Holy crap Avadon: The Black Fortress took me back… I grew up on RPGs like this. It’s a game that’s retro flavoured to a fault, but for anyone looking for a lengthy dungeon hack, here’s a hell of a good time for you.
 |
| I love killing mini digital rats – yes, rats are the first enemies |
The first thing that’s going to stand out is the visuals – we’re talking tiny spites with minimal frames of animation, minimally-decorated tile based backgrounds and a static isometric camera. In other words… it looks exactly like many of the old SSI Dungeons and Dragons game, or a more primitive version of Baldur’s Gate.
As we’re all quite accustomed to detailed sprites and silky smooth animation in the modern era, the first few minutes of play as characters jerk across the screen can be quite off putting, but while that initial design decision hits hard, You’ll relax into the world easily enough.
It’s the story telling style of Avadon that is really different. The game directly addresses you as the player in a storytelling manner like the Zork games of old. So, just like you’re playing a real game of Dungeons and Dragons at a real table top, you’ll get regular pauses in the action so the AI ‘Dungeon Master’ can break into simple, but clear descriptions that sound a little something like:
“You enter a large natural cavern, clearly not part of the original dungeon. The ceiling arcs far over your head, and a natural river bubbles through the middle, the crystal clear water beckoning invitingly.”
 |
| The environments don’t have a huge amount of variety – not unexpected |
It’s nerdy, yes, but the game is so lovingly built, it’s difficult not to get drawn into the world nevertheless. It never takes itself too seriously, though it’s also not an outright parody; so the fairest way to describe playing through this game is as a pleasant experience: it’ll be a stretch to remember specific moments at the end, but you’ll still enjoy yourself.
The story itself doesn’t break from the tradition of RPGs in the 80’s and 90’s – it’s a mess of clichés, inappropriately dressed women, tyrants and obvious plot points, but once again this just furthers the charm. The plot runs very much in the background – text is over quickly and new monsters to slaughter pop up regularly. There are multiple endings and different characters to play through, to give a bit of incentive to come back for some more.
For the most part, though, this is a game about exploring deep and dark dungeons and killing stuff. There’s a decent loot system, but in yet another throwback to the bygone eras of gaming, there’s encumbrance. Put on too much armour, and you’ll be an impenetrable tank, but you’ll also move nowhere.
Assuming you are equipped lightly enough, eventually you’ll run into some battles, and it’s an addictive, if slightly simple experience. Avadon is turn based, and everyone moves about in a grid formation. There’s a handful of spells and special attacks to choose between, but otherwise combat flow is the “you hit, now I hit” variety. You can build a reasonably-sized team of miscreants and heroes, and each has a unique role to play in the game, but if you’ve ever played an RPG before, you’ll know you’ll need a healer, a fighter, a thief and a mage as a base ‘unit.’
 |
| Ever feel that sometimes, you’re just a very small person in a very big world? |
There’s all the usual inventory micro management that you’ll need to perform – you’ll need space in the backpack for light sources, for instance, as well as positions and the like, and just like the RPGs of yesteryear, you won’t have quite enough inventory slots for all the stuff you’ll want to carry.
The only really irritating part of the game comes from the exploration. Finding stuff on the floor requires you to pull up the inventory, and because the game doesn’t do a good job of explaining to you that “hey, this here bit of floor has some good stuff on it,” you’ll waste a good portion of your time running around tapping the ‘I’ key just to make sure you don’t miss anything.
But the game is the sum of its parts, and the small irritations are completely forgivable. This is a big, chunky game that is retro RPG fans should absolutely adore. And, if you don’t care for playing it on PC or Mac… there is an iPad version coming in June, Spiderweb Software promise, and that will be awesome.
Basically, you’ll be able to tell if you will like this game from the screenshots. If you remember playing and enjoying these games as a youngster, then this score below is for you. Otherwise… well, you probably didn’t read far enough to get to this conclusion anyway.
"There’s all the usual inventory micro management that you’ll need to perform – you’ll need space in the backpack for light sources, for instance, as well as positions and the like, and just like the RPGs of yesteryear, you won’t have quite enough inventory slots for all the stuff you’ll want to carry."
It's not micromanagement, it's normal management. It would be micromanagament if you'd command a company of troops and manage their individual inventories as it would be below your level of command.
"It’s nerdy, yes, but the game is so lovingly built, it’s difficult not to get drawn into the world nevertheless."
What's the deal with with Americans and calling stuff "nerdy", "geeky" and with other disgusting sound names. It's like some kind of racism.
You Americans can't hang blacks any more so, you have to go after people basing on their gaming tastes, yes?
"There’s all the usual inventory micro management that you’ll need to perform – you’ll need space in the backpack for light sources, for instance, as well as positions and the like, and just like the RPGs of yesteryear, you won’t have quite enough inventory slots for all the stuff you’ll want to carry."
It's not micromanagement, it's normal management. It would be micromanagament if you'd command a company of troops and manage their individual inventories as it would be below your level of command.
"It’s nerdy, yes, but the game is so lovingly built, it’s difficult not to get drawn into the world nevertheless."
What's the deal with with Americans and calling stuff "nerdy", "geeky" and with other disgusting sound names. It's like some kind of racism.
You Americans can't hang blacks any more so, you have to go after people basing on their gaming tastes, yes?
Hi Anonymous,
thank you for your feedback. To clarify a couple of points, however:
1) Micromanagement can apply to small teams in the business world, which is where the term comes from. When applied to games, it is used to describe a situation where you need to take very close management control of the development of character or characters.
It's also a useful colloquial descriptor for a style of gameplay that some enjoy, others don't.
