Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny

Last updated
Realms of Arkania:
Blade of Destiny
Roa1.jpg
Cover art by Ugurcan Yüce
Developer(s) Attic Entertainment Software
Publisher(s)
Designer(s) Hans-Jürgen Brändle
Guido Henkel
Writer(s) Michael Johann
Thomas Römer
Composer(s) Rudolf Stember
Series The Dark Eye
Platform(s) Amiga, MS-DOS
Release
Genre(s) Role-playing
Mode(s) Single player

Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny is a role-playing video game developed by Attic Entertainment Software. It was the first game based on the German pen & paper RPG system The Dark Eye by Schmidt Spiele. The original German version of the game (German title: Das Schwarze Auge: Die Schicksalsklinge) was released in 1992. Due to its success it was translated to English and released by Sir-Tech in 1993.

Contents

Gameplay

Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny is a classical 3D party role-playing video game that has up to six characters (plus an optional NPC that may be recruited) moving through 3D towns and dungeons. Travels between those 3D levels were simulated by showing a path on a regional 2D map. The game generally uses the same pseudo-3D-engine as Attic's 1991 game Spirit of Adventure , utilizing an increased resolution for the 3D part of the screen. The game also borrowed ideas from Eye of the Beholder (the inventory user interface) and Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra (the main screen user interface layout). The game did not feature NPC/monster sprites in the 3D view (a shortcoming that can be found in the entire Northlands Trilogy) that were already introduced by the first 3D real-time action role-playing video game - Dungeon Master - in 1987. Instead of visualizing fights in the 3D view, the game switched to the isometric perspective for a unique turn-based tactical combat simulation.

Plot

An orc chief has united all tribes of the orcs and plans to attack the lands of the humans. The player is hired by Hetman Tronde Torbensson, the leader of the Thorwalians, to find the sword Grimring (the Blade of Destiny) and prevent an orc invasion on Thorwal. However, Grimring has been lost since the death of its bearer, the Hetman Hyggelik the Great. In order to recover the sword, the player must find pieces of a treasure map which shows the location of the sword. Once the sword is recovered the player needs to defeat the orc chief and his minions. If the player does not succeed within about two in-game years, the orcs will attack and the player loses.

Reception

According to Die Zeit , all three games in the Realms of Arkania series, including Blade of Destiny, were commercially and critically successful. The paper's Nicole Lange reported in 2011 that the three entries together had surpassed 2.4 million sales worldwide. [2]

In a 1993 review from Computer Gaming World , Scorpia wrote, "'Das Schwarze Auge' means 'The Black Eye,' and that might be appropriate here". She wrote that "there are so many things wrong with the game play that we should start off with the few that are right" such as automapping and extra experience points for fighting unfamiliar enemies, but criticized the "awkward and confusing" magic system, discrepancies between the documentation and gameplay. Worst of all, she wrote, were the reduction in experience points for saving outside a temple, high failure rates during combat, and a bug that "won" the game by quitting during the final fight. [3]

The One gave the Amiga version of Blade of Destiny an overall score of 73%, criticizing its graphics and small draw distance, saying "you can't even 'see' the poorly-drawn buildings until you're practically standing in front of them" and calling it a generic RPG, stating "The main problem with Blade of Destiny is that you really have seen this sort of thing before - and better, most probably. There are few surprises as you travel around, with everyone and everything you meet conforming to their usual clichéd fantasy roles." The One criticized the combat, calling it "uninspiring", and expressed that the 'movement points' system removes a sense of urgency. [4]

Jim Trunzo reviewed Realms of Arkania in White Wolf #38 (1993), giving it a final evaluation of "Good" and stated that "A standard theme (find the Blade of Destiny in order to thwart a powerful Orc army led by a charismatic but violent leader) creates the basis for the game. Over 70 towns, villages, dungeons and ruins make Arkania a large and interesting land to explore. One nice thing about the game is the originality of some of the monster types encountered. If you're looking for a solid roleplaying adventure that will challenge you without frustrating you, Realms of Arkania is sure to be to your liking." [5]

Chris W. McCubbin reviewed Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny in Pyramid #6 (March/April, 1994), and stated that "I have no hesitancy about recommending Realms of Arkania for what it does well -- graphics, story and background. And I remain optimistic about the combat problems as well. After all, Blade of Destiny is only the first game in the Realms of Arkania series. If subsequent games correct the unrealistic aspects of ranged combat, Realms of Arkania could easily be a state-of-the art game for mature, discerning computer gamers." [6]

Legacy

Sequels

Blade of Destiny was the first game in the Northlands Trilogy, it was followed by Realms of Arkania: Star Trail , and Realms of Arkania: Shadows over Riva . As a feature players could save the game after beating it, this allowed the players to import their characters into any of the sequels.

