HeroicFantasyGames.com

While it's not quite an RPG in the traditional sense, I have a feeling some of my fellow KotC fans might be interested in Age of Fear: The Undead King, which is a new independently developed strategy game with tactical turn-based combat set in a fantasy world with two different campaigns (one "good" storyline and one Wizardry IV-esque "evil" campaign featuring a necromancer who recruits various monsters to fight alongside him) and three factions, each with their own units and abilities. The gameplay consists entirely of a series of specific combat scenarios with text-based story progression inbetween. Before taking on the next battle the player gets the opportunity to recruit more units, and the ones who survive one combat challenge can be used in the next. I've only played the tutorial-focused demo so far (the full game is just about the be released on April 10th) but the gameplay seems very solid and should appeal to all tactically minded retro gamers. The early campaign missions available in the demo are very easy, but there's also a Custom Battle mode which lets you play the same missions with the opposing faction, which provides somewhat more of a challenge as well as an additional opportunity to test the enemy AI (which seems competent enough).

Download demo and/or buy the (DRM-free) game here (there's a 50% discount during the first week after its release, by the way):
http://www.age-of-fear.net/

Yep, somewhere on my radar after I saw the newsblurb on it via Blue's News a couple days back. That they are doing the sensible thing in terms of no DRM nonsense and whatnot just situates it all even better.

Sigh...another one for my purchase backlog during these broke days...

The demo didn't leave me too impressed. Quite bland combat and a seemingly lackluster story.

Tiavals wrote:The demo didn't leave me too impressed. Quite bland combat and a seemingly lackluster story.

I disagree on both the combat and the story, but it may very well be that our tastes are simply very different. I will add, however, that the game gets progressively more complex as more units, abilities, spells and status ailments are thrown into the mix (the game does a good job of introducing new stuff at just the right pace, too).

Demiath wrote:I disagree on both the combat and the story, but it may very well be that our tastes are simply very different. I will add, however, that the game gets progressively more complex as more units, abilities, spells and status ailments are thrown into the mix (the game does a good job of introducing new stuff at just the right pace, too).

Guess it might be so. It's not like I haven't bought worse games at a higher price before, so I bought it on a whim. I hope the real deal impresses me more than the demo. I'll probably post my impressions on the full game later.

I've played quite a bit of the knight campaign, probably 2/3 I think. Hard to say, since the story is indeed very lackluster. There is little else than a pretense for killing things. And despite getting wizards and priests, even archmages, the combat isn't much else than fairly bland. I guess I'll drudge through the campaign, but if it doesn't change in the end, I won't be playing the necromancer portion.

2/5 I'd give it. While I've played much worse games, there really isn't anything in it to command me to play it more.

Tiavals wrote:I've played quite a bit of the knight campaign, probably 2/3 I think. Hard to say, since the story is indeed very lackluster. There is little else than a pretense for killing things. And despite getting wizards and priests, even archmages, the combat isn't much else than fairly bland. I guess I'll drudge through the campaign, but if it doesn't change in the end, I won't be playing the necromancer portion.

2/5 I'd give it. While I've played much worse games, there really isn't anything in it to command me to play it more.

Then we do indeed have very different tastes. For me the tactical considerations made possible by the various units, the game's map/mission design and a very capable AI is enough to make even something as minor as the Custom Battle mode (which lets you replay campaign battles as the enemy faction) an exciting addition which further enhances replayability. The story is certainly generic high fantasy prose, but I find it immensely charming and deliberately old school in a way that is highly reminiscent of what great RPGs like Knights of the Chalice or Might & Magic VI are trying to do. I've heard people who didn't care much for the storytelling in the Edward campaign have more fun with the necromancer path, but if this kind of gameplay isn't your thing then I respect that.

So it seems. Ah well, if you don't try new things, you'll never find what you truly want from a game.

The game reminds me of Ogre Battle in many ways, which I also don't like(it is very popular and considered good, however). I more prefer games like Fantasy Wars, Final Fantasy Tactics, even Battle of Wesnoth. I suppose it's simply a matter of preference.