Those unfamiliar with the Russian novel of the same name could easily assume that this title is going to be some kind of God game in the mould of Civilization.

Anyone acquainted with the book, on the other hand, might well be intrigued by the prospect of a game based on the symbolic Soviet-era sci-fi fable written by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. Sadly, in both cases you’re likely to come away disappointed. It turns out that Hard to be a God isn’t a God game at all. It’s a role-playing game and despite its literary roots it brings relatively little to the table that’s new.

In it, you play a kind of medieval secret agent in what at first appears to be a straightforward hack and slash affair set in feudal times. Only as the game progresses does the twist reveal itself; in fact the world of Hard to be a God is not based in history at all, but in a weird retro-future on an alien planet, where only the elite are allowed access to advanced technology.

In practice, what this means is that the game (eventually) blends traditional swords and monsters with incongruous science fiction items such as energy guns and force fields. Apart from this relatively minor spin on the genre, Hard to be a God is a run-of-the-mill affair.

On the plus side, there’s a nice, simple inventory system, an open-ended storyline, loads of good voice acting from non-player characters and plenty of places to explore. Less impressive is the combat system: it works in real time, presumably to help it feel more like the type of combat you'd find in a third-person action game. In practice, fighting enemies can be awkward and frustrating.

Graphics-wise, Hard to be a God is passable. Relatively low technical requirements mean that the game should run pretty well on most recent PCs. In the end, Hard to be a God isn’t a bad game at all – it just never really lives up to its premise.

Elder Scrolls IV: ; ;