize its power. It is up to the players to save the world or destroy it.

Two Worlds is rated M for Mature, and comes in both a Standard Edition and Collector’s Edition for both platforms. The collector’s version includes a bonus disc with additional art, videos and music, along with a collector edition map and hardbound role-playing book based off the game. For more information about Two Worlds or SouthPeak Games, please visit www.2-worlds.com or www.southpeakgames.com.

Southpeak has announced Two Worlds will be released in the UK on Sept 7th:

Friday 24th August/...SouthPeak Games has officially announced the release date for Two Worlds, its epic free-roaming RPG for PC and the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®. Launching on 7th September, Two Worlds’ marriage of deep single-player questing and expansive multiplayer co-operation makes it the ideal choice for filling those longer autumnal nights.

Two Worlds will be available in normal and Collector’s Edition packs, both available for pre-order now. The PC Collector’s Edition, which includes a wealth of additional materials and free un-lockable content, will be exclusively available at GAME. The Xbox 360 Collector’s Edition, which includes the same additional material and a free 48-hour Gold membership to the Xbox LIVE® online game service, will be available at all good retailers.

Melanie Mroz, Executive Vice President, SouthPeak Games comments: “We’re overjoyed to confirm Two Worlds’ release date for the UK. It’s been a long time coming, but we think a game of this complexity and scope shouldn’t be hastily rushed to market. We’re making sure that Two Worlds has been exhaustively balanced and bug-tested, meaning that UK players will get the very best experience possible on September 7th.”

Two Worlds will be released for PC and Xbox 360 on the 7th September.

Meanwhile, Rock Paper Shotgun has some short thoughts on the demo:

Two Worlds was not generally not that well received by internet game judges, but I’m throughly enjoying this demo in a ‘B-Game’ kind of way. There’s something solid about the hack ‘n slash, and the cheesy dialogue seems to take the edge off any pretension. Although that perception could be a consequence of my profound lack of sleep…

As promised, the demo for Two Worlds complete with v1.5 improvements has been released - the link at the official site doesn't seem to be active so for the moment, grab the 865Mb file from Gamer's Hell (German, French and multilingual versions are available in addition to the English version).

The v1.5 Service Pack has also been released for existing players, coming in at a massive 1.07Gb. You can get it from Gamer's Hell above or here is a list of mirrors from the official site:

Inside Two Worlds
The Patches Scrolls
Worthplaying
K-Files
Extreme-Players
GamesFire
Gameswelt
GamersHell
Onlinewelten
TwoWorlds-Game

Finally, the Xbox 360 release date has been set:

+++ Fantastic RPG will be in European shops on the 29th of August 2007 +++
  the PC version of "Two Worlds" has already stormed to the top of the charts - and now this world-class RPG will have its console premier on the 29th August - on the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®. This version has all the advantages of the numerous enhancements which the developers have programmed for the PC game in the last few months: every single update and the Service Release 1.5 are all packed into the Xbox 360™ version!

In addition to single player mode, the RPG also gives you a multiplayer mode for Xbox 360™ via the Xbox LIVE® online game service - for up to eight adventurers at one time!

It's just a day or so from the promised release of the Two Worlds demo replete with v1.5 enhancements, due to be released for the start of the Leipzig GC (story).  If you haven't been watching the Two Worlds v1.5 thread on our forums, Dark Savant has been updating us daily with details on all the improvements and new features (via  InsideTwoWorlds.de), so check it out.

In other news, the official site reveals the soundtrack will be released this week:

Sometimes it's classically glorious, at other times it rocks unashamedly, then it slips gently into a folksy vein - the "Two Worlds" music will captivate you with exciting sounds in a truly wide range of styles. Want to experience this for yourself? Well, the good news is that the official "Two Worlds" album will soon be available! Performed by top musicians of the MGM Grand Orchestra, the album "Two Worlds" from Harold Faltermeyer featuring AmberMoon will transport you into a fantastic world for more than 70 minutes! There's a maxi-single ("Play the Game") available as well - with a playing time of over 19 minutes. Both CDs will enter the shelves on the 30th August for 14,99 respectively 5,99 Euro.
Incidentally: if you're a registered "Two Worlds" customer, you can get 10% off if you order in the online shop at www.zuxxez.com and enter your registration number! The entire list of songs and some audio samples are here for you too!

IGN has a preview of the (NA) Two Worlds Collector's Edition. The article is padded with some humour at the beginning and a list of contents at the end, so the main text is a short description of the included tabletop PnP game rules.

From the official 2-worlds.com site comes news of a demo to be released on August 21st, coinciding with the Leipzig GC:

 +++ Brand-new 2W Demo gives you a real adventure trip into the RPG +++

Anyone who wants a first-hand impression of what the RPG "Two Worlds" is all about can really look forward to the 21st of August. Right on time for the Games Convention, an 1,3 GB big demo will be available here and on various partner sites. The demo will enable gamers to freely explore a large part of Northern Antaloor and solve various quests - and it even includes a part of the main story involving the mysterious Dark Brotherhood - but don't worry… the game's high-voltage excitement will still be there for you if you decide to take on the full version - because although the demo has no time limits, it does end automatically when you reach a specific point in the main quest.

CEO Alexandra Constandache: "Although we've been hugely successful with "Two Worlds" in the past few weeks, this demo will definitely contribute to pushing the envelope even more! Demo release has been intentionally planned for the start of the Games Convention in Leipzig - and we'll be starting a special promotion for our visitors there."

Fragland has a short review of Two Worlds that is more of a brief action report than critique, with few real insights into the gameplay - the author also notes this is his first RPG.  Nevertheless, the score is 87% and here is a snip:

Time to check our inventory. There we find a bow with arrows but when giving it a go it doesn’t seem to do a lot so I decide to go looking for some more Groms to do some headbashing. Still, this isn’t so interesting so we make our conclusions and go to the nearest village where we enter a house with our lockpicks. There may be some people, but since there are no guards or such I take my chance and open a closet out of which I take the best clothes, money and better weaponry. I feel a lot more powerful already and am able to take on animals. I introduce a couple of wolves to my good friend, Mister Grim Reaper, and take their hearts with which I can cook something that increases my Vitality for some time. I feel a lot more powerful so send some “Bandits” on the same road as the wolves and remarkable is that they have some very strong clothing which is handy to use myself. At their camp there’s also a horse and a chest with lots of gold so I take it all and drive back into town.

Thanks to Dark Savant for pointing out this post at InsideTwoWorlds.de with info on the upcoming Two Worlds v1.5 patch, which will also form the basis of the NA/UK/AUS release:

Patch 1.5 will be released on 21. August 2007. It will be more a Service Release, bringing many new features to the game, here are a few of them:

• Supporting Games for Windows (Vista Game Explorer, UAC, Media Center)
• Improved AI Behaviour
• Improved Trading System
• Redesigned Faces and Animations
• Realistic lipsync
• Improved support for Mods
• Fast looting for animals
• Summoned creatures are following hero
• Possibility to do manual magic aiming
• Content of a chest depends on the difficulty of the lock

The Update will be already included in the UK/US/AUS version, this counts also for the Xbox 360.

