Info about Tyranny:

Official game description:
Gold Edition
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Deluxe Edition
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About the Game
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Play an RPG with meaningful, world-altering choices, unique and memorable companions, and a new perspective on morality. Tyranny casts you as the arbiter of law in a world devastated by war and conquered by a despot. Will you work inside the system or try to dismantle it… and will it be for the glory of Kyros, for the good of the world, or for your own ambition?  
From Obsidian Entertainment, the team behind Pillars of Eternity, Fallout: New Vegas, and South Park: The Stick of Truth, Tyranny is a classic-styled RPG with a new and original story, shaped and molded by your actions. The very layout of the world will be altered by your decisions as you choose sides, make allies and enemies, and fight for your own vision of law and order in an immersive and reactive story.  
**Main Features:**
Branching, unique stories in an original setting:
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In a realm where the tyrant has already won, the player must decide how to reshape the world. Strengthen the pillars of a new regime, or search for more power at the top of the new order!
Choices matter –  make world-altering decisions with far-reaching consequence:
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As a Fatebinder in the Overlord’s army you wield a vast amount of power in the occupied lands of the Tiers. Will you use that to inspire stability and loyalty, or will you try and offer a better way?
Challenging, classic RPG combat:
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Tactical real-time-with-pause combat with new party-driven mechanics and modern presentation
A rich original setting:
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Tyranny turns the archetypal RPG story on its head and allows players to explore a new take on good and evil. The player is not a random villager who rises to power, but an instrumental officer with considerable resources and authority. Use that power to enforce the new status quo, or try to make change from the inside!

Release date: Nov 10, 2016

Categories: Choice-based Narrative, Tactical Real-time with Pause, Isometric Action-RPG, Morally Ambiguous Choices, Faction Management, Companion Loyalty System, Classless Character Progression, Spell-based Combat


- 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:
- High Replayability via Choices (weight 0.77): The game offers significant replay value through branching storylines, faction alliances, and impactful decisions. Players can experience vastly different narratives and outcomes based on their choices, encouraging multiple playthroughs.
- Rich Lore and Worldbuilding (weight 0.65): The game is lauded for its immersive lore, engaging storytelling, and intricate worldbuilding. The depth of the narrative, combined with well-crafted dialogues and character development, creates a compelling and memorable experience.
- Innovative Customizable Magic System (weight 0.63): The game features a highly praised magic system that allows players to create and customize spells, combining effects and runes for unique gameplay. This system is frequently highlighted as one of the best aspects of the game, offering deep flexibility and creativity.
- Classless Skill-Based Progression (weight 0.58): The game features a flexible character progression system similar to *The Elder Scrolls*, where players can develop their characters based on actions and choices rather than being restricted by rigid class structures. This system rewards creativity and adaptability.
- Unique Villain Protagonist Premise (weight 0.46): The game stands out for its unique premise, allowing players to take on the role of a villain or a servant of a tyrannical ruler. This fresh perspective offers a morally ambiguous and immersive experience, diverging from traditional RPG hero narratives.
- High-Quality Writing and Dialogue (weight 0.29): The game is recognized for its top-tier writing, with rich dialogues, impactful choices, and a narrative that rivals literary works. The quality of the writing enhances immersion and player engagement.
- Strong Narrative Integration (weight 0.28): The game excels at integrating its narrative with gameplay mechanics, such as faction standing, combat, and quests. This creates a cohesive and immersive experience where player actions feel meaningful and interconnected.
- Engaging Tactical Combat (weight 0.24): The combat system is praised for its tactical depth, offering real-time-with-pause mechanics that appeal to fans of classic CRPGs. The system is strategic and engaging, with meaningful abilities and synergies that enhance gameplay.
- Unique Visual and Art Style (weight 0.22): The game features a distinctive visual style and art direction that enhances its unique world and atmosphere. The creative touches in worldbuilding and character design contribute to its immersive experience.

