Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader Demo

Black Isle is probably the most revered name in the RPG universe, thanks to the many exceptional games it put forward throughout the years. Whether it's the retro-futuristic Fallout series, or the grim and fascinating limbo in Planescape Torment, there are very few developers that managed to produce so many highly-acclaimed games in such a short time span.

Lionheart: The Legacy of the Crusader is not technically developed by Black Isle, although they are the ones who published it and had a fair share of involvement in the creation process as well. However, that did not really help with the game at hand, because although it certainly feels rather familiar at a first touch, the illusion crumbles when you look closer and the disappointment only gets more sour as you keep on going further.

To start off with, though, it is worth noting that there are definitely some good parts as well, such as the refined SPECIAL system, the story(on occasion) and the characters that are part of the events. Speaking of which, the main storyline revolves around a descendant of King Richard and his ability to wield powerful magic, thanks to the spirit that lives in him. Naturally, it is your duty to control him and find the source of his power, as well as stop a villain from putting the entire world in danger.

Due to the fact that the developers took the liberty of toying with the laws of nature and add some magic into the mix as well, it should be no wonder that you will be able to have long chats with characters like Leonardo da Vinci, Miguel de Cervantes and even William Shakespeare. Depending on the situations, these characters are central to the plot and they can help you accomplish various quests along the way.

The major downside of the game, however, is the fact that not a lot of emphasis is put on the dialogue and the story after a few hours of gameplay and it all switches back and forth between brutal, yet repetitive fighting sequences and disappointing questing that involves finding various items. Hence, nothing is really complete and nothing really works like it should, which is quite the shame, considering the amount of potential the original plot holds.

Although Black Isle has reopened their gates two years ago an they started working on a mysterious new title, Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader is still, technically, the last game they published. Even if they were not the ones in charge of the full development process, everyone expected a lot more from the title, especially when it comes to story and gameplay. Unfortunately, while the story might pass as interesting and well-written, the rest of the game kind of makes it hard to take into consideration.