Well, having never played an Avernum game, I had
no idea what to expect since I was jumping in to the fifth chapter of the
series. Fortunately the games apparently are all separate in their
incarnations and you don’t have to have a real working knowledge of the
worlds to play, although I believe it would help. In the game, you play as a
soldier for the Empire. Now before you think all sorts of negative things,
apparently being a soldier in the Empire is a good thing. It seems in the
years that the Empress Prazac has been on the throne the kingdom has lived a
life of peace and plentitude, the citizens are happy living under her fair
rule and the life of a soldier is one of good pay and easy living.
no idea what to expect since I was jumping in to the fifth chapter of the
series. Fortunately the games apparently are all separate in their
incarnations and you don’t have to have a real working knowledge of the
worlds to play, although I believe it would help. In the game, you play as a
soldier for the Empire. Now before you think all sorts of negative things,
apparently being a soldier in the Empire is a good thing. It seems in the
years that the Empress Prazac has been on the throne the kingdom has lived a
life of peace and plentitude, the citizens are happy living under her fair
rule and the life of a soldier is one of good pay and easy living.
But since all of this makes for a boring game,
the developers thought to have something interesting happen and that thing
is an assassination attempt on the life of the beloved Empress. And since
the only group of people who even dare such a thing would be the underground
dwelling psychopath Dorikas, its up to you to outfit and assemble a small
team of soldiers who would bring justice to those who so desperately avoid
it. So down you go, confidant that nothing could possibly stand up to
soldiers of the Empire and you promptly realize that you are in way over
your head.
the developers thought to have something interesting happen and that thing
is an assassination attempt on the life of the beloved Empress. And since
the only group of people who even dare such a thing would be the underground
dwelling psychopath Dorikas, its up to you to outfit and assemble a small
team of soldiers who would bring justice to those who so desperately avoid
it. So down you go, confidant that nothing could possibly stand up to
soldiers of the Empire and you promptly realize that you are in way over
your head.
"Bring your reading glasses!"
Having arrived in the wild and unruly
underground world of Avernum in search of Dorikas, you learn fast and hard
that not everyone is bad, but the villains you are trying to hunt down sure
are. The game then becomes a throwback style RPG, where you view the
dungeons and other areas from a fixed 3/4 view. The action is turn based and
does provide some genuine old school fun complete with customizable
characters. In the beginning you can assemble your team as you see fit,
choosing to customize your team or using the pre-made soldiers the game
comes with. I was surprised at the actual configurations that you could use
and mix with. Not following the rigid rules of other RPGs the game clearly
has a lot more leeway when it comes to customization.
underground world of Avernum in search of Dorikas, you learn fast and hard
that not everyone is bad, but the villains you are trying to hunt down sure
are. The game then becomes a throwback style RPG, where you view the
dungeons and other areas from a fixed 3/4 view. The action is turn based and
does provide some genuine old school fun complete with customizable
characters. In the beginning you can assemble your team as you see fit,
choosing to customize your team or using the pre-made soldiers the game
comes with. I was surprised at the actual configurations that you could use
and mix with. Not following the rigid rules of other RPGs the game clearly
has a lot more leeway when it comes to customization.
Battles, like I said are turn based, some folks
may not like this sort of thing and to that I will say, stay away. The
combat setup is relatively easy to work with and from what I could gather
not much different then previous titles in the series. Very similar to the
old Fallout RPGs, each character has a set number of action points to use
during their turn. Attack, heal, move for cover, there are several options
that are very familiar to RPG players. Some skill is required when dealing
with certain enemies. I enjoyed it because it did remind me of some old
school RPGs and I will always have a place in my heart for those.
may not like this sort of thing and to that I will say, stay away. The
combat setup is relatively easy to work with and from what I could gather
not much different then previous titles in the series. Very similar to the
old Fallout RPGs, each character has a set number of action points to use
during their turn. Attack, heal, move for cover, there are several options
that are very familiar to RPG players. Some skill is required when dealing
with certain enemies. I enjoyed it because it did remind me of some old
school RPGs and I will always have a place in my heart for those.
"I paid $449.99 for my graphics card and
THIS is what I get!"
Like so many other games of this vein, you will
roll into areas/towns and discover that the good people of the underground
kingdom could sure use a hero to help out with the problems that plague the
locals. There is an absolute ton of sub missions and side quests to find and
complete in your overall quest and during those adventures some new
abilities can be discovered as well as more powerful weapons. I can’t say
that the game really came up with anything that I haven’t played a 100 times
before, but I will give credit for a bit better of a realized plot. There is
no arguing that the graphics on this game are waaaaaayyyy old and the game
could probably be played on that computer you put up in the attic six years
ago. So in that sense, while the game doesn’t suffer from the dated
graphics, I believe most players will be turned off by the appearance and
visuals the game has.
roll into areas/towns and discover that the good people of the underground
kingdom could sure use a hero to help out with the problems that plague the
locals. There is an absolute ton of sub missions and side quests to find and
complete in your overall quest and during those adventures some new
abilities can be discovered as well as more powerful weapons. I can’t say
that the game really came up with anything that I haven’t played a 100 times
before, but I will give credit for a bit better of a realized plot. There is
no arguing that the graphics on this game are waaaaaayyyy old and the game
could probably be played on that computer you put up in the attic six years
ago. So in that sense, while the game doesn’t suffer from the dated
graphics, I believe most players will be turned off by the appearance and
visuals the game has.
The same could be said of the audio, another
thing that must have not been in the budget. I understand that this is the
fifth in the series, but the game could have benefited from a stronger
sounding score and tough sound effects. During the play, you will do plenty
of reading to help move the plot along and a familiar set of icons grace the
edge of the game screen allowing you to fire off commands and access
inventory relatively pain free.
thing that must have not been in the budget. I understand that this is the
fifth in the series, but the game could have benefited from a stronger
sounding score and tough sound effects. During the play, you will do plenty
of reading to help move the plot along and a familiar set of icons grace the
edge of the game screen allowing you to fire off commands and access
inventory relatively pain free.
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Gameplay: 7.0
Everything is pretty easy to understand and
control, a fairly basic premise for the commands and the movements.
control, a fairly basic premise for the commands and the movements.
Graphics: 5.0
Wow, they don’t need to be flashy, but they do
need to draw players in, this game’s visuals will probably drive away
players who would otherwise enjoy the ride.
need to draw players in, this game’s visuals will probably drive away
players who would otherwise enjoy the ride.
Sound: 5.0
There was sound?
Difficulty: Medium
I was surprised at some of the turns the game
threw at me and was pleasantly intrigued by some of the things that happen.
threw at me and was pleasantly intrigued by some of the things that happen.
Concept: 6.0
The developers have crafted a rich and inventive
world that has a cult-like following, I have to say I liked some of the
things I saw while adventuring.
world that has a cult-like following, I have to say I liked some of the
things I saw while adventuring.
Overall: 5.9
I have to say that the game, while rich in plot
and story, lacks in visuals and sound, may be enjoyed by few. I would like
to see the folks at Spiderweb software be given a big budget and let loose.
and story, lacks in visuals and sound, may be enjoyed by few. I would like
to see the folks at Spiderweb software be given a big budget and let loose.
