Review of Griffon Fortress
A quick aside before i give my review. What is it i consider a "bad" mod. Any mod that gives the player TOO MUCH power....now that doesn't necessarily make it BAD as we all love having god powers and bad ass equips from time to time. But a good mod in my opinion is one that adds something nifty to the game, but doesn't break the balance of the game too much or at all. An example of a "bad" mod is actually one i rather quite like. There is a particular sword mod on Tesnexus (which will remain nameless cause i do not wish to offend) that adds some very interesting swords to the game. The design of these swords is superb and i love each one. The downside is that these swords are mega expensive, so in the beginning of the game you have no chance of purchasing one, but when you find one in your travels, your suddenly bill gates!!!. That is what i consider a "bad" mod, but again lets not forget i still use it. For they are very nice swords, and we all like swords. Now this particular mod I'm reviewing today can definitely be described as what i call...a good mod!
Video tribute to this mod found here!
Today we shall review Griffon Fortress, a mod by Mr Siika and Centurion. Very well done! This mod adds a nice mountain fortress to the lands of eastern Cyrodil. Inside it has a blacksmith, barracks, armory, throne room, dining hall, secret spa, catacombs, lords room YOU NAME IT!!!....this mod adds a lot. It also looks nice especially from a distance and even better up close.
Gameplay: I find it hard to get nice fortress or cities which are empty. I know i know why go through all the work of populating a city or fortress all yourself when you can have it done for you. I'm not saying city mods with already made npcs are bad, I'm just saying that i like to populate them myself, because i feel it makes it a lil more....mine...or should i say the characters im playing. The fortress is initially empty when you find it (or at least in this version) save for a few premade guards and a nice gentleman who will go hunting with you! It offers many storage spaces and rooms. The downside is its VERY BIG!!!....this is not much of a downside after your acquainted with the layout but it can be very intimidating initially. I found myself blown away and got lost three times while i was exploring and planning for the first time. Wow though, my hat is off to Siika and Centurion for they have done a good job making such a large fortress. 8/10 on the gameplay
Graphics: Very good, the fortress is beautiful! The design and look are believable and unique while not looking out of place. Indeed i could very well believe this was an intended part of cyrodil if i hadn't known already it was a mod. This mod is also a lot more playable on my computer than Siikas Airship mod. It has little to no lag and works beautifully. (the lag in the video is caused not by the mod, but by the guards....stupid guards......more on them later...) 9/10 on the graphics!
Features: This mod brings to the table many interesting features. You have the Lords room which is really nice. A big storage closet in the main office of the room. (which i have already filled to capacity mwahahaha) It also has a small bathroom to the side of the sleeping room which is awfully cozy looking. The throne room is gourgeous, though i have to say a bit dark. Didnt bother me too much. Though there is a small glitch when i leave my guards there and exit, when i come back they've fallen through the floor! O.o... Also inside the throne room is a secret entrance to an underground pool. very cozy, very private. Oh just imagine the parties one could have down there! The palace is also very nice. The entrance hall and dining area are exquisitely designed and are a nice place to sit down and either eat with your guests or just read a book by that wonderful fireplace. There is a blacksmith house which is also very nice, just put a blacksmith in there through CM partners or other companion mods or the editor. The barracks is nice as well and has a room leading to creature cages, housing a Deadroth and Clanfear. The armory is a lil lacking. It looks nice but it would be good if one was able to actually store weapons there, perhaps for future versions the spear racks can be interactable storage. I wouldn't know I'm not the modder! Finally the extensive catacombs that run beneath the fortress....i could spend hours down there....oh wait i have! Very chilling scenery in the catacombs. Inside are small offshoot rooms. Treasuries and Warehouses mostly, but there is a very nice looking abandoned laboratory down there. Inside you can also find a full set of master alchemy equipment. 9/10 on the Features!!!
Storyline: Though in-game the storyline has no real presence, the intended storyline in the mods description is very nice! 9/10 on the storyline.
Overall: I really like this mod, i use Siikas airship mod myself (you might be able to see it in the video) but when i learned of this mod i decided to move my crew into the fortress, using it as a more stable base of operations in cyrodil. They've taken to it so every one is happy! I love what this mod has brought to the game and it definitely deserves this rating! 10/10 overall.
Another wonderful piece of work from Mr Siika and Centurion!
(I am in no way a professional game reviewer, i simply do this cause its fun)