IGN's latest look at Two Worlds covers secret areas and offers a couple of examples along with a nice map of Antaloor:

Golem Island
Location: B12

The only way to reach this unmarked island is with a good swim. If you're not too skilled at traversing water, your best bet is to swim the channel between the northeast side of the island and the mainland since it's the shortest route.

Once on this island, you'll find it eerily deserted. Near the center of the land mass, you'll see why. A large group of iron golems, still following their orders from a master long dead, try to capture or kill anyone who steps foot here. Luckily, these behemoths are slow moving, so avoiding a confrontation with them is easy.

Australian site PALGN has a shortish review of Two Worlds, with a score of 6.5/10.  Here is a clip on the "bland" combat:

 Far from the oft abused adjective that is ‘visceral’, combat in Two Worlds is a fairly bland affair. The developers have chosen to go with a system in which much of the dodging and precision of your sword swings are handled behind the scenes. Strength, dexterity, other key attributes and supplementary skills that assist in dodging and hitting all coming together in the background to determine the outcome of each second of battle. Unfortunately the programming alchemy that occurs behind the wizards curtain leaves you as the player simply clicking over and over again to randomly swing your sword and run from enemies as your health depletes. This results in some pretty unappealing gameplay. Along with this there are times when the enemy’s AI seems slightly below par, giving up the chase quickly, or standing still as you hack away at them.

Two Worlds' weekly feature at IGN sees four critters highlighted - wolves, demons, dragons (50,000 hp?) and groms:

Dragons
Hit Points: 20,000-50,000
Fight with: Lance, Halberd, Earth Magic

Antaloor is home to a variety of these might creatures, all of them deadly. There's the sand dragons of the Drak'ar Desert, the rock dragons of the Badlands, the lava dragons in the volcanic plains of GorGammar, and the one-of-a-kind king of lizards, the White Dragon. Defeating any one of these creatures is a challenge since they'll rip you apart with their teeth and claws at close range, and blast you with their fiery breath from a distance. Your best bet when battling a dragon is to constantly stay on the move, striking and then running to a new position, making the most of your comparatively small size.

IGN's weekly Two World's feature looks at reputation:

So what are the advantages of having a high standing? Certain groups are in charge of a particular function of society, so being renowned in these circles will make your life easier in general. For example, if you have a high reputation with the Merchant Guild, you'll have more advantageous buying and selling prices at all shops. In all cases, though, earning reputation with a group will allow you to take part in quests that are ever-more intrinsic to that group's existence. Continuing with the Merchant Guild example, at first you may just be performing a delivery as a test if you can even be trusted. When you're tight with the Merchants, you could be asked to guard a caravan that, if it doesn't make it to its destination, could ultimately cause the guild to disintegrate.

Southpeak sent us over a press release on a Two Worlds Collector's Edition for NA:

SOUTHPEAK GAMES ANNOUNCES COLLECTOR’S EDITIONS OF TWO WORLDS

Grapevine, Texas – JULY 2, 2007 – SouthPeak Games has announced collector’s editions for Two Worlds, the much anticipated role playing game coming this August for Xbox 360™ and PC. 

Both collector’s editions come in stunning holographic slipcase packaging and include a map of the expansive world, a bonus Pen and Paper 72 page color fantasy RPG book along with a second disc packed with bonus music and video content, such as web kit that allows players to create fansites. The Xbox 360 version will also include a 48 Hour Xbox Live Gold Trial card, while the PC edition will include exclusive unlockable in-game items.

The collector’s edition of Two Worlds on Xbox 360 will be available for $69.99 and the PC version will be $59.99.  Both will be on shelves August 7.  Preorder in-store at Gamestop, EB, and Hollywood/GameCrazy, and online with Best Buy.com and Amazon.com.

Note that the release seems to have slipped a week or two.  You can also grab a new trailer at Worthplaying.

Joystiq has a (hopefully new) trailer for Two Worlds.  It focuses on combat but they took some mirth from the fact that the trailer claims Two Worlds is "the most epic RPG of all time".  Awesome.

Alchemy is the subject of IGN's latest Two Worlds article:

The first step to brewing anything is finding ingredients. The lush world of Antaloor is filled with flora and fauna that will end up in your mixing pot. As you wander, you'll often see a hand symbol appear over plants, which denotes there's an ingredient there to be picked. If harvested, the plant will disappear for the time being, then slowly regenerate itself depending on its growth cycle and the weather. Killing animals and monsters, then searching them for valuable body parts, will also be a favorite pastime of would be alchemists. Even woodland creatures you don't have to fight, such as rabbits and snakes, have useful glands worth harvesting.

There's a mini patch @ WorthPlaying for Two Worlds which consists of a single file only and if copied over the original claims to accelerate and stabilize the game...no idea if its official at all.

Another week, another Two Worlds item at IGN.  This one takes a look at weapon enchanting:

Imagine, if you will, this typical role-playing game scenario. You're exploring old ruins when you're suddenly attacked by an ogre. You fight a vicious battle and, in the end, the ogre's bloody body falls to the ground. You smile victoriously, then search your fallen foe for some hard-earned loot. There's some gold, a couple potions, and a long sword which happens to be identical to the one you used to slay the ogre. "Great," you think to yourself. "Another friggin' long sword." To make matters worse, you can't even carry it back to sell off because you're already over-encumbered. You slink away empty handed, and wonder why you bother searching felled enemies at all.

In Two Worlds, the above scenario would play out almost identically, except upon discovering the duplicate weapon, you'd be thinking, "Great, another long sword. I can combine that with the one I'm using now, then maybe I'll find another one or some power gems to make it even stronger. I should search around here to see if there's more ogres carrying long swords."

The Eurogamer Two Worlds interview with US publisher Southpeak that was previewed last week is now online.  It's fairly short and comparisons with Oblivion abound:

Eurogamer: Some observers felt Oblivion could be quite shallow and often repetitive, perhaps leaning towards quantity over quality. What sort of storyline, quests, and linearity will we see in Two Worlds? And how will our actions affect the world around us?

Dirk Hassinger: The main storyline in Two Worlds is very different to the one in Oblivion. The basic premise is that the world is split into regions defined by various races. Humans, Orcs, Elves and Dwarves are familiar, but races like the Serpents (snake-based people) and the Trachidis (insectoids) should feel fresh even for die-hard fans of the genre.

The Orcs are the 'enemy' race and have been kept at bay ever since their god of war was slain and his body entombed in a secret location. However, the tomb has recently been re-discovered and the Orcs are about to embark on a holy crusade to reclaim their fallen god. Obviously this means things are about to turn nasty, which brings a sense of brooding menace to the game.

