Info about Summoner:

Official game description:
Summoners have toppled empires and challenged gods. They are venerated as saviours and feared as destroyers. With rings crafted by the ancient Khosani, the gifted can call forth demons, dragons, and elementals, but only the strongest can control the forces they unleash.
The Story:
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Born with the mark of the Summoner, Joseph possesses a power greater than emperors and gods. As a child, he summoned a demon to save his village, and watched in horror as those he loved were destroyed. Nine years later, the armies of Orenia invade, and Joseph must confront the prophecy he was born to fulfill.
Key Features:
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*   Traverse a beautiful, completely original world spanning two continents.  
*   Up to 16 different creatures to summon and control in combat, such as minotaurs, golems, dragons, and original fantastical creatures.  
*   Cast spectacular spells. Wield an arsenal of weapons. Clad yourself in the armour of a warrior.

Release date: Mar 12, 2014

Categories: Action RPG, Character Progression, Character Customization, Exploration, Open-World Exploration, Summoning Mechanics, Real-time with Pause, Story-driven Gameplay

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 70; verdict: Playable with Major Issues; summary: The game is generally well-received for its story and gameplay, but the lack of controller support is a significant drawback that affects the user experience negatively. The game's age and graphics are noted, but they do not detract from the overall enjoyment for most users.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Engaging and immersive story (weight 0.54): The game features an engaging and well-developed story that captivates players with its interesting mix of environments and characters. The storyline is praised for its depth, twists, and overall quality.
- Deep and immersive world-building (weight 0.41): The game offers a rich and immersive world that draws players in. The world-building is detailed and contributes significantly to the overall experience.
- Enjoyable overall experience (weight 0.29): Players find the game enjoyable overall, with many expressing fond memories of playing it during their childhood or teenage years.
- Highly regarded RPG (weight 0.25): The game is considered one of the best and most beloved RPGs, particularly on the PS2. It holds a special place for many players as a classic and favorite in the genre.
- Enjoyable music and soundtrack (weight 0.17): The game's music and soundtrack are highly praised for being fantastic and catchy. Players appreciate the quality and enjoyment of the music.
- Variety of summons (weight 0.17): The game features a variety of summons with different tactical effects and attacks. Players enjoy the ability to summon creatures to fight for them.
- Deep character customization (weight 0.17): The game offers deep character customization options, allowing players to tailor their characters and party to their preferences. This adds a layer of strategic depth to the game.
- Good voice acting and cutscenes (weight 0.1): The voice acting and cutscenes are well-received, adding to the overall quality of the game. Players appreciate the effort put into these aspects.
- Good loot system (weight 0.1): The game features a rewarding loot system that players appreciate. The loot system adds to the overall enjoyment and progression of the game.

Common complaints:
- Camera and control issues (weight 0.62): The game suffers from significant problems with camera control and movement mechanics. Players report awkward camera angles, locked camera systems, and unusual controls that make navigation and combat frustrating.
- Game-breaking bugs and glitches (weight 0.56): Players encounter various bugs and glitches that affect gameplay, including game hangs, freezes, graphical glitches, and specific bugs like the Fast Forward Bug and Black Screen Cinematic Bug.
- Dated graphics (weight 0.55): The graphics in the game are considered outdated and old school by many players. This includes complaints about the visuals appearing dated and not aging well.
- Technical and performance issues (weight 0.35): The game suffers from various technical issues, including long loading times, crashes, and stuttering. Players also report issues with the engine choking with many characters and general slowness.
- Repetitive and boring gameplay (weight 0.31): Some parts of the game drag on and feel repetitive, including combat and dungeons. Players report that the game can be dull and lacks variety in encounters.
- Clunky combat mechanics (weight 0.29): Combat in the game is described as janky, clunky, and frustrating. Players report issues with the combat system, including a lack of freedom with attacks and defenses, and hits not landing as they should.
- Cutscene and speed issues (weight 0.22): Cutscenes in the game automatically skip or run infinitely fast on modern hardware, making them unwatchable. Additionally, the game runs too fast on modern systems, causing issues with gameplay and cinematics.
- Navigation and quest issues (weight 0.21): Players report challenging navigation and issues with the quest log providing limited guidance. This includes getting stuck due to a lack of quest markers and the game not warning about side quests becoming unavailable.
- Limited availability and support (weight 0.2): The game is not available on Steam and requires emulators for the sequel. Additionally, there is a lack of developer fixes and support, leading to ongoing issues and crashes.
- Poor AI behavior (weight 0.18): The AI in the game is criticized for being poorly designed and dodgy at times, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- Lack of content and depth (weight 0.18): Some areas in the game feel empty or devoid of content, and side quests and character arcs lack depth. Players report that the world feels empty due to a lack of NPCs and repetitive environments.
- Lack of subtitles and accessibility (weight 0.1): The game lacks subtitles for cutscenes and does not allow players to set subtitles, making it inaccessible for some players.
- Limited dialogue options (weight 0.1): The game offers limited dialogue options, which do not provide meaningful choices, affecting player immersion and engagement.
- Poor sound design (weight 0.1): The sound design in the game is minimal and dated, contributing to an overall lack of immersion and engagement.
- Character and story issues (weight 0.1): Players report gaps in character development and a predictable story at times, affecting the overall narrative experience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Party and summoning mechanics (weight 0.46): The game allows players to control a party of up to four characters, with the ability to summon additional creatures. As the game progresses, more summoning options become available, catering to various combat needs such as damage or tanking.
- Epic and atmospheric storytelling (weight 0.41): The game features an epic and interesting storyline with rich lore, dark atmosphere, and plot twists. The storytelling is enhanced by an orchestral musical score and detailed character models.
- Real-time with pause combat (weight 0.33): The game features a real-time combat system with the option to pause, allowing players to plan and execute skills strategically. This mechanic is praised for its tactical depth and active gameplay.
- Unique RPG elements (weight 0.33): The game features unique RPG mechanics, including deep character customization, skill systems, and a variety of weapons and armor choices. This allows for extensive character development and build options.
- Tactical and challenging combat (weight 0.26): The combat system is tactical and challenging, requiring players to think strategically about their skills and party roles. The game is compared to classic RPGs like Baldur's Gate and Dragon Age.
- Random encounters and exploration (weight 0.23): The world map includes random encounters, providing a classic RPG experience. Players can explore various environments such as crypts, sewers, and caverns, adding to the adventure and discovery aspects of the game.
- Open world and large maps (weight 0.22): The game offers a big open world with huge maps, providing players with expansive environments to explore. This contributes to the epic feel of the game.
- Character and party management (weight 0.18): Players can manage a party of characters with different abilities and roles, such as melee, caster, or healer. The game allows for individual control of party members during battle, adding to the tactical depth.
- Leveling and skill points (weight 0.15): Players can level up their characters and invest skill points, allowing for a high degree of customization and character development. This system is integral to the RPG mechanics.
- No quest markers (weight 0.14): The game does not include quest markers or mini-map icons, requiring players to explore and remember NPC locations for quest progression. This adds a layer of challenge and immersion.