Common complaints:
- Rushed and unsatisfying ending (weight 0.89): The game’s finale is widely panned for feeling abrupt, incomplete, and lacking narrative payoff. Players note unanswered questions, underdeveloped Act 3, and a cliffhanger that undermines the story’s buildup, often attributing this to budget constraints.
- Flawed and repetitive combat system (weight 0.74): Players consistently criticize the combat system for being janky, repetitive, and poorly balanced. Issues include lack of enemy variety, frustrating AI, and overly magic-focused mechanics that limit build diversity. Many describe it as the worst or most unfun part of the game.
- Short and linear gameplay (weight 0.67): The game is criticized for its brevity (20–40 hours) and lack of side content, with minimal exploration, few side quests, and a linear story. Many feel the experience ends just as it becomes engaging, limiting replayability.
- Poor AI and companion behavior (weight 0.66): Companion AI is frequently cited as illogical or frustrating, with characters failing to auto-attack, heal, or position themselves effectively. Manual control is often required to compensate for poor pathfinding and decision-making.
- Shallow companions and dialogue (weight 0.64): Companions are described as forgettable, underdeveloped, and lacking meaningful interactions. Dialogue is often unvoiced, repetitive, or railroaded, with key choices feeling inconsequential or poorly implemented.
- Unclear quest design and lore (weight 0.49): Quests suffer from vague objectives, random solutions, or lore gaps that disrupt immersion. Some treasure hunts feel out of place, and mid-game guidance is lacking, leaving players confused about progression.
- Overwhelming text and reading (weight 0.46): The game relies heavily on unvoiced dialogue and walls of text, which can disrupt immersion and overwhelm players. Some describe 30+ minute conversations as tedious or off-putting for those who dislike reading.
- Underdeveloped RPG mechanics (weight 0.3): Systems like reputation, magic crafting, and faction choices are criticized for being shallow, unbalanced, or lacking meaningful impact. Players compare it unfavorably to deeper RPGs like *Pillars of Eternity* or *Path of Exile*.
- Bugs and technical issues (weight 0.16): Persistent bugs, pathfinding problems, and DLC-related glitches (e.g., soft locks) detract from gameplay. Players report needing mods to fix issues the developers overlooked, with some content feeling unfinished or broken.

Gameplay feedback:
- Choice-driven narrative impact (weight 0.99): The game features a highly praised choice-driven narrative with multiple branching paths, distinct story routes, and faction-based decisions. Players' choices significantly influence the storyline, world-state, and endings, offering high replayability.
- Turn-based or real-time-with-pause combat (weight 0.45): The combat system offers flexibility, supporting both turn-based mechanics (similar to *Pillars of Eternity*) and real-time-with-pause tactical gameplay. This caters to fans of classic CRPGs while allowing for strategic depth.
- Dialogue-heavy with skill integration (weight 0.39): Dialogue is a core mechanic, with choices tied to skills, attributes, and reputation. Layered dialogue encounters and skill checks (e.g., favor/wrath mechanics) create immersive role-playing opportunities.
- Faction-based progression and replayability (weight 0.37): Players choose factions at the start, with allegiance affecting story paths, endings, and gameplay. Faction reputation systems (e.g., loyalty/fear gauges) further diversify playthroughs and encourage multiple runs.
- Companion loyalty and fear mechanics (weight 0.32): Companions feature a dual loyalty/fear system, where their abilities, quests, and interactions are tied to player actions. This adds depth to relationships and influences gameplay outcomes, such as buffs or unique storylines.
- Morally ambiguous choices (weight 0.26): The game avoids binary good/evil choices, instead presenting morally gray dilemmas with pros and cons. Decisions often have negative outcomes regardless of alignment, adding complexity to role-playing.
- Isometric CRPG design (weight 0.14): The game adheres to classic isometric CRPG conventions, featuring tactical combat, party-based mechanics, and a narrative-driven structure. This appeals to fans of traditional D&D-style RPGs.
- Villain protagonist role-playing (weight 0.14): The game offers a unique perspective by allowing players to role-play as a servant of evil, with morally gray choices and faction systems that support non-traditional alignments (e.g., lawful evil).

Performance notes:
- Stable but occasional crashes (weight 0.07): The game performs well on most systems, particularly Windows 11 and Nvidia GPUs, but some players report rare crashes (3+ instances).
- Mixed performance optimization (weight 0.07): The game runs well on Unity (no shader issues) and Steam Deck but suffers from AMD/Intel GPU lag and high RAM usage.
- Slow loading times (weight 0.06): Players experience long load times even with SSDs, and frequent loading screens disrupt gameplay flow.
- UI scaling and formatting issues (weight 0.05): UI elements are poorly scaled or broken, including missing dialogue lines and untranslated text.
- Game-breaking DLC and bugs (weight 0.04): Critical bugs affect party members and DLC content, leading to broken progression or unplayable scenarios.
- Save file corruption risks (weight 0.04): Players report save game deletions and Steam synchronization glitches, risking progress loss.
- Inconsistent AI combat behavior (weight 0.04): Higher difficulty settings feel punishing due to erratic enemy targeting and AI decisions, disrupting combat balance.
- AI pathfinding flaws (weight 0.04): Characters struggle with navigation during combat, leading to awkward or broken movement mechanics.
- Skills and sound glitches (weight 0.04): Skills fail to register, and sound effects are buggy, detracting from core gameplay and immersion.
- Frame rate drops in crowds (weight 0.02): Performance degrades in crowded areas, causing noticeable frame rate drops and stuttering.
- Animation and teleportation glitches (weight 0.02): Weak animations and teleportation bugs break immersion and disrupt gameplay mechanics.

