Posted by Derek Yu
Sat, 29 Sep 2007 06:47:00 GMT
Sci-fi roguelikes are a nice change of pace from the usual fantasy games, and Xenocide is a pretty good one. The first thing you’ll notice is how developed the UI is. Exploring has never been easier, thanks to intuitive menus and various shortcuts. I especially like the “Explore” command, which automatically hunts out new passageways, until something interesting pops up. The tutorial mode is much appreciated, as well!
The game is in no way easy, though, and even the weaker enemies pose a serious threat to your health and happiness. Weapons and ammo, I’ve noticed, are pretty scarce, too, at least in the earlier levels. Actually, it would have been nice to see more useful items appear in general.
There are four classes you can start with: Combat, Medical, Scientist, and Mechanic. The Mechanic is my personal favorite, as it lets you build robots to help you in battle, by combining robot CPUs and other items. You could probably build an entire game around this idea alone.
Xenocide is a solid Roguelike that could definitely benefit from some more development, but it’s already a pretty slick package overall. I was pleasantly surprised by how much the sound and music added to the atmosphere.
If you’re interested, check out a more thorough review at the Rogue Temple.
Posted in Roguelikes, Windows, Freeware | 14 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Fri, 21 Sep 2007 15:34:00 GMT
Kornel Kisielewicz, creator of DoomRL and other popular Roguelikes, has made his DiabloRL open-source, saying:
As I don’t have as much time to develop DiabloRL as I would like, I decided to release it’s source code under the
GPL licence. Also I created a project for DiabloRL
on SourceForge, where a
SVN repository is set up for DiabloRL.
As an added bonus, I add the most recent version (basically the one that has been on the DiabloRL beta tests forum) for download, and its source code too.
(Source: Rogue Temple)
Posted in Roguelikes, Developers | Tags KornelKisielewicz | 6 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Mon, 20 Aug 2007 06:25:00 GMT
Slash, who runs the wonderful Temple of the Roguelike, wrote to inform me that version 1.26 of his CastlevaniaRL is finished! The game has been out a while, but a crashing bug with the graphical version kept me from posting about it. Now that is totally fixed and the game is very much playable in both ASCII or tiles!
CastlevaniaRL remains very true to the series it’s based off, and it’s both a blessing and a curse (pun?), since it kind of compromises both Castlevania games and Roguelike games, in my opinion. At its best, CastlevaniaRL can be a fun and fast-paced RL, filled with awesome shout-outs to the original games, and at it’s worst, it mixes the linearity of action games with the complexity of Roguelikes.
A good example of this problem, I think, is Stage 2, when you are forced to cross a very long, narrow, Castlevania-esque bridge, guarded by mermen and skeletons. Here, the possibilities for exploration and tactical strategy that make RL’s so interesting are diminished, and yet the controls remain cumbersome. Having to jump over a gap in the bridge (by first pressing “j” and then choosing a direction for my jump) feels like something I’m forced to do simply because Castlevania had me do it, and not because it serves the game’s design.
Still, CastlevaniaRL has many, many great things going for it, including some really interesting class options and a beautiful graphical tileset. The way Slash handled movement between different elevations is awesome, too. And at it’s heart, it’s a fun game that’s simple enough for a beginner to get into, but with enough challenge and variety to interest longer-time players. But in order to reach “classic” status, I think there needs to be more focus on balancing the game to be a Roguelike over being true to Castlevania.
Posted in Roguelikes, Windows, Freeware | Tags Slash | 7 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Wed, 15 Aug 2007 05:58:00 GMT
Transcendence is a space-faring action game that’s, by the author’s account, inspired by two of the (arguably) greatest games of all time, Nethack and Star Control II. Oh boy, do I love those games! Well, while Transcendence doesn’t really match either in terms of depth or sheer enjoyment (but then again, what could), it’s still a gem in its own right.
In the game, you play an anonymous starship captain who must journey to the Galactic Core and unravel some mysteries and stuff. If you’ve played games like Escape Velocity or Flatspace, you know what’s in store… space pirates, galactic federations, mysterious aliens, and laser battles in space. Spend credits to upgrade your ship’s shields and weapons. Earn credits by looting wrecks, escorting freighters, and exploring deep space.
Transcendence is not a terribly deep game, but it’s more than competent all the way around. The clean graphics and simplicity of the interface make it very easy to get into, and the Roguelike-esque randomization and number of options gives it plenty of replayability. Definitely worth checking out.
(EDIT: I should also mention that the game is currently at v0.98 and that the author has a more content planned for future versions.)
Posted in Roguelikes, Windows, Action / Arcade, Freeware
Posted by Derek Yu
Mon, 06 Aug 2007 21:55:00 GMT
Here’s to incomplete, awesome games! Incursion is an extremely detailed Roguelike that is “based on (but not strictly adherant to) the mechanics of the d20 system made available under the Open Game License by Wizards of the Coast.” This seems to be, for all intents and purposes, a good example of what we can expect in next generation of Roguelike games, although, like Dwarf Fortress, it also raises the barrier of entry for newer players.