You start out as a wandering mercenary trying to find your missing sister. I'm not going to give too much away, but you and your sister are significant to the main story, which will become clear as you encounter members of a secret brotherhood during your personal story arc.  [More]

IGN's latest Two Worlds Tuesday article covers magic in Reality Pump's free-roaming RPG:

Since there aren't any classes in Two Worlds, anyone can be a spellcaster. In fact, everyone in the single-player game starts off with access to first circle Air and Fire schools, and begins play with the spells Firebolt and Heal. Like all the starting skills in the game, you're given these so you can give magic a try and see if it floats your boat. It's when you advance in levels that you decide if you're going to devote any of your hard earned skill points toward enchanting pursuits.

A v1.4 patch has been released for Reality Pump's Two Worlds.  Here's the announcement at the official site:

After paying close attention to dedicated fans, the Two Worlds development team at Reality Pump have been hard at work preparing the official 1.4 update for Topware's epic free-roaming RPG. A huge number of suggestions, proposals and requests from Two World's steadily-growing fanbase have been incorporated into the 1.4 file, which marks a significant update from smaller updates released soon after the game's European mainland release. Coming in at 298 MB for users updating from the 1.0 retail version (1.3 > 1.4: 176 MB), the 1.4 update brings a considerable improvement in both gameplay and technical terms and is not to be missed by anyone who's been lured into Two Worlds' rich and incredibly detailed universe. The 1.4 update will also be included in the US and UK retail versions, which SouthPeak Games will be releasing in late summer 2007. The 1.4 update can be downloaded from the support area.

The file can be grabbed at the official site, Filefront and Gamers Hell (thanks Melvil and Blue's) and the patch notes were posted on our forums yesterday by jorgamesh.  Here are the Balancing and New Features sections:

 Balancing:

*) - Monsters strength and HP rebalanced
*) - Bandits strength rebalanced
*) - Bows strength rebalanced
*) - Melee combat weapons rebalanced
*) - Traps rebalanced
*) - Magic rebalanced
*) - Skills rebalanced
*) - Skill requirements rebalanced
*) - Equipment requirements rebalanced
*) - Weight rebalanced
*) - Objects stacking rebalanced
*) - fighting from horse - not so powerful
*) - Immunity added to some enemies (e.g. skeletons are immune for piercing and slashing, fire dragons are immune to Fire)

New features:

- Faster graphic rendering on nVidia Graphic Cards.
- Moving/selling multiple objects - with Left Ctrl pressed.
- Vit., Str., Dex., Willp. - timed potion effect displayed in inventory.
- Inventory space increased.
- New graphic settings added DOF, Horizon, water reflections, hit info, player info
- Bow auto aiming option added
- Magic aiming cursor visible even if attacking spell is not highlighted
*) - Killing NPCs inside houses - invisible for other NPCs
*) - 4 new armour sets added.
*) - More Animals in villages (hens, ducks, gooses).
*) - Magic shop near first teleport in Komorin.
*) - Brotherhood shop at Vesit Delurna Coral.

Note that a new game needs to be started for those features marked with an asterisk.

GameBanshee has a new Two Worlds interview with NA publisher Topware Interactive.  Managing Director James Seaman is answering the questions and here's a sample:

GB: Take us through a typical combat scenario in Two Worlds. What sort of maneuvers or other strategic options will be available to the player at the outset of a battle? Is ranged combat handled differently than melee?

James: Hopefully, there is no ‘typical’ combat in Two Worlds. After you’ve gone up a few levels, you’ll probably be starting to find out what kind of combat suits you, and you’ve learned some special maneuvers related to that. For example, if melee is your forte, you might stab an enemy in front of you, kick dirt in the eyes of the foe to your right, then perform a deadly pirouette that strikes everyone around you. Or if you’ve specialized in mounted combat, perhaps you charge into battle, strike, then ride off to make another pass (unless someone dismounts you with their polearm).

And yes, ranged combat is a little different than melee. It also has its own special moves to learn, but we’ve designed it so when you pull back the bow string, the camera starts to zoom in on your target. The farther you zoom in, the more damage you’ll do. It’s up to you whether to fire off a lot of less damaging shots, or hold off for one powerful arrow.

In related news, Eurogamer is previewing an upcoming Two Worlds interview with Zuxxez' Dirk Hassinger using Oblivion to drum up some PR:

"Our inventory system is smarter, our magic system is much more complex and even the way we handle horses has more depth. Beyond those game mechanics, we have a much more complex society, with many more factions working within it. On top of that, our overarching storyline is a touch darker and more involved. That's not to say that Oblivion is a worse game, just that Two Worlds has more 'meat'."

Eurogamer has a solid general overview of Two Worlds based on some play time with an Xbox 360 version.  Here's a snip:

As far as we could gather, there was nothing to stop you from playing for tens of hours, exploring the entire world, building up your skills to a massive level and becoming feared or renowned across the land without ever bothering to speak to that messenger. Admittedly, you'd be missing out on what seems to be a very interesting, if somewhat clichéd (gosh, you mean you're really one of the only people who can wield this ancient power? How surprising!), storyline, but the point here is freedom of choice, and Two Worlds delivers that in spades.

IGN's Two Worlds Tuesday has an overview of the combat written by "Two Worlds Staff":

It goes without saying that if you're playing a role-playing game, you're going to get in a fight. Whether it's with slimes, orcs, dragons or the town guard, sooner or later metal is going to meet flesh (with experience and treasure collected soon after). Therefore, combat is a vital component to any RPG, and Two Worlds is no exception to this rule.

There are three basic types of combat in Two Worlds - melee, missile and mounted. Your character starts off with just a few basic skills in each type of combat, but as you gain skill points and find people to teach you new tricks, your effectiveness on the battlefield increases exponentially.

Some players will choose to specialize in a particular combat type, while others will play the field between two or all three. What brand of battle will appeal to you? Check out our overview of Two World's combat system to find out!

Kicking off the first so-called Two Worlds Tuesday at IGN is a list of all 41 Achievements in the Xbox 360 version.

Here's a random question: does the Xbox 360 encourage characters that can do everything, because otherwise you can't unlock all the achievement points?

Worthplaying has a v1.3 patch for Two Worlds, which fixes a number of items and rebalances some issues such as item stacking.  Head over for the full patch notes and the 60/130Mb file.

ActionTrip has the first English review of Two Worlds, although it isn't clear exactly what version they played (presumably the German Royal Edition, since it seems unlikely US distie Southpeak would send out review copies for a delayed game).  The article doesn't go into great depth but uses terms like "generic" and "dull".  The score is 62% and here's a snip:

After the first few hours of play, it becomes obvious that Two Worlds is yet another victim of the somewhat dicey free-roam gameplay formula. In case you forgot how it works, let me refresh your memory. To begin with, there's a set of locations you need to visit in order to continue with the main story. The problem is, players are too easily swayed off course with numerous enemies to fight, random NPCs to chat with and dozens of unexciting side-quests to complete. Having plunged into a wave of tasks, it doesn't take you too long to realize you've seen it all before. And, the clichéd story surely won't be enough to intrigue you further.

