While I dislike consoles and most games that are tailor made for them, this has been a pleasant surprise.

Even though the control scheme is a nightmare without a controller, it can be mastered.

The game itself is very interesting, the graphics are nice (even today they are impressive) and the settings are truly grand. At its core it is an action rpg, where you get to fight overwhelmingly powerful enemies at all turns. Even at higher levels you can end up dying to monsters that seem trivial, when careless. The bosses are all powerful, some to the point where they seem impossible to beat. Don't despair, there is always a way... unless you attack something totally out of your depth (haven't had the experience yet). Having said the above, don't be mistaken you have to die over and over and over to figure out the tactics and hone the skills that will be needed to dispatch of certain enemies.

The plot line is ok, nothing tremendous, but it is supported by a setting of such grandness, that ends up lifting it to great heights.

For me the true strength of the game is the freedom it gives you to explore your own play-style and build your character the way you want. I have heard that this can lead to some unplayable character builds, however I don t see that happening past 1 or 2 characters (I abandoned my first character too - however after going further with my next character I realized it was more a matter of inexperience and lack of knowledge, rather than character abilities).

One thing that is both a strength and a weakness is the lack of information... it is so easy to miss things (important things mind you) that it can become frustrating. If one thing is for certain, it is that the player needs to be very alert and explore all corners of each area. The main problem with searching everything, is that there is very little to find (extra/semi hidden stuff), but still it is there to find and you should look for it.

In terms of openness, it does have a slight linearity at first, but soon you get the choice to explore at your own leisure. Now a warning... (this falls under the no information problem) you may be exploring an area where you have no way of continuing further (with very little indication that there is anything further) without first completing something in another area and while at the end of the day it may seem logical and aligned with the plot, it is extremely easy to miss it (one thing to keep in mind is always pay attention to the npc dialogs and talk to them often).

While dying is a integral part of the game, which you get used to after a short while, it can still be frustrating... mostly when you die because you fall of an edge, or get pushed off one or you press the wrong button... at the end of the day anything in the world can kill you, not just the actual enemies.

I play this on my (older) laptop, which kind of sucks (the laptop), but it still can cope, thus anyone with a decent rig can play it.

The multiplayer aspect of the game is a bit peculiar, where (under specific conditions) other players can invade your world and attack you (you have no choice in the matter), something that can be frustrating. On the other hand you can call other players for a bit of coop or be summoned (if you are willing) to help others.

Overall its a great game (not just good) even with all the minor problems and frustrations - it just consumes you... so be careful.