Recommendations:
- Ideal for CRPG and story-driven RPG fans (weight 0.66): The game is highly recommended for fans of classic CRPGs, isometric RPGs, and narrative-driven experiences with deep lore and morally complex choices. It is frequently compared to titles like Baldur’s Gate, Planescape: Torment, and Pillars of Eternity.
- Recommended despite flaws and bugs (weight 0.28): While the game has notable flaws, including bugs and mediocre gameplay, many reviewers still recommend it for its story, content, and price, especially if purchased on sale.
- Best purchased on sale (weight 0.12): Due to its length and occasional flaws, many reviewers recommend buying the game on sale or at a discounted price, noting that it frequently goes on sale.
- Tactical combat and character tips (weight 0.12): Players provide specific advice for optimizing combat, such as equipping mages in heavy armor, avoiding Barik as a tank, and respeccing allies for better performance.
- Combat issues may deter some players (weight 0.11): Combat is frequently criticized for being weak or frustrating, with some reviewers suggesting playing on easier difficulties or avoiding the game entirely if combat is a priority.
- Conditional recommendations for niche audiences (weight 0.06): Some reviewers conditionally recommend the game for specific audiences, such as veterans seeking a streamlined experience or players interested in political intrigue and darker narratives.
- Strong magic and unarmed combat systems (weight 0.05): The game offers a robust magic system for spellcasters and unique mechanics for unarmed combat, though some aspects of unarmed combat are noted as broken or ineffective.
- Criticism of devs for bugs and unfinished feel (weight 0.05): A subset of reviewers express frustration with the developers for releasing an incomplete or buggy product, advising against supporting such practices.
- Suggestions for alternatives (weight 0.03): Some reviewers suggest exploring alternatives like Pillars of Eternity, Dragon Age: Origins, or Baldur’s Gate for players seeking a more polished or cheaper experience.