2) I'm not American, for a start, but again 'nerdy' is used to explain a type of game that some people enjoy, but casual gamers will typically not. RPGs are nerdy – I don't mean any negative connotations in that, nor is it a criticism of the genre or the people that play the games (I'm a D & D tragic), but that's what it is in the most entertaining sense of the word.
I apologise if you took offense to the throwaway comment.
Hi Anonymous,
thank you for your feedback. To clarify a couple of points, however:
1) Micromanagement can apply to small teams in the business world, which is where the term comes from. When applied to games, it is used to describe a situation where you need to take very close management control of the development of character or characters.
It's also a useful colloquial descriptor for a style of gameplay that some enjoy, others don't.
2) I'm not American, for a start, but again 'nerdy' is used to explain a type of game that some people enjoy, but casual gamers will typically not. RPGs are nerdy – I don't mean any negative connotations in that, nor is it a criticism of the genre or the people that play the games (I'm a D & D tragic), but that's what it is in the most entertaining sense of the word.
I apologise if you took offense to the throwaway comment.
Hehe
Hehe
Oh, I apologize, I thought you're an American. I encounter all sorts of prejudices towards cRPG gamers from Americans, including accusing them of being "autists", having "aspergers syndrome" or being "fat anti-social basement dwelling nerds" just because of the form of entertainment they like. Even in form of some sort of weird self-loathing from American nerds on cRPG forums.
Micromanagement generally has a negative connotation, though – someone exercising excessive control over details below their level of command.
In case of a game where one plays individual character or a party of player-controlled characters, inventory management (especially the inventory management of the protagonist) isn't excessive and isn't below the players level of command.
In gaming, a game like Gary Grigsby's War in the East could be accused of micromanagement because the player often commands entire army groups but still has to give orders to individual brigades which results in having to give insane amounts of orders.
I have never heard that term used outside "strategy" gaming (like in micro and macro in RTS and "micromanagement hell" wargames where the player has to give orders to units way below his command level) – probably mostly because it would be like "backpack micromanagement" when going to school or "micromanaging food" when eating a dinner.
It spilling out into the RPG world (where managing character's inventory is a normal and almost unnoticeable part of gameplay and character creation/development and its influence on game is the base of the genre) is a sign of significant decline.
Well, regardless of intentions the idea of a "nerd" has its roots in American anti-intellectualism and American pathological school culture and is a negative stereotype just like for example a "jock".
It implies social and physical awkwardness, uncoolness, unattractiveness, etc.
I don't think gaming and gamers should be associated with the (typically American) nerd subculture it as there are many non-nerd non-casual gamers.
Most of cRPG gamers that I know have active social life, do sports, go to parties, etc. so I don't think these games deserve to bear the stigma of being "nerdy".
I'm concerned mostly about how labels may impact gaming in general – for example I know many people with different personalities and from diverse backgrounds that play cRPGs just because they have picked up a demo from a magazine coverdisk.
I'm not sure if they would start playing these games in environment where playing them would make them "nerds" and if something as innocuous as picking up and equipping and un-equipping items would be labelled as "micromanagement".
Oh, I apologize, I thought you're an American. I encounter all sorts of prejudices towards cRPG gamers from Americans, including accusing them of being "autists", having "aspergers syndrome" or being "fat anti-social basement dwelling nerds" just because of the form of entertainment they like. Even in form of some sort of weird self-loathing from American nerds on cRPG forums.
Micromanagement generally has a negative connotation, though – someone exercising excessive control over details below their level of command.
In case of a game where one plays individual character or a party of player-controlled characters, inventory management (especially the inventory management of the protagonist) isn't excessive and isn't below the players level of command.
In gaming, a game like Gary Grigsby's War in the East could be accused of micromanagement because the player often commands entire army groups but still has to give orders to individual brigades which results in having to give insane amounts of orders.
I have never heard that term used outside "strategy" gaming (like in micro and macro in RTS and "micromanagement hell" wargames where the player has to give orders to units way below his command level) – probably mostly because it would be like "backpack micromanagement" when going to school or "micromanaging food" when eating a dinner.
It spilling out into the RPG world (where managing character's inventory is a normal and almost unnoticeable part of gameplay and character creation/development and its influence on game is the base of the genre) is a sign of significant decline.
Well, regardless of intentions the idea of a "nerd" has its roots in American anti-intellectualism and American pathological school culture and is a negative stereotype just like for example a "jock".
It implies social and physical awkwardness, uncoolness, unattractiveness, etc.
I don't think gaming and gamers should be associated with the (typically American) nerd subculture it as there are many non-nerd non-casual gamers.
Most of cRPG gamers that I know have active social life, do sports, go to parties, etc. so I don't think these games deserve to bear the stigma of being "nerdy".
I'm concerned mostly about how labels may impact gaming in general – for example I know many people with different personalities and from diverse backgrounds that play cRPGs just because they have picked up a demo from a magazine coverdisk.
I'm not sure if they would start playing these games in environment where playing them would make them "nerds" and if something as innocuous as picking up and equipping and un-equipping items would be labelled as "micromanagement".
"You Americans can't hang blacks any more so, you have to go after people basing on their gaming tastes, yes? "
Who says we can't hang them anymore? Just not on the lamp posts anymore. ;x
Come on, stop analysing every word and just play the game 😉
"You Americans can't hang blacks any more so, you have to go after people basing on their gaming tastes, yes? "
Who says we can't hang them anymore? Just not on the lamp posts anymore. ;x
Come on, stop analysing every word and just play the game 😉
Ok, no need for the potentially offensive talk, folks.
Keep it clean, thanks 🙂
Ok, no need for the potentially offensive talk, folks.
Keep it clean, thanks 🙂
lol @ over analyzing comments. Play the game! I bought it recently and have lost several hours to it already 🙂
lol @ over analyzing comments. Play the game! I bought it recently and have lost several hours to it already 🙂