Summary: While 10 out of 10 usually means "Perfect", I'm going to break this rule a bit. This game is by no means perfect and has it's drawbacks.
So, why did I give it 10?
You know, because this game deserves it.
But I'm already talking a little meaninglessly, so here is a straight review in which you'll see why did I give it 10.
Gameplay: Very good. Puzzles may be relatively easy but fair (however, if you've read the books BEFORE playing this game, you'll likely find it far too easy) and some of the best ones include getting help from your teammates. I give gameplay a 9.
Graphics: Those are great. The pre-painted backgrounds can be so beautiful. Aside from the cutscenes, there isn't a lot of animation, but somehow it doesn't seem as a drawback. The only problem is that a few of the cutscenes would have glitches and get "squared" sometimes, at random. For this reason it has to be 9, and I can't give it a 10.
Voice Acting: GREAT!!! Just great. It REALLY breathes life into the game's characters. I give voice acting a 10.
Music: they really focused on quality rather than quantity. There isn't that much of music, but what is there fits so well it cannot be denied. Not once do you question "why this music was chosen for this place?" I give music a 10.
Sound: those ambient sounds are good, but there's not much of them. I give them an 8.
Dialogue/Text Writing: those are exceptional. Shannara is one of the best written adventures ever. I'll give it 10, although I really wish I could give it a 20.
Interface: Very easy to get in, so I give it a 10.
The map: This is the first real downfall of this game. The map screen is used to travel between places (such as Storlock or Culhaven or you get it) and was introduced, I guess, as a way to change the pace. It does offer a change in pace, but is completely NO FUN. It's sad that I have to give a component of a great game a 3, but life is never fair.
Combat: The second downfall of this game. No, it's not action packed, so relaaaaaax. It's turn based and that would be good, but the problem is that it just doesn't work well. The menu hints at complex strategies, but it's so easy to do them anyway. Since fighting reaps no benefits, you're recommended to run away if you can. (and there are a few plot-based battles that NEED to happen) I have to give it a 4.
Story: Great. Not very convoluted, but very emotional. I'll have to give it a 9.
Atmosphere: THIS is what pulls the game to a 10 despite of some of it's drawbacks. I don't know what to say about it. Stunning? Earth-shattering? No and no, words are simply too weak to even begin describing the impossibly strong atmosphere of the game. I say "impossibly" because if you combine usual atmosphering components (voice acting, music, graphics, etc, etc...) they combine to half of it at best -- the other half seems literally to be plucked out of thin air. I don't know how the author accomplished that, but I know it's really good.
One of the stronger moments, for example, is the mirror puzzle. The puzzle itself is very simple, not to say primitive. However, they milked out all the possible atmosphere out of this moment. This result is spectacular.
I can only give examples. I honestly don't know how to use words to describe the atmosphere of this game.
Even though this is a total rule breakage, I have to give the atmosphere, oh, let's see... 100 out of 10. And that's a MINIMUM of me fairly describing the atmosphere of this game.
One-line opinion: RECOMMENDED!
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Shannara (PC) 
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