Other player notes:
- Strong sequel demand (weight 0.09): Players explicitly call for sequels to *Tyranny* and *Pillars of Eternity*, citing comparisons to *Path of Exile* and *Planescape: Torment*. The feedback highlights nostalgia and thematic alignment with Obsidian’s earlier works.
- Thematic depth on tyranny (weight 0.06): The game is praised for its meta-commentary on tyranny and morality, drawing parallels to *Planescape: Torment* and Chris Avellone’s influence. Players appreciate its philosophical exploration.
- IP rights hinder sequels (weight 0.04): Concerns about licensing and Paradox’s ownership of the IP are raised as potential barriers to future sequels. This reflects player anxiety about franchise continuity.
- Unique worldbuilding elements (weight 0.04): The bronze age-inspired setting and god-like Archons with mortal flaws are highlighted as standout features, contributing to the game’s distinct identity.
- Deluxe Edition criticism (weight 0.04): The Deluxe Edition’s redundant soundtrack tracks and underwhelming portrait pack are criticized as low-value additions, unless purchased for charitable support.
- Localization efforts noted (weight 0.03): Ongoing Chinese localization and a unique localization patch are mentioned, though these are not gameplay-focused and may appeal to niche audiences.
- Comparisons to Obsidian titles (weight 0.02): Frequent comparisons to *Avowed* and *The Outer Worlds 2* suggest players view *Tyranny* as part of a broader Obsidian universe, reinforcing expectations for thematic consistency.
- Long campaign duration (weight 0.02): The in-game campaign’s months-long span is noted as a positive, offering substantial content and replayability for players seeking depth.
- Political commentary critique (weight 0.02): Some players critique in-game political commentary as divisive or irrelevant, reflecting mixed reactions to the game’s thematic boldness.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.19): Players experience frustration primarily due to the game's combat system, which is criticized for being repetitive, poorly balanced, and overly complex. Issues like unclear objectives, bugs, and AI limitations exacerbate the problem, making progression feel tedious or even impossible. Additionally, the game's restrictive design choices, such as forced dialogue options and lack of player agency, further contribute to this emotion.
- Disappointment (weight 0.17): Disappointment stems from the game's failure to meet expectations in storytelling, combat, and overall polish. Players highlight rushed or abrupt endings, underdeveloped companion arcs, and a lack of meaningful choices as key issues. Budget constraints and technical problems, such as bugs and optimization issues, also contribute to the feeling that the game feels unfinished or lacks depth in critical areas.
- Excitement (weight 0.1): Excitement is driven by the game's unique setting, innovative mechanics like the spell creation system, and the freedom to explore morally ambiguous or villainous roles. Players appreciate the fresh narrative, engaging world-building, and the replayability offered by branching storylines and impactful choices, which create a sense of discovery and immersion.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.1): Satisfaction arises from the game's ability to deliver a coherent and immersive experience, particularly through its story, magic system, and world reactivity. Players enjoy the depth of dialogue, the impact of their choices, and the overall value of the game, especially when overcoming initial challenges or embracing role-playing opportunities.
- Appreciation (weight 0.08): Players appreciate the game's high-quality writing, unique premise, and attention to detail in world-building and mechanics. The spellcrafting system, faction dynamics, and morally complex choices are frequently praised for their originality and execution, leaving a lasting positive impression despite some personal preferences or minor flaws.
- Admiration (weight 0.05): Admiration is directed toward the game's ambition, narrative depth, and immersive world. Players highlight the excellent voice acting, unique visual style, and the game's ability to make them feel powerful and consequential. The morally complex choices and high-quality storytelling are often described as masterful or among the best in the RPG genre.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.04): Enjoyment comes from the game's engaging narrative, fun mechanics, and the ability to role-play in chaotic or unpredictable ways. Players particularly enjoy the magic system, companion interactions, and the dark humor embedded in the storytelling, which contribute to a fresh and immersive experience.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.03): Nostalgia is evoked by the game's resemblance to classic CRPGs like *Planescape: Torment* and *Baldur's Gate*. Players reflect on the game's impact, replay value, and the bittersweet feeling of its legacy, often expressing a desire for a sequel or comparing it to other beloved titles in the genre.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.03): Enthusiasm is generated by the game's unique setting, high replayability, and the freedom it offers in decision-making. Players strongly recommend the game for its engaging systems, rich choices, and immersive world, often expressing excitement about its potential and content.
- Curiosity (weight 0.02): Curiosity is sparked by the game's open-ended lore, mysteries like the Oldwalls, and the customizable magic system. Players are motivated to replay the game to explore different story paths, uncover hidden details, and see how their choices shape the narrative.
- Amusement (weight 0.02): Amusement arises from the game's humorous moments, such as quirky companion dialogue, unexpected NPC behaviors, and the ability to role-play as a 'tremendous dick.' These lighthearted or absurd interactions add charm and entertainment value to the experience.
- Hope (weight 0.02): Hope is tied to the desire for a sequel, expansion, or continuation of the game's universe. Players express anticipation for future games from Obsidian or the potential for multiplayer features, often reflecting on the game's strengths and wishing for more content.
- Immersion (weight 0.01): Immersion is achieved through the game's rich world-building, morally complex setting, and choice-driven gameplay. Players feel deeply engaged in the story and their role within it, often describing a sense of being a 'ruler of destinies' due to the impact of their decisions.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Engagement is driven by the game's thoughtful narrative, deep faction relationships, and complex decision-making. Players spend significant time reading in-game content, interacting with characters, and forging their own path, which creates a highly interactive and personal experience.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Gratitude is expressed toward fan-made contributions, such as high-quality translation mods, and the developers for creating a unique and memorable experience. Players also appreciate the game's departure from industry trends and its focus on depth and originality.
- Recommendation (weight 0.01): Players strongly recommend the game for its lore, unique mechanics, and overall experience. The game is often praised as a must-play for fans of CRPGs, aligning well with other beloved titles in the genre.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Surprise comes from the game's unexpected quality, such as its twist on the traditional 'save the world' narrative or its ability to surpass expectations. Players are pleasantly surprised by the depth of the writing, the uniqueness of the setting, and the overall execution of the game.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Boredom arises from repetitive combat, excessive and uninteresting dialogue, and a lack of engaging gameplay variety. Players feel that the game's mechanics and pacing fail to maintain their interest over time, leading to a monotonous experience.
- Regret (weight 0.01): Regret is tied to feelings of wasted potential, such as the game being perceived as a 'test project' for Obsidian or failing to live up to its ambitions. Players may also regret purchasing the game or missing out on deeper role-playing opportunities due to its flaws.
- Relief (weight 0.01): Relief is experienced when players overcome initial frustrations and find enjoyment in the game, or when the game's setting lacks traditional moral pressures. This emotion often follows a period of struggle or dislike, leading to a more positive and relaxed experience.}