And so, the curtain comes down on another year.
So....2017....How about that eh?
2017 was, for me, mostly me rediscovering Elder Scrolls Online. A game that i originally approached with reluctance is a game that I have played near exclusively in 2017. The funny thing is that the thing that turned me around was a skill re-spec for my first/main character. Since then I've made a few more characters. All of which, I have approached with a particular plan in mind. Funny thing that: I approach with a plan, and subsequently a better grasp of what I'm doing and suddenly the game becomes a lot more enjoyable. Still, it's no different from me of nearly two decades ago building a plan to work in Civ 2 and Heroes 2.
Other highlights was seeing the Conquest series appear on GoG; beating Nights into Dreams, Conquests of the Longbow and KOTOR 2 - all of which have been a long time coming; Going to PAX and Trying out Alien Swarm.
But you know what? If we go be feel alone, 2017 seems like something of a slump. Nothing came out this year that really grabbed my attention. Maybe it's me living in a backwards flowing bubble, maybe it's me having played games for so many years that it becomes harder for something to stand out of the pack, but somehow one gets the impression that gaming has reached it's zenith: There are no more frontiers to conquer, no one beyond the Steam indie crowd is prepared to make any risks and everything seems to be recycled. Funny thing how a industry that has moved at a lightning fast pace has now hit a point that resembles stagnation.
I've heard whispers that we may be due in for a second Gaming Crash but maybe we could do with one, just to shake things up a bit....
Still we can only hope that 2018 is better....
Anywho, thank you for reading this blog and i hope to speak to you again next year.
Showing posts with label Conquest series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Conquest series. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Friday, August 11, 2017
Conquered
For the first time in a long time, another game has been struck down from my Hall of Shame. Goodbye Conquests of the Longbow: the Legend of Robin Hood!
It has certainly been a long time since I knocked one off from my Hall of Shame. Why, here we are, eight months into 2017 and here's the first one!
But no matter: This is one of the lesser known titles from Sierra's stable of adventure games. So it being a Sierra game, one kind of expects to see a mixture of good and bad. I certainly got the good - the gorgeous settings - and the bad - arcade sections that were crow-barred in - in equal amounts.
However the real strength of this game is in the writing - yes the writing is the lifeblood of adventure games but I understand what this game was trying to do: It was taking a legendary character and mythos and placing it within a realistic setting: The characters talk and act like people of the era and the plot of King Richard the Lionheart being held hostage by Leopold of Austria is historical fact. Indeed, this game is well-researched and it shows - and is all the better for it. True Robin Hood may be a combination of legend and historical figures but it see the legend with such historical accuracy behind it is a welcome change to say the least. Why, the manual lists a bibliography and clearly states what the makers of it were aiming for.
I also like how this game offers something new with a oft-used mythos. Sure we have the usual tropes - Robin's usage of disguises, helping out the poor and the scenario of showing up the Sheriff in an archery tournament - but it does it's own spin: Marion doubles as a Druid priestess, Friar Tuck goes against tradition of being a jolly figure and fond of rich living, and there is certainly an emphasis on druidism that, as far as I know, has been barely touched on in the Robin Hood mythos.
So in terms of providing a unique and historical accurate spin on Robin Hood this game is indeed a success.
Sadly this was the second and last game for the Conquest series. Which is a shame because series creator, Christy Marx, recently revealed she planned to do a third game but it was to be based on Charlemagne - a real person as opposed to Robin Hood or King Arthur (the basis for the first Conquest game). And seeing I enjoyed this game, I am only left with what could've been.....
Original image located here. Accessed 11th August 2017
It has certainly been a long time since I knocked one off from my Hall of Shame. Why, here we are, eight months into 2017 and here's the first one!
But no matter: This is one of the lesser known titles from Sierra's stable of adventure games. So it being a Sierra game, one kind of expects to see a mixture of good and bad. I certainly got the good - the gorgeous settings - and the bad - arcade sections that were crow-barred in - in equal amounts.
However the real strength of this game is in the writing - yes the writing is the lifeblood of adventure games but I understand what this game was trying to do: It was taking a legendary character and mythos and placing it within a realistic setting: The characters talk and act like people of the era and the plot of King Richard the Lionheart being held hostage by Leopold of Austria is historical fact. Indeed, this game is well-researched and it shows - and is all the better for it. True Robin Hood may be a combination of legend and historical figures but it see the legend with such historical accuracy behind it is a welcome change to say the least. Why, the manual lists a bibliography and clearly states what the makers of it were aiming for.
I also like how this game offers something new with a oft-used mythos. Sure we have the usual tropes - Robin's usage of disguises, helping out the poor and the scenario of showing up the Sheriff in an archery tournament - but it does it's own spin: Marion doubles as a Druid priestess, Friar Tuck goes against tradition of being a jolly figure and fond of rich living, and there is certainly an emphasis on druidism that, as far as I know, has been barely touched on in the Robin Hood mythos.
So in terms of providing a unique and historical accurate spin on Robin Hood this game is indeed a success.
Sadly this was the second and last game for the Conquest series. Which is a shame because series creator, Christy Marx, recently revealed she planned to do a third game but it was to be based on Charlemagne - a real person as opposed to Robin Hood or King Arthur (the basis for the first Conquest game). And seeing I enjoyed this game, I am only left with what could've been.....
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