Performance notes:
- Control and camera issues (weight 0.3): Players experience clunky controls and awkward camera movements. The camera has limited draw distance and overall feels problematic, especially on PC.
- Game crashes and instability (weight 0.27): The game frequently crashes, hangs, or freezes, especially during extended play sessions or after changing zones multiple times. This makes the game unstable and frustrating to play.
- Graphical problems and glitches (weight 0.26): Players report outdated and strange graphics, along with various graphical glitches. These issues detract from the visual experience of the game.
- Texture and resolution problems (weight 0.22): There are issues with texture filtering, especially with HQ texture mods, and the game has low resolution by default. Some parts of the screen may be cut off.
- Mixed experiences with game performance (weight 0.19): Some players report that the game runs fine, even on low-end rigs, while others experience various technical issues. This indicates inconsistent performance across different systems.
- Engine and gameplay issues (weight 0.18): The game has engine issues with many characters and slow combat. Some quests are glitchy, and the overall pace can be problematic.
- Compatibility and API issues (weight 0.15): The game uses the Glide API, requiring a Glide wrapper like nGlide for stability. Some players have to run the game in compatibility mode to get it to work properly.
- Alt-tab and overlay issues (weight 0.11): Players report issues with alt-tabbing during dialogues and problems with Steam overlays breaking cutscenes. These issues can disrupt gameplay and immersion.
- Limited customization and settings (weight 0.1): The game lacks custom settings and does not detect graphics cards properly. This limits the ability to optimize the game for different systems.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for old-school RPG fans (weight 0.37): The game is highly recommended for fans of old-school RPGs, particularly those who enjoy complex worlds and great storytelling.
- Deep storyline and customization (weight 0.23): The game offers a deep storyline with plenty of side quests, a good loot system, and extensive character customization options.
- Worth trying despite flaws (weight 0.22): Many players suggest that the game is worth buying and playing despite its drawbacks and flaws.
- Positive recommendations (weight 0.18): Many players highly recommend the game, stating that it is a good buy and worth experiencing for its uniqueness.
- High replay value (weight 0.11): The game provides a good amount of replay value with different endings and various ways to customize your character and party.

Other player notes:
- Game is too difficult (weight 0.12): The game's difficulty level is perceived as extremely high, with players feeling lost and frustrated. The only available guides are text-based and require a high level of dedication to understand and follow.

Emotions:
- Nostalgia (weight 0.44): Players experience nostalgia due to reminiscing about the game's unique world, story, and impact during their childhood. Many players have a personal history with the game, often recalling memories of playing it on the PS2 and appreciating its lasting influence and underrated classic status.
- Joy (weight 0.17): Joy is derived from appreciating the game's story, atmosphere, and various enjoyable aspects such as customization options, lore, and music. Players also express joy in finally being able to finish the game and looking forward to playing it again.
- Frustration (weight 0.17): Frustration stems from technical issues such as game-breaking bugs, camera control problems, and game crashes. Players also feel frustrated due to clunky controls, lack of guidance, and outdated graphics and movement mechanics.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.07): Enjoyment comes from the game's interesting story, combat mechanics, and the ability to summon powerful monsters. The rich storyline and unique gameplay mechanics also contribute to the overall positive experience.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.03): Satisfaction is felt despite the grind, with players appreciating the simplicity and greatness of the RPG elements.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Appreciation is due to the game's unique and atmospheric gameplay, along with its solid quest design and good music.
- Excitement (weight 0.01): Excitement is generated by the opening theme and the immersive story of the game.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Enthusiasm is driven by the game's world and story, which players find engaging and worth describing.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Amusement comes from the extremely laughable and hideous characters in the game.
- Interest (weight 0.01): Interest is sparked by the story's nice turning points, which keep players engaged.}