One feature I really like is the inclusion of detailed descriptions of the areas you’re in. And they’re quite varied. In my first few minutes of playing, I encountered an old armoury, a flooded room, a kobold warren (which was quite scary – I had to crouch to fit inside), a garden, a ritual chamber, and a small fortification. I also got jumped by a dwarf rogue who appeared out of nowhere and had to wrestle him to the ground. Rogue players and fans of stealth will appreciate that currently they are the strongest class by far.
Unfortunately, the game is prone to crashing and there are bugs abound. The creator, Julian Mensch, is going to try to address those problems with a new release in the next few months, but admits on the Something Awful forums that after that, it’s going to be a long wait before we see any significant changes. We’re talking 2011, here, folks. Yikes!
Read about his plans in more details after the jump:
Read more...
Posted in Roguelikes, Windows, Freeware | 21 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:13:00 GMT
Frozen Depths is a relatively new Roguelike that’s geared toward newbies, boasting a small command list and straightforward, combat-oriented gameplay. The premise of the game is that you’re sent deep underground to find out why the world is freezing over. On the way, you’ll fight everything from goblins to caribou to… snow-covered hedgehogs?!
The frozen theme is carried through quite nicely. One interesting aspect of the game is that you have to keep from freezing to death by wearing warm clothes, eating hot food, or standing by intermittent campfires. The deeper you go, the colder it gets. It’s a nice innovation that adds a bit more color to this otherwise basic (but fun) dungeon crawler.
(Source: Temple of the Roguelike)
Posted in Roguelikes, Windows, Freeware | 14 comments
Posted by Tim
Sun, 22 Jul 2007 19:27:00 GMT
What’s up with JTR and creepy crawlies? First you play as one, then you’re in a dungeon full of them.
Anyway, here’s a new game by the author of Death Worm – a polar opposite of the monstrosity known as Dwarf Fortress. The Crypts of Despair plays a bit like Sword of Fargoal as well, so anyone who enjoys these sort of games will feel right at home here. Run into monsters to attack them, collect stuff using the X key etc.
I mean, you guys aren’t still playing DF are you? Gawd…
Get the game here.
Posted in Roguelikes, Windows, Freeware | 6 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:20:00 GMT
dessgeega describes Drain Storm as an “FPS for Roguelikes,” since it retains the turn-based movement, randomly-generated dungeons, and low-level tactics, but drops the complex controls and memorization. What you get is a really fast-paced strategy game that is easy to pick up and play.
The game is quite difficult, and on any setting higher than “Beginner” you’ll find yourself swarmed by enemies at every turn. Even with a dazzling array of weaponry, it’s hard to make it to the Sewer City and below (where the real fun starts). But because games move so quickly and every time feels so different, it’s rarely frustrating.
This one is great fun! And best of all, it comes as a 1.2Mb executable (no installer or zip files).
(Source: The Gamer’s Quarter Forums)
Posted in Highly Recommended, Roguelikes, Windows, Freeware | 18 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Mon, 09 Jul 2007 12:13:00 GMT
One thing I love about games are the stories within the stories – the ones that are not created by the developers, but by the players and their experiences. Dwarf Fortress is a game that is more or less built around this idea. Zach Adams spins fantastical yarns that his brother Tarn then makes possible within the game’s engine. Excitement, tension, and high drama arise naturally from the player’s choices and their interactions with the game’s ruleset.
Actually, while reading this “Let’s Play” succession game of Dwarf Fortress, even the more mundane events that occurred were interesting to me, because of how they were framed. Like this journal entry, for example:
12th Hematite, 1052: Today one of our apprentice carpenters fell asleep on the bridge and was swept away by a flood, never to be seen again. On the same day, the metalsmith gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Doren Clearingsilvers. Also, mandrills stole several objects we had lying around outside, but nothing important. Just a few bits of clothing and an iron helmet.
Diablo took the Roguelike genre and dumbed it down and gussied it up. It’s a fun game, but there aren’t many compelling stories in there that Blizzard didn’t come up with first.
(Source: GameSetWatch)
Posted in Roguelikes, Community, Developers | Tags TarnAdams | 12 comments
Posted by Derek Yu
Fri, 29 Jun 2007 18:37:00 GMT
This month’s issue of Games for Windows has an awesome 3 page article dedicated solely to Dwarf Fortress. YES! I love the layout, too.
Zach, for his part, isn’t all that interested in how it works. “If I didn’t have a brother who could program… I would have taken it upon myself to fill his shoes,” he explains. “But as I do have that brother, I am blessed with the opportunity to make my computer-game dreams a reality.”
Very interesting to read about the dynamic between Tarn and Zach Adams and how they work together to create the Roguelike monster that is Dwarf Fortress.
Scans: Pages 1, Page 2, Page 3
(Special thanks to the DMac for the scans!)
Posted in Roguelikes, Community, Windows, Developers | Tags TarnAdams | 14 comments