Remake

A remake developed by the Austrian Crafty Studios and published by German United Independent Entertainment was released on Steam on July 30, 2013. [7] Metacritic, a review aggregator, rated it 18/100 based on five reviews. [8] This is one of Metacritic's lowest ratings for a PC game. On release, the game was plagued with bugs, and the developer's forums were full of complaints. Crafty Studios eventually posted an apology to Steam in which they promised to update the game. Steven Strom of Ars Technica , in an article where he played each of the five worst-rated games on Metacritic, said the remake is playable but still feels unfinished, including untranslated dialogue. [9]

Related Research Articles

The Dark Eye is a German tabletop role-playing game with a high fantasy theme created by Ulrich Kiesow and launched by Schmidt Spiel & Freizeit GmbH and Droemer Knaur Verlag in 1984. It is the most successful role-playing game on the German market, outselling Dungeons & Dragons. Many years of work on the game have led to a detailed and extensively described game world.

<i>Eye of the Beholder</i> (video game) 1991 video game

Eye of the Beholder is a role-playing video game for personal computers and video game consoles developed by Westwood Associates. It was published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. in 1991, for the MS-DOS operating system and later ported to the Amiga, the Sega CD and the SNES. The Sega CD version features a soundtrack composed by Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima. A port to the Atari Lynx handheld was developed by NuFX in 1993, but was not released. In 2002, an adaptation of the same name was developed by Pronto Games for the Game Boy Advance.

<i>Pools of Darkness</i> 1991 video game

Pools of Darkness is a role-playing video game published by Strategic Simulations in 1991. It is the fourth entry in the Pool of Radiance series of Gold Box games, and the story is a continuation of the events of the third game, Secret of the Silver Blades. Like the previous games in the series, it is set in the Forgotten Realms, a campaign setting from Dungeons & Dragons. Players must stop an invasion from an evil god, eventually traveling to other dimensions to confront his lieutenants.

<i>Dungeon Master</i> (video game) 1987 video game

Dungeon Master is a role-playing video game featuring a pseudo-3D first-person perspective. It was developed and published by FTL Games for the Atari ST in 1987, almost identical Amiga and PC (DOS) ports following in 1988 and 1992.

<i>The Bards Tale II: The Destiny Knight</i> 1986 video game

The Bard's Tale II: The Destiny Knight is a fantasy role-playing video game created by Interplay Productions in 1986. It is the first sequel to The Bard's Tale, and the last game of the series that was designed and programmed by Michael Cranford.

<i>Realms of Arkania: Star Trail</i> 1994 video game

Realms of Arkania: Star Trail is a computer role-playing game by Attic Entertainment Software based on the German RPG system Das Schwarze Auge. The original German version of the game was released in 1994. Due to the success of its predecessor Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny, it was translated to English and released by Sir-Tech in the same year. An expansion, Speech Pack, was released in 1994 for the floppy disk version.

<i>Realms of Arkania: Shadows over Riva</i> 1996 video game

Realms of Arkania: Shadows over Riva is a role-playing video game based on the German role-playing game system Das Schwarze Auge by Attic Entertainment Software. It is the sequel to Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny and Realms of Arkania: Star Trail. The original German version of the game was published by TopWare Interactive in 1996. Sir-Tech released the English version in 1997.

<i>J.R.R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I</i> (1990 video game) 1990 video game

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I is a role-playing video game published by Interplay Productions. It is an adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien, being the first volume in The Lord of the Rings. The game was released in 1990 for DOS, in 1991 for the Amiga and PC-98, and in 1992 for the FM Towns. It was followed by J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. II: The Two Towers. It was originally designed for the Commodore 64, but the production team switched to the newer platforms. The game was designed by Troy A. Miles, Scott Bennie, Jennell Jaquays, and Bruce Schlickbernd. For the later versions, the cutscenes are taken from the 1978 Lord of the Rings film directed by Ralph Bakshi.

<i>The Magic Candle</i> 1989 video game

The Magic Candle: Volume 1 is a role-playing video game designed by Ali Atabek and developed and published by Mindcraft in 1989.

<i>Gateway to the Savage Frontier</i> 1991 video game

Gateway to the Savage Frontier (1991) is a Gold BoxDungeons & Dragons computer game developed by Beyond Software and published by SSI for the Commodore 64, PC and Amiga personal computers.

