The Game Basics

3 Classes? Déjà vu

Character creation is really elaborate in some ways, but for the most part simple. The cosmetic side of things - how Jack looks like, etc. is done very well. You have all sorts of colors to choose from when deciding what his hair, mustache, beard, shirt, pants and all the rest look like. You can change Jack's name if you want, though he'll always be the same character in the movies, for continuity purposes.

Gotta run just behind the flames

Hmm... Should I pull it?

The truly meaningful part of character creation is as simple as in Diablo. Pick the class, and you're done. None of that fancy-shmancy attribute modification and skill choice. In fact, as the game progresses, character management is even simpler than in Diablo. You never worry about assigning stats during level ups, which are few and far between at any rate. Nox is a very linear game - character advancement is very strictly controlled. It's almost, if not completely impossible to advance a level before beating the chapter you're on. Conversely, it's impossible to go through a chapter and not advance - unless this was planned by the designers.

The Balancing Act

Diablo relied on having the randomly-generated items at stores and the ones dropped by monsters to be a good match to your level. Never would you ever find yourself picking up a Knight's Great Sword of the Leech at level 6. Players often re-started the singleplayer game and kept going to the smith, looking for a good weapon to spend their gold on. Diablo also had a few issues with level balance - restarting to get enough experience from the newly refilled early levels to survive the more dangerous levels was a common practice.

That Troll's stinking up the place

Even books tell you that

Nox is basically free of these issues since everything is planned out in detail. There are virtually no random monsters, dungeons or items. Jack, no matter his class, is perfectly ready to take on the next challenge as soon as he's done his current chapter.

The Classes

The Warrior is your basic tank. He charges into combat and opens up ye olde Can O' Wup Ass. 1 on 1, nothing should be able to stand toe to toe with him. But that's the problem - so many things don't want to go 1 on 1. Hence, you've got to use your brains to get out alive from most big fights. Warriors, sadly, don't get to use either bows or magic. However, they still have a potent ranged weapon in the shuriken.

Auto-save, will you marry me?

That's a... elevator

Conjurers are a cross between the Warrior and Wizard, with some badass bow skills thrown in to boot. The Conjurer's best friend is a long, narrow corridor where he can keep pumping arrows or charming creatures before they get to him. In fact, his charm is such a cool little ability we always found ourselves walking around with an escort of captivated creatures!

Wizards are of course, the spindly, weak and slow little twerps with enough magic in their little finger to make anyone think twice about attacking. Of all the classes we encountered, it was odd that the Wizards seemed the most pedestrian - the special abilities of both Warriors and Conjurers made them a more interesting play.