Still, with the amount of content on offer, I suppose Two World could attract gamers who are after the common RPG routine. You know: get quest, kill enemies and return to collect your reward. If this is what you're after, I guess the game could keep you occupied for a time. The number of quests, side-quests and NPCs is considerable, so it's safe to say there's plenty to do as you wander through forests, across mountains and lakes. The game also includes a commendable variety of items, weapons and other things to utilize during your adventure.

Even with all the traditional elements there, however, Two Worlds still lacks spirit.

CVG has a decent hands-on preview of Two Worlds on offer.  Here's a bit about the weapon stacking feature:

 Traditionally in action RPGs, players are walking medieval magnets, stripping rooms of any equipment that isn't bolted down and ending up with a knapsack full of crap. In Two Worlds, two copies of the same item can be merged for a tiny stat increase, and this can be done dozens of times. It's as mad as cats but creates a rewarding subgame. Is the boss's sword going to be more powerful than collecting the matching spears of each of his servants? Believe us when we say Diablo 3 really needs to steal this system. It makes finding the mundane a joy as well as the rare.

A press release about the multiplayer facilities in Two Worlds arrived and it looks like this was the source of the Eurogamer delay newsbit we reported earlier, but here it is for anyway:

SouthPeak's Two Worlds To Receive Ongoing Content

Wednesday 16th May/...SouthPeak Games has announced multiplayer details for Two Worlds, its upcoming free-roaming RPG epic for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® and PC.

Two Worlds' multiplayer mode is completely separate from the game's epic solo adventure, with players able to create custom characters around traditional multiplayer RPG classes. A hub-like lobby area will allow participants to form small teams of up to 8 players in order to tackle a wide variety of team matches, as well as engage in familiar online activities such as chatting and trading.

With new team matches, equipment and other off-the-wall activities such as horse racing and monster hunting in the pipeline, Two Worlds is set to become one of the most comprehensive single and multiplayer RPGs available on any system.

Melanie Mroz, Executive Vice President, SouthPeak Games says: “We're thrilled with the progress that Two Worlds' multiplayer content is making, although the extensive play-balancing and testing that content requires has necessitated a shift of the release date to late July. We want Two Worlds to truly live up to its potential and gamers can rest assured that it will be well worth the wait.”

Two Worlds will be in stores for Xbox 360 and PC in July 2007.

From Eurogamer comes the interesting information that US distie Southpeak will be holding Two Worlds back to July:

SouthPeak has cleared the air and announced that Two Worlds will be coming to PC and Xbox 360 in July.

It follows news that the console version had mysteriously slipped of the release radar, with the publisher unable to issue any reasons why. [...]

"We're thrilled with the progress that Two Worlds' multiplayer content is making, although the extensive play-balancing and testing that content requires has necessitated a shift of the release date to late July," said Melanie Mroz, executive vice president of SouthPeak. "We want Two Worlds to truly live up to its potential and gamers can rest assured that it will be well worth the wait."

Presumably other Euro release will still proceed in June.

A v1.2 patch has been released for Two Worlds that fixes known issues with some ATI cards:

 The update 1.2 is available in 2 versions (from v1.1 to v1.2 with 7,93MB and from v1.0 to 1.2 with 80,8MB) in the support section under Updates! It fixes the problems with the Radeon card of the 9xxx series. 

Head to Support at the official site.

Titled Building Two Worlds , IGN has an interview with US distie Topware Interactive, discussing the "bigger than Oblivion" gameworld and revealing apparently new information:

IGN: Factions seem to have an important role in Two Worlds. How many different factions are there and how does the reputation system work with the factions?

Seaman: There are five major factions in Two Worlds, and you gain and lose reputation with them through your actions and choices. Sometimes, you'll be able to easily predict a reputation change. For example, if The Brotherhood asks you to perform a mission for them, and you do, your reputation will go up with them. But in another instance, you might be asked to steal something and only until the deed has been performed will you realize you've wronged (and lost reputation with) a certain faction.

We wanted the player to feel that they're gaining recognition for their actions, so you'll quickly make powerful friends and enemies as you play Two Worlds. As your reputation with these factions changes, you'll notice a lot of different things opening up for you. Prices at certain vendors will change, there will be different dialogue options, and new quests. There will also be some tough choices that have to be made. Basically, the higher your reputation with one faction, the more opportunity you'll have to decimate that group's enemies. The rewards may be great, but are they worth alienating yourself from a particular group? That's the kind of decision players will have to face.

It's a pretty nifty interview, so check it out.

CRPG.ru let us know they have a handful of new Two Worlds screens, including some nice hi-res interface shots.

Next Gen has an interview with Reality Pump's CEO Alexandra Constandache on Two World's so-called MMO style multiplayer:

How early on did you start to consider making Two Worlds an MMO?

We planned the multiplayer part from the first design scratch of our artists. But perhaps it’s necessary to define the term MMO a little bit better, or we’ll soon get into problems. What is a massively multiplayer online game? Is it like World Of WarCraft, is it like Guild Wars? Right now quite a lot of other games are sold that call themselves MMOs, but it is very difficult to give a proper description for this genre because of the different usage of the term.

Therefore, we simply spoke of a multiplayer part for Two Worlds for most of the game’s development. But now that we’re coming nearer to the release date, it’s important that the people know we’re not just presenting a small multiplayer function but a whole independent game, with hundreds of possible gamers taking part, namely a MMO. And as long as you do not define that an MMO requires monthly subscription fees, this applies from right at the beginning of the game’s development.

Is this a successful marketing move or one that just confuses players on what the game really is?

A 75Mb v1.1 patch has been released for Two Worlds.  This seems to be for the German version that should have just been released but there are no obvious patch notes on the official site (grab it under Support).

An introductory preview of Two Worlds can be found at Gameworld Network:

Two Worlds is an open-world RPG that promises a grand adventure. It contains several key elements that a great fantasy game should have – secret tombs to explore, ancient temples to raid, orcs to combat, and of course humans that’ll stab you in the back if you don’t pay close attention. This could potentially be the next game to steal the souls of gamers. The main quest will contain over 40 hours of gameplay. If that isn’t enough for players, the side quests bump the playing time up to 100 hours of gameplay.

The most interesting news first: Zuxxez announced today that the XBox 360  version of their upcoming RPG Two Worlds has been delayed for an undetermined time. The tricky part (transl.): 

[...]Reasons for the delay must not be disclosed by the publisher. 