<i>The Elder Scrolls: Arena</i> 1994 video game

The Elder Scrolls: Arena is an open-world action role-playing video game developed and published by Bethesda Softworks. The first game in the Elder Scrolls series, it was released for MS-DOS on March 25, 1994. The game follows the player trying to uncover a conspiracy against Emperor Uriel Septim VII.

<i>Quest for Glory: So You Want to Be a Hero</i> 1989 video game

Quest for Glory: So You Want to Be a Hero is a 1989 adventure game/role-playing game hybrid, designed by Lori Ann Cole and published by Sierra On-Line for MS-DOS. It is the first game in the Quest for Glory series, and has been credited for being a genre-defining game, as it tried to mix graphical adventure gaming with role-playing-like elements such as statistic building that would actually affect the ability to accomplish certain parts of the game. The game has a satirical and silly tone. Ports for the Amiga, Atari ST, and NEC PC-9801 were released in the early 1990s. A VGA remake, titled Quest for Glory I: So You Want to Be a Hero, was released in 1992 for DOS and later in 1994 for Mac OS.

<i>Champions of Krynn</i> 1990 video game

Champions of Krynn is role-playing video game, the first in a three-part series of Dragonlance Advanced Dungeons & DragonsGold Box games. It was published in 1990 by Strategic Simulations. The highest graphics setting supported in the MS-DOS version is EGA graphics. It also supports the Adlib sound card and either a mouse or joystick.

<i>The Dark Queen of Krynn</i> 1992 video game

The Dark Queen of Krynn is the third in a three-part series of Dragonlance Advanced Dungeons & Dragons "Gold Box" role-playing video games. The game was released in 1992.

<i>Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon</i> 1991 video game

Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon is a 1991 role-playing video game and the sequel to the first Eye of the Beholder. It used a modified version of the first game's engine, added outdoor areas and greatly increased the amount of interaction the player had with their environment, along with substantially more role-playing aspects to the game. A sequel, Eye of the Beholder III: Assault on Myth Drannor, was released in 1993.

<i>Eye of the Beholder III: Assault on Myth Drannor</i> 1993 video game

Eye of the Beholder III: Assault on Myth Drannor is a 1993 role-playing video game and the sequel to Eye of the Beholder and Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon.

<i>Drakensang: The Dark Eye</i> 2008 video game

Drakensang: The Dark Eye is a 2008 role-playing video game developed by Radon Labs and published by dtp. It is the first video game in The Dark Eye universe since Attic's Northlands Trilogy from the 1990s. it was followed by the prequel River of Time, which also received an expansion Phileasson's Secret. all of them were put in a collection that is referred as the Drakensang Saga.

<i>Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan</i> 1990 video game

Crusaders of Khazan is a computer adaptation of the tabletop role-playing game Tunnels and Trolls, developed and published by New World Computing in 1990 for DOS, FM Towns, PC-88 and PC-98. The game is available from Flying Buffalo and in Fiery Dragon's Tunnels and Trolls 30th Anniversary Edition. The game was an international production, designed and directed in the US but programmed in Japan.

<i>The Magic Candle II: The Four and Forty</i> 1991 video game

The Magic Candle II is a 1991 role-playing video game for DOS. It was developed by Mindcraft Software Inc. and published by Electronic Arts, Inc.

<i>Nemesis: The Wizardry Adventure</i> 1996 video game

Nemesis: The Wizardry Adventure is a 1996 adventure and role-playing video game developed and published by Sir-Tech. It is a spin-off of the Wizardry series of games. Ports for Sega Saturn and Microsoft Windows were released in Japan in 1998.

References

  1. ↑ "PC Zone Magazine". PC Zone . No. 1. April 1993. p. 11. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  2. ↑ Lange, Nicole (September 23, 2011). "Zu deutsch für den Rest der Welt". Die Zeit . Archived from the original on March 24, 2016.
  3. ↑ Scorpia (October 1993). "Scorpion's View / Sir-Tech's Realms of Arkania". Computer Gaming World. p. 24. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
  4. ↑ "Blade of Destiny Review". The One. No. 59. emap Images. September 1993. p. 70.
  5. ↑ Trunzo, Jim (1993). "The Silicon Dungeon". White Wolf Magazine . No. 38. p. 33.
  6. ↑ "Pyramid: Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny".
  7. ↑ Davison, Pete (8 July 2013). "Realms of Arkania Gets Modern Remake". US Gamer . Archived from the original on 8 November 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  8. ↑ "Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny Revised". Metacritic . Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  9. ↑ Strom, Steven (7 August 2016). "Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny". Ars Technica . Retrieved 14 December 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.