Publisher, Dangen Entertainment, has partnered with Steogosoft Games (Ara Fell) to publish Rise of the Third Power, a “love letter to the glory day of the console-style RPG,” and… yeah. This one’s a brave project.
Just see if you can spot the historical allegory in this game’s description: 1587, 2A—15 years have passed since the guns of the Great War at last fell silent. The conflict rocked the world, leaving half a generation of men and women lying dead on the battlefield. Of the many players that had acted on the world stage, only two remained: the kingdom of Cirinthia and the ancient Republic of Tariq.
In time, Dimitri Noraskov, a hero to the defeated Kingdom of Arkadya, rose from the ashes. He saw his king as a coward for surrendering, and a traitor for submitting to the Treaty of Evenheart. So did the people. They supported Noraskov when he overthrew the king. They supported him as he reclaimed the lands that had been stripped of them. And they supported him as he raised an army. Noraskov had theorized that the nations of the world were still too worn by the Great War to enforce the terms of the Treaty. Thus far, his gambit has proven successful.
The Arkadyan Empire shows no signs of curbing its aggression. It is feared by many that a reprise of the Great War, that at one time could have been prevented, is now all but inevitable. But there are those that believe it can yet be stopped…
Rise of the Third Power is a love letter to the glory days of the console style RPG, with modern conveniences such as auto-save and a combination of the best elements of Japanese and Western style gameplay and writing. Experience this fusion of East and West, old and new, in a game meant to surpass Stegosoft Games’ previous work in every way!
I’m going to assume that the allegory is clear to you too. It’s not even trying to be subtle about it and… yeah, this is a minefield of a subject to canvas. It’s not like you can just ignore any of the socio-cultural themes if you want to address this topic, and it’s a sensitive one. Most developers wouldn’t be able to pull this off… let alone small indie teams that are also struggling with the need to deal with all the complexities of the RPG genre.
Still, here’s hoping they can pull it off, because with the right sensitivities and nuances within the narrative, this could well be fascinating.
Matt S.
Editor-in-Chief
Find me on Twitter: @mattsainsb