Of course nobody knows for sure, but it´s probably easy to count two and two together. ;)

The PC version is still on track for a May 9th release in the German speaking countries. Several posts by beta testers all over the German branch of teh intarweb hint that the game is in remarkably good condition for an RPG.

2Worlds-Game.de reports it has been rated "12" or equivalent by both the PEGI and the German USK, although a "16" was widely expected by the latter. Does anybody know if Zuxxez had to pull out their scissors?

The same site also pointed out the first Two Worlds review worldwide, by a print mag named 360 Live. Seems Oblivion is no longer the only perfect RPG on the planet. A 9.3 out of 10 is pretty damn good for game which ran into the thing mentioned in the first part of this news. ;)

This has actually been kicking around our forums for a couple of days and I forgot to post it...thankfully, tenochtitlan wrote in to point out the Two Worlds world map can be viewed at German fansite TwoWorlds-Game.de.  The world of Antaloor looks quite impressive and this is worth a look if Two Worlds is on your radar.

VoodooExtreme has a large batch of new Two Worlds screens, which as far as I can tell are different to the group the other day at Worthplaying.

A two-page hands-on preview of Two Worlds is up at IGN, made up of three separate pieces from different IGN editors.  From the article, the combat sounds underwhelming but other aspects sound quite positive.  Here's a snip:

One cool discovery I came across was the ever-handy trap. You can buy a standard steel bear trap for fairly cheap from a merchant. Combine some venom from a snake and perhaps the deadly properties of a boar tusk and you have a potent weapon. Lay down a trap and then start a fight with some jerk guard who would normally cream you. When he charges, back up so that he runs into the trap. While he struggles to pull himself free of the poisonous contraption, you can lay some serious smack down. Now imagine entering a city and laying down a number of dangerous traps and starting a ruckus. A good time can be had by any nefarious adventurer with a little imagination.

A huge 30 new screens for Two Worlds are available at Worthplaying.

An Italian site has several over-the-shoulder handycam videos of Two Worlds showing off character creation, general gameplay, the interface, multiplayer -- eight videos all up.  The quality is pretty good (for a handycam) and minus the usual corporate PR stuff, is essential viewing for anyone interested in Two Worlds by showing the real thing.  I don't know where these were taken, what state the code is in or how old they are, so take that into consideration.

Thanks ferkel!

IGN UK has interviewed Two World's producer Alexandra Constandache - here's a bit on the controversial "MMO" mode and an Oblivion mention just for good measure:

IGN: We interviewed Pete Hines from Bethesda and he said that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion didn't have an MMO element because it would spoil the single-player game. Presumably, you'd disagree with Hines' comment that "if you want an MMO buy an MMO, don't buy an RPG with an online mode tacked on"?

Alexandra Constandache: I don't think that the inclusion of an MMO element spoils the story mode at all. They have almost no impact on each other whatsoever. In creating Two Worlds we wanted to make an immersive single-player campaign and give players the opportunity to play together online. Our solution to this was to create two separate gameplay modes. The single player game will be just that: a solo experience within the world - meeting NPCs and discovering the true destiny of your character. While the multiplayer offers players a wide range of races to choose from, plus new and different campaigns.

The story mode gives MMO players a reason to experience Two Worlds for its story as well as opening the world of MMO gaming to more traditional players. Everything that we're working on is for the benefit of the players and replay value will be almost limitless with an MMO element added into the game.

The Two Worlds site has a little blurb on two towns called Cathalon and Ashos, with new screens to accompany the text (no direct link because of the site setup).

If you head over, don't forget to catch up on the daily diary renders.

Southpeak sent us over a press release and some new screens on Two Worlds' stealth facilities:

Two Worlds: Look out behind you!

One of the Most Anticipated Action RPG Titles of the Year Unveils Innovative

“Sneak Mode”

Las Vegas, Nevada - March 16, 2007 – Two Worlds has some of the most epic and fluid melee combat to hit the action RPG genre to date, but that’s not the only tool you’ll be using to smite your enemies! The new “Sneak Mode” offers the player a chance to get up close and personal with adversaries before deciding their fate. Surgical accuracy with a blade gives “one hit kills” a whole new meaning. Not feeling bloodthirsty at the moment? How about picking a pocket for some useful wares? Not only will sneaking help you with your interpersonal relationships, but Guards and Watchtowers will have a hard time keeping track of your stealthy moves as you slip through the gates.

To keep you well apprised of your sneaky status, there’s even a visual indicator above your target’s head. A green eye, half closed will appear – if you’re in danger of being seen the eye will open a bit and turn from green, to yellow, to orange and bright red if you’re seen. Sneaking is an active skill that you’ll upgrade in game; therefore your success rate is directly proportionate to your skill level. Not only that, but common sense should play a role as well. In the depths of a swamp at 3am by the light of the moon and the tendrils of a damp fog swirling about, your odds for success are going to be pretty good. However, if you’re out in the town square at noon doing your slithering act – someone will probably notice that weird guy creeping around. Be smart about it and you’ll be able to pull off some impressive maneuvers.

For more visit http://www.2-worlds.com.

Here's a sample of one of the screens and you can head to our gallery for the others - look for the screens dated March 16th.

Southpeak Interactive sent over six new screens from Two Worlds, which seem to offer some nice atmospheric desert and night scenes.  Hit our gallery for all six but here's a sample:

A short blurb on Alchemy titled "Master Mixers" has been kicked up at the Two Worlds site.  Here's the entire post, although you'll have to head over for the animation because it doesn't link:

Thanks to the Alchemy System in "Two Worlds", players can now let their talent for experimenting run free and wild - magical elixirs, poisoned traps, shrapnel bombs, magical power-ups for weapons, you name it, anything goes... and it's all oh-so-easy too! Just drag-and-drop your selected ingredients from the inventory to the cooking pot! All kinds of plants you find, including herbs and mushrooms, are suitable for "Two Worlds" alchemy - and you can use ready-to-drink potions and parts of dead animals and monsters, as well as minerals and bombs. The possibilities are practically endless, but all these ingredients have their own individual properties - so give your mixture some thought beforehand if you want to achieve the right results! If you're happy with the outcome, you can give your formula a special name and save it in the cookbook! So you can make really effective potions and bombs anytime you like... but only if the necessary ingredients are available! Sometimes recipes are awarded for a successfully completed quest - or you can buy them for cash in a shop. Alchemy really starts to explode in the MMO mode of "Two Worlds", where you can even trade those magical recipes of yours - and you might just get yourself a real bargain too… if you keep your eyes open! You will see a small teaser animation by clicking the picture of this news.

RPG Vault has a First View of Two Worlds - one of their brief 4-paragraph introductory previews.  Here's the "Reservations" bit:

For a game expected to ship in May, there are, in addition to multiplayer, some key areas where information is still rather sparse. A few examples are the class system, how combat will actually function, and the overall breadth of the bestiary. Visibility has been relatively limited during development, perhaps more so here than in Europe, so the global level of anticipation is fairly modest.

