Before I begin, I'd like to say that I was one of those people who had been waiting for this game ever since it's amazing "Someone Special" trailer had blown our minds in 2009. So, after all these years of waiting patiently, after all the vaporware rumors and the problems that befell the original developers, (the game switched hands at some point, but kept the original team as well) it is finally out. Was it worth the wait? This is a tough question to answer, so I will just state the things I did like, and those I did not. I'll start with the positive aspects.
First of all, the setting is amazing. It falls in the category of what is know as "steampunk," a science fantasy setting, featuring technology and aesthetics that are heavily influenced by 19th century industrial steam powered machines. Edge of Twilight takes place in such a world, called Hellayem, a world where for some as of yet unclear reason, the realms of day and night have been seperated from one another, divided by a Rift. The world is populated by two warring races, the Atherns and the Lithern, the first living in the realm of day, while the second ruling over the world of night, who are at constant odds over a resource called Ether.The game begins in the city of Athyr, a sprawling, mechanized placed filled with nobles, vagrands and everything between. Athyr is quite imposing, the steampunk elements visibly evident in its creation. From the steam powered, large city gates, trains and houses, to the weird, mechanical apparel and attire that its citizens are clothed in, the city is a prime example of steampunk done right, conveing a strangely alluring, immersing atmosphere as it invites you to explore every nook and cranny. The world's history and lore is quite deep and impressive and, if you are a bookworm like me, there is an in-game library in the city, where you can read on everything related to Hellayem, from its flora and fauna, all the way to politics and social stratification. The writers really did an amazing job fleshing out their setting and breathing life into it.
Moving on, the story is quite interesting, as it should be since the game bases a lot of its appeal on it. We get into the old boots of Lex, a hardened mercenary who happens to be the only Athern/Lithern hybrid that exists in the world, a quality that makes him hated by most, but also allows him to travel between the two realms freely. Because of this ability, Lex is summoned by Galina, the Empress of Athyr, who tells him of her plan to destroy the Rift that keeps Day and Night apart, and restore balance in the tortured world of Hellayem. In order to do so, Lex will have to travel across Hellayem to find and destroy three strange machines, and also assassinate Lukasin, the leader of the Litherns. Uncertain of how these actions will fix everything, the mercenary reluctantly agrees to her request, and begins his long journey. The plot is quite engaging, populated by a variety of characters, none of whom you know if you can trust, as well as strange animals and monsters that you will need to overcome. As of now, only the first chapter has been released, so not much of the story is known yet. But, as a foundation, what we have so far is quite promising and, combined with the game's deep history and lore, could evolve into something amazing.
Now, for the music. Oh, the music. This is easily the best feature of this game. If you noticed, in my introduction I mentioned a trailer called "Someone Special." Go, see it and listen to the music that dresses it. That should be enough to give you more than a taste of what they have done with this game. It was composed from scratch, specifically for Edge of Twilight, and it is magnificent. There is something majestic, alluring and at the same time imposing about it, something I cannot explain. It is a perfect fit for the setting.
The platforming is so and so. The idea of Lex switching between Night and Day is similar to the mechanic in Soul Reaver. Day Lex is more brutal/combat oriented while Night Lex is more agile and does most of the jumping/climbing/acrobatics, similar to the Prince of Persia, or any other action adventure game featuring an athletic protagonist. The switching between realms to progress is an interesting mechanic that is used quite well in this game.
Finally, I really enjoyed the fighting in this game when it comes to Day Lex. I will explain this division between Day Lex and Night Lex combat a bit later. Day Lex utilizes a huge sword/cleaver to hack and slash at his enemies, as well as a shotgun/blunderbush to blow them away. The combat is fast and frantic, and every hit feels heavy and deadly which, in combination with the vast amounts of blood and gore, and also the brutal executions/finishing moves Day Lex perfoms on his enemies, gives you a sense of satisfaction and a feeling that you are a badass mercenary. They say it is better to play with a controller, but I played with a mouse and keyboard and had no problem whatsoever.
Now, for the bad stuff.
First of all, the graphics and animations look quite outdated. Surprisingly, they look worse than how the game looked in their 2009 trailer. Now, I am not one to actually pay much attention to that, prefering solid gameplay over fancy visuals, but they still leave a bad taste in your mouth, especialy if you imagine how amazingly beautiful the setting and characters would look like in modern graphics when, even with its current visuals, there are some spots that leave you breathless. The textures are uneven, with some places looking beautiful while others featuring low resolution skins and textures, sometimes within the same space, making the differences really stand out. The animations are a bit clunky too, but mostly on the citizens of Athyr. Lex and the enemies are not that bad.
Secondly, Night Lex combat. Oh boy, this is quite frustrating. While Day Lex plays like a meat machine when it comes to fighting, Night Lex just feels wrong for it. I can't even describe his attack pattern. It seems like he is using his hands to suck away ether/energy from the enemies until he freezes them, and then shatters them to bits. It might sound kind of cool, but it's not. It feels extremely out of place, and will probably irritate you. I think they should have just kept Night Lex for the platforming part of the game, or maybe made him into a stealthy character who would have set pieces where he would also have to avoid combat. As he is now, he is fun when it comes to platforming, but awful when it comes to fighting.
Moving on, the game is glitchy. Now, I have not suffered from many of the things other's have mentioned, but there was an instance where I was jumping from platform to platform with Night Lex, only to suddenly have my surroundings dissapear, and fall to my death. Another was when I opened the game, and it just showed me a black screen while I could still hear the music behind it. I have also happened to just freeze in place, unable to move, and be forced to load the game.
An additional, major problem is the camera. It is unable to follow the action adequately, at times forcing you to make blind jumps, or hiding the enemies.
Finally, I think the game is a bit pricey. I can understand that there are still chapters to come, and that it won't be so short in length when it is complete, but 15 bucks (12 if you get it with the discount) for the base game's first chapter seems a bit much. I think it should be around 8-9 tops for what it offers at the moment.
So, after all this, is the game worth a look? To conclude, yes, I'd recommend Edge of Twilight. Despite its flaws, I found myself enjoying it. I loved the visceral Day Lex combat, I was immersed in the setting, I was enchanted by the music, I am intrigued by the story and, as far as technical problems go, the developers are patching it up quite fast. I am looking forward to playing the rest of this tale!
