Browse Author

Alexander Rehm

Alexander Rehm is a web designer, information architect and usability & accessibility auditor. He's currently working as a Director of Live Operations and has extensive experience of developing large-scale architecture and frameworks for online services, catering for millions of users concurrently. In his blog, Alex shares his musings on all things internet, usability, accessibility and gaming.

First 15 minutes of gameplay of Metro: Last Light

Metro: Last Light logoAfter playing a bit of Metro: Last Ligt I decided to record some of the initial gameplay. This is the intro and training sequence of the game. Spoiler free (you should have played the first one though):

This is running smoothly on an i7 @ 2.66GHz, 12GB RAM and a GTX 580 @ 1920×1200, all details on high / very high, 4x AF. Recorded using DXtory.

About Metro: Last Light:

Beneath the ruins of post-apocalyptic Moscow, in the tunnels of the Metro, the remnants of mankind are besieged by deadly threats from outside — and within. Mutants stalk the catacombs beneath the desolate surface, and hunt amidst the poisoned skies above.

But rather than stand united, the station-cities of the Metro are locked in a struggle for the ultimate power, a doomsday device from the military vaults of D6. A civil war is stirring that could wipe humanity from the face of the earth forever.

As Artyom, burdened by guilt but driven by hope, you hold the key to our survival — the last light in our darkest hour…

Developer: 4A Games
Publisher: Deep Silver
Release Date: 16 May 2013

Buy it on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/43160/

Game Review: Knights of Pen and Paper

Knights of Pen and Paper game review - whatwasithinking.co.uk

If you’re feeling a little nostalgic for the ‘90s, you may be intrigued by the Knights of Pen and Paper role-playing game, released by Behold Studios. The new RPG uses retro-style pixel art and old-fashioned storytelling in an attempt to help gamers recapture the love of the quest, before it went digital. But does this throwback RPG succeed or fall short? Here’s what you need to know about Knights of Pen and Paper:

.

Concept

Many consider the Dungeons & Dragons era the height of role-playing, and Knights of Pen and Paper cleverly embraces that viewpoint rather than trying to compete with it. The basic concept of the game is that a group of friends play a classic pen-and-paper RPG together, complete with a Dungeon Master, who narrates the quests. The friends and Dungeon Master are present on screen at all times, with the fantasy world and quests emerging in the background, which gives Knights of Pen and Paper the feel of a game-within-a-game.

Keep Reading

Kickstarter Spotlight: Fortis Rex – Rise of the King

fortis rex logoToday I want to highlight another kickstarter game to you: Fortis Rex – Rise of the King, a faction-based, army commanding, non-linear RPG from Ancient Realms Studios. The game sounds very interesting to those interested in Mount & Blade and Warrior Kings.

Since Ancient Realms Studios’ original unsuccessful kickstarter campaign in September a lot has changed – for starters the campaign goal has shrunk a considerable bit (this time only needing $7,000), the game itself has has some work done and the team has come out stronger.

Trailer:


.

To give you a bit of a different article I caught up with Ancient Realms Studios about the game…

Alex: Explain Fortis Rex in 10 words or less!

Ancient Realms Studios: An army-Commanding RPG in a Late-Medieval setting.

.

Alex: As Fortis Rex has a bit of a “Mount & Blade” kind of feel to it, we can already see how combat is going to take place, so tell me a bit more about the RPG elements of Fortis Rex.

ARS: Fortis Rex has many elements of a traditional RPG, including quest-based gameplay, a drag and drop inventory system, and a stronghold the player can call their own. Players can complete dozens of quests with a non-linear storyline. You can exit out at anytime and seek your own adventures in a fully open game world, where you can go anywhere, anytime.

.

Alex: You mention that you players can create their own game experience in a non-linear story. Without giving too much away, can you give me an example of how a player can tackle a quest – and how this will affect the world?

Fortis Rex screenshot
You will be asked to help merchants and villagers – whether you help them or not is up to you!

ARS: How the player completes quests determines their status in the game world. For example, let’s say you were given a quest to wipe out a particular bandit lair. When you get to the lair the bandits try to talk you into fighting for them, and destroy the villagers who gave you the quest. You have multiple options here: You can destroy the bandits with your army, go back to the village and wipe it out, or simply walk away and refuse to help either one. If you wipe the bandits out, word will get around and you’ll begin to become respected… Keep Reading

Kickstarter Spotlight: Legends of Dawn

legendsof dawn logoFirst off, Merry Christmas to you all! I hope you had some amazing days, met family and friends and got some great presents!

I’ve just been going through the kickstarter projects I backed, and I noticed a new project I would like to share with you. The project is Legends of Dawn (what, another “Dawn” game? Yes, I suppose there is a theme going on, but that was entirely accidental), a 3D fantasy RPG for PC. In a nutshell, Legends of Dawn is a very old-school style game, immediately it reminds you of Dungeon Siege and Neverwinter Nights, which in my books is already a winner!  However, unlike other games currently out there this game claims to have no restrictions in how and where you want to go and what you want to do. From the very beginning the game allows complete freedom in the way you tackle the main quest and how you explore (and fight enemies).

Trailer:

Tell me a story

The story sounds very promising: Trouble began in Korden’s Fall when miners and traders began to disappear and rumours of massacres began to circulate. Mistrust and terror fanned conflicts among the people who live in fear of the elves from the nearby region. The managers of the mines, known as the North Trade Guild, appealed to the king, and the once powerful Kordelis family that govern the region, for help. The king sends a unit to uncover the mystery surrounding the icy peaks of the Northern Highlands, under the experienced leadership of Sir Herken Salavon, your foster father.