Not much happening out there with a lot of sites in holiday mode, so we might as well check in on the Two Worlds diary and the renders on display this week, which range from a samurai to icons for some of the skills.

RPG Vault's first Peek feature for Two Worlds touches on the "making of" this title, with a discussion from Technical Director Mirek Dymek on creating all their own software and 10 screens of the development process:

Reality Pump Studios didn't use middleware or third-party tools and libraries, the studio developed its own applications to create and display magic effects, fire, plants, trees and truly realistic animations.

Mirek Dymek, Technical Director of Reality Pump, justifying this decision, said, "We don't want to be dependent on external developments. When lots of third-party routines are used in a game, no one can tell where a bug comes from, much less try and fix it. Only when you do it all yourself can you really know the code inside out. Apart from that, the tools currently available on the market aren't sufficient for our requirements and are mostly too slow for our games."

It's been a week since we checked in on the Two Worlds "diary" and once again they have a daily render of an object in the game, ranging from a compass to dragon egg.

Games Radar has kicked up one of their standard short image-heavy previews for Two Worlds.  As with other recent coverage, this one appears to have been written prior to the MMO announcement:

Like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Gothic 3, Two Worlds will be a massive, do-what-you-want kind of game. And it’s up to you whether to work for good or revel in being a jerk. According to developer Reality Pump Studios, any significant action in Two Worlds will have repercussions. Opening up the town gates to an orc invasion might get you brownie points with a rival guild, but do you really want to share a cul de sac with a bunch of slaughter-happy monsters?

RPG Vault has an update interview on Two Worlds, although it was clearly written before the recent announcements of an MMO mode and a May 9th release date.  The article focuses on peripheral issues such as gamers' perception of Two Worlds and the team's enthusiasm:

Jonric: What kinds of gamers are most likely to find Two Worlds appealing, and what do you regard as the key factors that will determine how well it sells?

James Seaman: We tried to make the game as appealing to everyone as possible - new gamers, hardcore fans of RPGs and the casual gamer alike. We've included online play so that up to eight players (PC and Xbox 360 alike) can team up and quest together. You'll also be able to fight while riding on horseback, although it does take some practice to get it right.

As far as the game selling, I think it really sells itself. The action / RPG genre was really blown open by Oblivion, and we're trying to make something that'll bring the fans of the genre a step above and beyond what people have already experienced. I think the game will really take off once word gets out about the gameplay and the features we're including. The unparalleled ability to customize your character and the countless options in development of skills and abilities really make Two Worlds stand out in a crowd. And did I mention it's gorgeous to look at too?

We received the following press release from Southpeak that says Reality Pump's Two Worlds is (or was) ahead of schedule and with some added development time the multiplayer component has been expanded to "massively multiplayer":

TWO WORLDS ONLINE TO BE MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER

Thousands Can Explore and Adventure Together Online In SouthPeak Game’s Upcoming Open-Ended Role-Playing Title

GRAPEVINE, TX – February 2, 2007 – SouthPeak. Games, a leading independent videogame publisher, is thrilled to announce that Two Worlds, its massive, open-ended role-playing game to be released this spring for the PC and Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, is having its online component greatly expanded. Whereas formerly Two Worlds was to allow up to eight players to adventure together online, the game will now support thousands of players online at one time.

“Reality Pump was in the fortunate position of being both ahead of schedule and given some extra development time, so they could truly bring out the full potential of Two Worlds,” said Katie Morgan, Executive Vice President of SouthPeak Games. “In our opinion, the best things in life are those that are shared with friends, and the more friends the better!”

Online players of Two Worlds will now be able to join parties that are competing against others to solve quests, battle other players in the arena to gain glory, form armies to storm enemy cities, arrange and compete in horse races, or simply socialize in a medieval pub. Like the single-player experience, the massively multiplayer online component of Two Worlds will offer an opportunity for the players to affect and change the lands they live in.

Meanwhile, Blue's has a slightly different announcement from Zuzzex that provides a little more insight:

Karlsruhe, 2nd February 2007 – the good things in life are best shared with friends! The “Two Worlds” developers have also taken this to heart - and added a fantastically varied MMORPG mode to their new game! Players can now oppose one another or join forces in Antaloor as Arena or RPG characters!

Let off steam in the Arena with exciting head-to-head battles - and remember it's only your skill that counts here - Arena characters all have the same status!

For all you hard-bitten RPG fans out there, the multiplayer game is the real thing! Want to establish your own individual character? "Two Worlds" has it all! The main jump-off point for role-playing gamers are the towns – they serve as both meeting places and platforms for starting various quests. In typical MMORPG style, this is where players meet for the first time, hold get-togethers in their favorite bars or simply look around for new challenges. You can also join Clans or found new ones. When a clan has got together, an adventure then begins that is tailored to the strengths of the group, which can be up to eight players in number. The game character develops in a completely free manner (no level limits) and can collect equipment and experience points too. You have traditional, classic adventures available - and also novel challenges, like horse racing! You can of course save your game character and equipment on the server - and you can continue his development whenever you’re ready... or you can earn yourself some money, by selling off special artifacts and weapons in the towns.

Character creation is based on various races and classes which will be introduced soon. These figures all have their own basic characteristics - and of course you can fully develop these during the course of the game! You can mold all the optical characteristics of your character as well, creating your own private heroes via a special interface! Color of eyes, breadth of chest, length of arms and legs...almost anything you can think of!

Souhtpeak later sent clarification that this is for the PC version only and "No details on the MMO gameplay for the Xbox 360 version are available".

It's been a week or so since we checked the Diary page at the Two Worlds site and they've kicked up another half-dozen or so little renders of in-game objects.  The images range from a camp fire to a siege tower.

Zuxxez has revealed the third delay for Two Worlds with a new release date of May 9th annnounced:

Karlsruhe, 26th January 2007 – "Two Worlds" fans in Europe must be patient for a few weeks longer than originally planned before starting to explore the enormous world of Antaloor. The release date has been put back to May the 9th 2007. CEO Alexandra Constandache: "It's the atmosphere of a game that really suffers if the balancing isn't quite perfect or if annoying bugs make life difficult - especially in the RPG sector. We're fortunate enough to be in a position where we ourselves can determine when our game will be marketed - and we have taken the decision to postpone its release for a short time. The time gained will be used to further perfect the multiplayer aspect. We'll be publishing more info next week about this feature."

"Two Worlds" will be released at the beginning of May for PC and Xbox 360 in English, French and German localisation.

 There is a brief interview of Two Worlds producer from Topware  James Seaman over at Firing Squad .  There are some details about combat and the origins of the game, with a decided emphasis on the goal of making it accessible for home console games to have an "immediately fun pick-up-and-play kind of experience."

FiringSquad: What can you tell us about the combat in Two Worlds?

