Gaming: Night Watch Demo

Well I’ve now had opportunity to play the demo of Night Watch and I have been left with mixed feelings. Primarily based around the film, it does import concepts from the book – like the Inquisition, those who police both light and dark.

The turn based combat seems functional enough and I do like spinning, turning cameras. You have the option to go three ways (classes in old parlance) which are mage, shapeshifter or enchanter. As I played I chose shapeshifter, expecting to be able to shift into bear or perhaps tiger form, a dog was a little disappointing.

The demo consists of training levels but they were mostly combat orientated. The one puzzle was easily solved, but that is no indication of how the rest of the game will pan out. The one thing that did worry me was that it felt very “on-a-rail” and, given the nature of the world they are recreating, one feels that the rest of the game will be like that. Now I like my RPG to be open. One way in which the openness is limited is through the fact that you can only join the light. Personally I would have liked to have joined the day watch and become a vampire!

Now we hit the crux, we do meet one vampire in the demo but we only realise that because they tell us he is a vampire – no vampish action.

Of course, the linear nature of the game may not be a problem if the story is good and the story that comes out in the demo is certainly intriguing, whether it can be carried through the whole game remains to be seen.