You are one of the soldiers in the unit and insufficiently trained. The situation required immediate action. Waiting for you to complete your training was not an option. Concerned for your safety, your foster father leaves you behind in Korden’s fall and embarked on the quest with the rest of the men. He tells you as he always did, that people, not demons were behind the big evil.

So far this sounds very familiar to those who played Baldur’s Gate, Dungen Siege and similar games, and it is has been a successful formula so far. Let’s hear a bit more about the story from Dreamatrix:

Events take you from Korden’s Fall, through old, abandoned forts, dungeons once inhabited by dwarves and ancient tombs. You go from  the elven city Recea, to the Great Northern Swamps, and the magical city of Sidis Tarea inhabited by the Danians, a mystical race. You reveal the ancient scripts that tell the legends of dwarves, exterminated in the centuries-old war with humans, and stumble unto the greatest of them all, the Legend of Dawn. But most of its parts have been dismantled by great sages and hidden across the continent of Narr. The one who finds all the parts and reassemble them will restore its power, the only power that can dispel the dark forces over Ashglades. Returning Dawn to Ashglades will finally bring light to the endless darkness.

 .

Time to fight – the combat in LOD

combat screenshot

When tackling a project with near unlimited freedom you will need a decent combat system to make things happen and to keep the player entertained. Combat in Legend of Dawn is familiar to those playing NWN, Dungeon Siege or Diablo – you click on the monster and your player attacks it, one click per attack. Depending on weapon there are various aspects of cooldown, which in turn are affected by the player’s skills, active spells, auras or sacrifices. Dreamatrix discussed this recently: Keep Reading

Kickstarter spotlight: Days of Dawn

Days of Dawn logoSince my last post about Kickstarter projects gained quite a bit of traction I thought it might be sensible to have a look at a few projects in a bit more detail. This is going to be a regular series, trying to highlight a few gems along the way and hopefully help these projects in gaining backers and ultimately become successful. The first project I would like to draw your attention to is Days of Dawn, an RPG from German studio BumblebeeGames.

In a nutshell, Days of Dawn is an old-school roleplaying game set in the land of Kalea. You and up to 4 companions experience a beautifully rendered world and experience a powerful and non-linear adventure through ancient ruins, gloomy woods and hidden cities to unravel the mystery of a long forgotten past and discover the source of arcane powers.

Trailer:

Tell me a Story

The story sounds promising: the shepherd Caril is on the run from prosecuters of a girl he recently saved. On the run Caril learns that this girl, named Dawn, has been experiencing these powers for many years now, unable to control them in times of emotional stress. As they approach a nearby town, the two will soon learn that Dawn is not the only one.

I caught up with Tassilo, the project lead behind the game. He elaborated a bit more on the story and its non-linear element:

The story is running along three major storylines that meet at some specific points, which may be experienced from different perspectives. In addition, several of the games’ sidequests are dependent on having specific player-characters. Having Vaithee in your party, for example, will open up a range of quests related to her group of monster hunters, while having the priest in team will open up relations to the church, which will offer other sidequests. Some player-characters can be found on sidequests (but these will be accessible to all player characters).

This is also giving a nice replay value, espescially as even the main storyline is also divided into three paths.

 

The Magic of Emotions

Unlike other RPGs, emotions are where the magic happens – literally in fact. Emotions are the magic in Days of Dawn… Keep Reading

Ace of Spades – now available on Steam!

Ace of spades logoGood news everyone! Ace of Spades is now available on Steam!

Ace of Spades, better known as “Minecraft meets Team Fortress” is an amazing little game with amazing depth, including the following game modes:

  • Team Deathmatch – The Grandaddy of them all. Kill the enemy, try not to die doing it.
  • Diamond Mine – Extract more diamonds out of the battlefield than the opposition.
  • Demolition – Demolish the enemy’s base before your own is decimated.
  • Multi-Hill – Classic King of the Hill. Hold your territory as it moves around the battlefield.
  • Zombie Mode – Survive the onslaught of the living dead. Failing that, join them.

Click here to buy it from Steam (£6.99)

.

Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition (iPad) – Review

Baldurs Gate Enhanced Edition logoBack in the 90s there was an engine that pretty much defined RPGs as we know them now – the Infinity Engine. And the first big game on that engine was Baldur’s Gate, followed by Baldur’s Gate 2, Icewind Dale, Planescape Torment and more. In short, times were amazing for RPG enthusiasts. GOG.com released BG1 and BG2 DRM-free a few years ago, and modders built a set of tools to enhance BG1 to run on BG2’s updated engine, enabling the game(s) to be played on latest hardware and widescreen monitors.

Not so long ago, Beamdog announced Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition for PC, Mac, iOS and Android, and it has finally arrived on the iPad. But is it still an excellent game? Has its core gameplay survived the port to the iPad? Is it still the amazing game it used to be?

.

An involving story

BG: EE revolves around an impressively deep story and mysteries. Why do people try to kill you? Why won’t your foster father trust you with what is going on? Why do you have to leave Candlekeep? Why are all the iron tools in the region suddenly crumbling and disintegrating? The story begins at quite some speed, forcing you out of your home, making you find allies, form parties, take on quests and sidequests (though sometimes you don’t know which is which, which is quite nice). Unlike other recent RPGs (e.g. Skyrim) you can’t just wander off and explore the lands to your heart’s content… Keep Reading