 

James Seaman: With any role-playing game, combat is going to be a crucial part of the experience, so our goal is to create a way to make each battle interesting to the player. The way we’ve accomplished this is by having a combat system where you’re rewarded for doing “cool” things. For example, say you’re surrounded on all sides by four orcs. If you hack your way through them by button mashing, you’ll still get experience points, but not as many as if you tried to take them down in an interesting way. Say you attack the one in front of you, then performed a sweeping slash to strike one at your side and face the leader, at which point you tried to kick dirt in his eyes and temporarily blind him. By doing something like this, you’ll get a multiplier added to the experience points you’d earn.

The next site to toss up some Two Worlds impressions is GameSpot.  Here's an interesting bit:

Two Worlds will also have a deep role-playing system that is based primarily on open-ended character skills. You will need to choose a starting character class but will then be free to advance your character in any line of skills. These skills include picking locks, using various weapons, or casting magic spells from one of five schools of magic, which include elemental sorceries and the dark arts of necromancy. Interestingly, necromancy--the magic of raising the dead and manipulating their undead spirits--won't exist in the world at first; you'll need to undertake a quest to restore it to the world by reactivating a set of ancient towers. If you choose not to restore necromancy, then it simply won't exist throughout the entire game, and you'll never have to swing your sword at a single skeleton or zombie. Fortunately, the game will also feature "skill trainer" characters who can help you learn new skills and unlearn those you've chosen but don't like.

Following on from their earlier preview, IGN has some updated impressions of Two Worlds with a little more depth.  It's an interesting article that delves into skills, magic and a brief look at combat:

The folks over at Reality Pump Studios are pretty psyched about the way their game looks and moves (they even motion captured rabbits...we'll give you a moment to picture that in your head), so we spent the beginning part of the demo just looking at a few little features their engine allows. One of the cooler bits is the way they've made the environments interactive on a minute level. Once out in an open field, we watched an area effect fire spell burn out a patch of grass. With favorable conditions, we were told the grass would eventually grow back. In the meantime, it serves as a nice battle scar and reminder to the world that you were once there.

I'm not quite sure of the purpose of this press release, since we've known Two Worlds is a dual-platform game from the beginning.  Nevertheless, Southpeak Interactive sent this announcement over along with three new screens:

SOUTHPEAK INTERACTIVE ANNOUNCES TWO WORLDS COMING TO XBOX 360

Genre-defining Role-Playing Game Set For Release This Spring

Grapevine, Texas – JANUARY 19, 2007 – SouthPeak Interactive, a leading independent videogame publisher, today announced that its massive, open-ended role-playing game, Two Worlds, will be released this spring for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

Developed by Las Vegas-based TopWare Interactive and Reality Pump Studios, Two Worlds is an evolution of the role-playing genre. Combining unlimited character development and fierce, spectacular combat, Two Worlds brings a new kind of gameplay experience where players are encouraged to experiment with the world, test the results of good and evil deeds and find the most satisfying way to face challenges. Never before has an RPG given gamers such an unprecedented level of freedom to change the world and shape the story within it – for the first time, choices made in an RPG game are actually meaningful.

Expanding the depth of gameplay even further, Two Worlds online multiplayer action allows up to 8 people to adventure together online via Xbox Live® online entertainment network. Gather with your friends and battle cooperatively, exchange equipment, or simply attack them and see who’s left standing.

“Two Worlds is quickly shaping up to be an experience that sets the benchmark of what a role-playing experience can be,” said Katie Morgan, Executive Vice President of SouthPeak Interactive. “We couldn’t be more excited to be bringing this gargantuan title to both Windows and Xbox 360 gamers.”

We've uploaded the new screens to our gallery, which you can check out here.

The Two Worlds site has a feature on magic titled Magic Moments.  Since the formatting at the site makes it hard to read, here's the entire post:

Magic is as much a part of RPG's as a gamepad is of a game console and the “Two Worlds” developers have really gone to town on this aspect of the game – they have integrated the effects of magic spells into the card system that we told you about recently. These magic cards can be found and bought everywhere in Antaloor - or given as a reward for quests completed successfully.

The organization of the cards takes place in the Magic Book which is divided into the five schools of magic - air, water, fire, earth and necromancy. The first four of these are officially taught by guilds - but necromancy is black magic, which does not directly reveal itself to the player. He must first gain the trust of certain game characters in order to learn this kind of magic.

As well as more than 70 magic cards, there are various “booster cards”. These enable a particular spell to be used more effectively... like using less mana, for example, or raising the effectiveness of a spell. Active magic spells, displayed in a special window, can be intensified by up to three boosters per card.

Using magic itself is surprisingly easy. The selected cards are automatically transferred to the Hotkey bar, or they can be placed there by drag-and-drop. The player subsequently activates the various kinds of magic with the assigned number keys. A selected hotkey bar operation can also be carried out by a right-click. This could be an often used spell of course. Each school consists of five magic circles. Increasing knowledge opens up the doors to increasingly effective spells.

At the beginning of the single player mode, the player is clueless as far as magic is concerned. He must first look for a master and get initiated into the basics in a school of magic. Having done that, the player can now increase his skills (in e.g. water magic) through skill points and perform the magic of the first magic circle. With each skill point gained, the skill value of the player in that particular school of magic increases. When his skill value reaches 5, the pupil will advance to the second circle and so on.

It's a week or so since we checked the Two Worlds Diary at the official site and there are half a dozen or so new item and creature renders as well as a screen of a small fishing village.

We speak to Reality Pump about Two Worlds - their upcoming action/RPG, which features a huge, open gameworld. Can Two Worlds be the next Oblivion?  Here's a snip:

Two Worlds features a vast terrain (about 30 square kilometres) open for free exploration. Several big cities, numerous villages, settlements, ruins, keeps and fortresses are scattered over thematically varying areas. You will visit high, snow-covered mountains in the north, dwarven foothills, green plains, rocky mountains in the south, desolated lands in the east and a big part of the desert. Architecture changes from area to area, and so do your opponents. Moreover, there are about 50 Dungeons.

Read Part 1 here and watch for Part 2 as soon as we receive the remaining answers from Reality Pump.

GameSpot has noticed a listing for Two Worlds: The Temptation for the PS3 at GameStop.  The listing shows an October release date and the added subtitle might suggest added/different content to the PC/Xbox 360 versions due earlier in the year.

The Two Worlds site has added four renders to their diary section ranging from a sword to a floor plate from a temple.

The Two Worlds site diary has added two (very small) renders - one of a sword and one of a desert location, although they're so small it's hard to get much out of them.

