Tyranny Review

Tyranny on GOG - gog.la/JudgeDreddButSwords THE LIST - docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_K3ziSxT9zcUUGCddS… It hurts to think how things could be if this also got some crowdfunding budget. Still a good time! I also realize I said MWD instead of WMD because my EVE Online lizard brain is too used to saying it and I never caught myself.

"The Scarlet Chorus is a mobile mosh-pit of your most hated band's biggest fans." Couldn't have said it better myself.

In my dreams I see Tyranny the way it was meant to be, with more time and a bigger budget. Then I wake up and I realise I am not protected by Kyros' Peace, and I weep.

A very small thing, but Tyranny pulls one of the greatest integrations of game mechanics into dialogue I’ve seen in years. It’s only for a single character: The Voices of Nerat. TVON is the leader of the Scarlet Chorus, the bloodthirsty horde of Kyros’ legions. He’s a soul consuming, trickery focused, magic bullshit wielding weirdo. And he can also speak in your head. Tyranny takes its way of explaining lore from Pillars of Eternity. Mainly in that it doesn’t really do so directly, at least not as much as other games. To counteract this, the game has a bunch of highlighted text that you can hover over to gain context on whatever they’re talking about. The Voices of Nerat will occasionally twirl his scepter in conversation, and the text is highlighted. And when you hover over it, you can read what he’s saying to you telepathically. Both the game and Voices even make sure you know that this is a thing by having him ask you to cough if you can hear him. It’s such a genius way of conveying a method of communication that isn’t audibly speaking without just outright spelling it out for you.

Tyranny: The Game Where You Play "Fantasy Judge Dredd" Great video, got really excited to see you give this one the treatment!

One of the things that they did in Tyranny that I desperately wished that more games did was the hyperlink thing in the text. That was a bloody game changer when it came to world building, making it so that even in the beginning of the first time playing I wasn't lost when people talked normally, referencing people, places, and important events.

"I would've liked a few one sided encounters where you're basically committing war crimes." Don't we all?

Spoilers: If you speak of the decision on murdering a baby, then there is an alternative way of finding a solution outside of lore. If you raid the library before this, then you will find a book which talks about inheritance and such. It provides your character with the same outcome as the lore check. I think raiding the library before a ton of the decision are made, allows you to by pass so many lore checks due to how much stuff is in there.

One of my most favorite moments in the game, is to discuss with Lantry about the theories of Kyros' edicts, as in what they are and how do they work, and when Sirin talks about her time at the court, and how she was almost able to make Kyros commit suicide through her song.

A Tyranny sequel, spiritual successor, or really any game trying to go for a similar premise is probably my most wanted game

"Buggy, has weird direction, and is blatantly unfinished... It might be an obsidian classic." Yeah that checks out XD.

The idea of the Kyros empire using brutal methods of conquest to bring "peace" is actually quite similar to many ancient empires like the Romans, Incas, or even Mongols.

Idk if you read these or not, but the subtitles on your videos really help me watch them, i have a lot of difficulty understanding speech so the subtitles were a massive help. They might be difficult to make, and so you doing them is massively appreciated!

"you can adjust the amount of voice callout".... WOLVES HUNT IN PACK

So glad to see you cover this game. Was such a gem and sad to think there might not be more of it, or similar.

Tyranny is a game I really loved thinking of ways to make it better more than I actually liked the game

I'm so glad you reviewed this. It's the Firefly of rpgs. Genius writing and setting, quality content, but cut off right at its prime and unlikely to ever be picked up again. A cult classic in every sense of the term.

I have to say, there is a strong theory advocating for this all being part of Kyros's plan. Having a foil will essentially focus all "rebellion" and dissidents onto a singular figure. An Archon of Rebellion as an example. It also brings out all the fringe elements and hidden support for rebellion under a single banner... only for it to be crushed. As well as being a convenient way of getting rid of forces no longer beneficial to Kyros. Think of the Scarlet Chorus for example. This is the last real territory unconquered. They WILL go wild eventually and WILL be more trouble than they're worth. This? This is a great way to throw all such elements into a meat grinder.

Pillars of Eternity menu theme: Mystical fantasy atmosphere full of wonder but with a hint of danger Tyranny menu theme: BWAAAAAAAAAAA

22:14 "Tyranny has an intriguing setting with good writing and characters, but it's also buggy, has some weird direction and it's blatantly unfinished. It might be an Obsidian classic" why must you hurt me this way