IGN has kicked off the New Year with a preview of Reality Pump's Two Worlds:

The combat in Two Worlds is all real-time and the camera will pull back to the third person perspective to give you a better view of the action. In classic fantasy game fashion, the fighting will be done via medieval weaponry and magic. Swords, bows, axes, and spells will all be present with what we are told will be a unique upgrade system. Similar to the way card games are played, spells can be mixed by stacking them upon one another. Likewise, weapons can be upgraded and enchanted. Magic in Two Worlds exists in five schools; fire, wind, earth, water, and necromancy. Necromancy, as you might guess, is somewhat of a dark magic that requires players to go on a quest to unlock. We don't know for certain, but it seems that unleashing necromancy on the world might have some devilish consequences. One interesting side note to the spell mixing is that once you create a new spell, you can register it online and name it. If you're the first one to do so, that's the name that will stick in the online world.

The Two Worlds site has a small dragon render to usher in the New Year.

Worthplaying has 10 new screens from Reality Pump's Two Worlds.

The Zuxxez online store offers a new Xmas edition of Two World, which is basically the Collectors Edition plus a few merchandising items, which are also available separately: The Sword of Darkness and a leather organizer. You get these items at once, the game itself once it is done only, of course. The price for the Xmas edition is 109,99EUR.

The official Two Worlds site is highlighting updates such as four new screens, a new panoramic shot and additional info in the Encyclopaedia section.

TopWare has announced a Collector's Edition of Two Worlds, which is now available for preorder at co-publisher Zuxxez' online store:

Las Vegas, 12th December 2006. TopWare Interactive has once again pushed the Collector's Edition envelope with a great new offer! The tri-lingual Collector's Edition (English, French and German) of Two Worlds will be put on the European market at 64.99 Euro at the same time as the basic version - and in addition to the game itself, this surprise package has lots of extra goodies and we do mean lots! First of all, there's a miniature metal version of the fabulous "Kilgorin" sword that appears in the game - it's 27.6 cm long and quite simply a work of art for an letter opener! Then there's a T-shirt and a card game (55 sheets), both with the exclusive "Two Worlds" design - but that's not all! The magic box also contains a double-sided poster in A2 format with a beautifully-worked map and some truly dazzling artwork!

Enough, you say? Uh-uh! TopWare has also included the "Making of" DVD in the package - with an Maxi CD and this isn't just any old soundtrack it's a succession of atmospheric masterpieces from the master himself, Harold Faltermeyer! You also get really comprehensive background info on the game - plus video and photo material on how Two Worlds was created. Value for money, you say? We invented it! Enjoy! Pre-orders are already possible here.

Following not that long after news of a delay to Q4 comes the news that Two Worlds is now confirmed for March 7th 2007:

Karlsruhe, 10th November– At last! We can now start counting down the days to the release of "Two Worlds"! This role-playing masterpiece will be in the European stores on the 7th of March 2007 - for PC and Xbox 360! ZUXXEZ VP Business Development Dirk P. Hassinger commented: “We decided to give the developers more time for even more enhancements and fine-tuning – perfecting perfection! We’re fully confident that our game will capture the imaginations of every RPG fan the world over.”

PC Pointer.de has some new screens from Reality Pump's Two Worlds.

Courtesy of Worthplaying comes the news that TopWare and Reality Pump's Two Worlds has been signed by Southpeak Interactive:

“We were looking for a publisher that would focus on giving our titles the aggressive promotion and distribution they deserve,” said James Seaman, managing director of TopWare. “SouthPeak was at the top of our list and we look forward to partnering with them to bring out titles to market.”

No details on regions or release dates were included.

Hooked Gamers serves up a preview of Reality Pump's Two Worlds:

The game's story is completely non-linear and the story moulds itself around your decisions within the game. Additionally, Two Worlds has multiple paths to reach your goals which means that no two games will be alike. Your decisions influence your ability to go a certain path but do not necessarily close it off. For instance, you may join a guild to obtain certain skills. Then you discover that aligning yourself to another guild will give you benefits you require to further your quests and you will have to betray your existing guild in order to join. Will you do so, or try to find another path? These decisions are your choice alone. The decisions you make will lead to all kinds of possible endings, which there are reputedly over 200 of. With so many different endings, you are likely to end up with a different ‘storyline’ every time you play.

GamingTarget let us know they have an interview with Miroslaw Dymek from Reality Pump on Two Worlds:

GT: Please give us a sense for the level of freedom that players will enjoy throughout their time in Two Worlds. How much work has gone into placing as few “invisible walls” (un-killable characters, impassable doors, etc.) in the player's way as possible?

Miroslaw Dymek: Two Worlds is a fantasy role-playing game with a huge focus on combat, but the story and free roaming are also strongly highlighted. What we try to achieve is to place the action in well-known settings and season it with unexpected story twists to keep the player interested. There is a good amount of places to go and explore. Most of them are completely optional if you only follow the main story, but to learn about the world, its past, mysteries, and maybe even to solve some of those mysteries, the player will have to seek for answers in places tucked away far from the main path. Needless to say, curiosity will be appropriately rewarded.

The official Two Worlds site has tossed up some new Xbox 360 screens, including some shots of the UI. Here's the accompanying blurb:

Not for the feint of heart! These brand new screen shots, from the upcoming role play gaming blockbuster, give you a glimpse of the haunting feeling you will experience as you search for your way through the fog and rain. If you survive this challenge then a small reward awaits you - the clouds will break and a stunning starry sky invites you to take a pause.
However, this is only a temporary respite as the next creature is already hunting you – a horned Minion. They fight dirty – kicking dirt into your hero’s face and doing whatever it takes to put you into an early grave. You must decide to, either, stand and fight or to seek refuge in the exotic southern part of the continent where a huge bamboo forest awaits you – choose wisely as the very fate of the world is in your hands!

Thanks, covr!

GGP: Talking about "roses"... (smile) - is it only possible to level up by fighting, or will there be quests, that demand careful behaviour like stealth or using your brain to be succesfull ?

MD: Normally the quests in TwoWorlds will not be limited to only one possible solution, quite the reverse. We try to give the players as much space for acting and exploring as possible. The task and the goal are predefined, that's clear, but how the player reaches the goal is totally up to him. Deceit, murder, flattery - nearly all is possible. On this way a simple quest can change to a whole campaign. For example, if the player needs a specific item, that is stored at a specific place, he has to find this location first. In the next step he has to make himself familiar with the people inhabiting this place to decide, how he has to act to get the wished item at the end.

Strategy Informer: Could you tell us about the Artificial Intelligence that's said to be very Advanced?

Miroslaw Dymek: Instead of individually scripted behaviours, every NPC is managed with the same, global AI module. They go about their business, protect themselves and their property, sleep and work, go aggressive or flee in panic. They react as normal people with the variety known from real life. Some of NPCs have specific tasks and they do everything to accomplish them, some of them simply do not like you, some want to help. They are governed by simple rules but those rules combine with each other and sometimes generate unpredictable challenges and situations. Eventually, you can predict the results of your actions with a sensible doze of accuracy, but never feel the stiffness of totally scripted games.