System: Windows 7 PC (XP compatibility)
Year: 2000
Started a new RPG on the PC, Avernum. This game is a little different and interested me on several levels.
First off its an indie RPG that I don’t think ever had a real retail release. now i’ve seen it on compilation CD’s. those $3 jewel case deals you used to see at Walmart or at goodwill, “100 best windows games!” and such crap. I know the company Spiderweb software used to mail you the games on CD when you ordered them from them but as I said I don’t think it ever saw a retail release and the “official” CD’s are hard to come by which brings up an interesting point for me. How do I determine which RPG’s are “worthy” of my cause. Now that may sound elitest and that’s not how I mean it. The goal is certainly already neigh impossible but I cant play ever RPG Tom, Dick and Harry makes at home in C++ and Visual basic. That said I think the Avernum games have achieved a level that although they never saw a retail release they are “official” enough and well regarded enough to qualify for my play through and I suppose those multiple “best of” compilations count for something.
So first off some history. Avernum actually is a remake of a the 1995 game Exile. actually all the games in the 90’s Exile games were remade in the early 2000’s and renamed Avernum and very recently it appears they are being remade again. Now I try to play the “definitive” versions of an RPG and Avernum works for me because it improves a lot on the originals adding more quests and features as well as updated graphics. Now from what I read the newest remake actually dumbs the game down some taking out some “hard core” features and removing some of the more humorous parts like the talking spider colony which I thing adds flair to this game, thus I went with the Avernum series. I also took the unusual route (for me) of just downloading the entire series from GOG for something like $12. now I never EVER go the DD route as a collector I must have a physical copy but as I said earlier I don’t think this game actually saw retail release. I know the original Exile trilogy was available on CD mail order from the company but I have no idea if this was ever the case with the Avernum games so…meh. I actually did contact Spiderweb Software by email about attaining physical copies and their response was “sorry, digital downloads only, we gave in to peer pressure”. 😦
The nice thing about these games is they play natively on XP and windows 7 so I can just play them on my main rig. Also being a Windows 7 game I can take direct screenshots and not have to resort to using the digital camera.
Ive been wanting to play this series for several years now since I stumbled across it on the web. The game got a lot of flake from some people about the very poor graphics for a game coming out in the year 20xx but honestly what do you expect from a team of a few guys probably doing it just for fun. I freely admit some games from the late 1980’s look better then Avernum but for me the look adds to its old school charm. In a way it reminds me a lot of playing Ultima and this games oozes character. The story, atmosphere and game play more then make up for any visual deficiencies but to me the look is part of the charm.
The story without going into high detail really grabbed me. its about a place underground called Avernum. On the surface the world is ruled by an oppressive Empire who have waged a war of genocide on all mythical surface creatures (like a darker version of Shriek) and anyone who speaks out against them or defies them is banished to the underworld of Avernum via a one way magic portal. So your thrown into this alien underworld populated by monsters and thousands of exiles that have managed to make a society underground against all odds and with few resources. As a group of adventuring exiles your quest is mostly to explore this new realm, help its people and eventually find a way back to the surface. Starting this game gripped me with a sense of exploration and adventure that few games really have recently.
Character creation is pretty basic and the game overall feels very Dungeons and Dragons influenced which is fine by me since I am a D&D fan and player. You can only be human and you have your basic classes to pick from and some other interesting ones like Rebel and Shaman. I though felt compelled to stick pretty basic when making my four party members. I made a solider, rouge, cleric and sorcerer. Your dumped off in the Fort Avernum and that’s it. the interface is very basic but pretty easy to learn especially if your used to old school PC games. I liked how the setup was somewhat realistic with how this new society of exiles has built and organized itself and it even has a system for new arrivals when someone greets them and basic supplies are made available. After asking around the fort and getting the lay of the lands I set out for adventure.
outside of Fort Avernum
As you can see the graphics are pretty basic but you shouldn’t let that detour you from a pretty solid game. its like people that refuse to watch a great movie because its “to old” and in black and white. most of the beginning has been spend traveling to the nearby towns and leveling with the monster encounters along the road. also did some minor quests with ridding the locals of bandits. There are lots of nice minor touches and places/secrets you can stumble across while exploring the underworld.
A battle with brigands and some giant lizards
I’m really enjoying the game as like I said before it gives off a real Dungeons and Dragons feel. classes do not seem to be very rigid and really only are there for initial states after that you can mold them however you please. The game isnt to hard though I have encounter a number of battles that I could not win or had to return to. Saving can be done at any time and it seems monster generally do not respawn so if you say come across a bandit fort and need to take it down you can enter, clear out a few rooms. Exit the fort and rest then reenter and repeat which I have mixed feelings about since it feels like it makes things easier. There is a difficulty adjustment with four levels but I never really like those kind of things for an RPG and always go with “normal” as to stay with the baseline of what the creator of the game intended.
After traveling north to a large city I learned that the neighboring cat people nation, known as Nephar, whom are also exiles from the surface have been organizing more daring raids and have stolen the mayors magical necklace of leadership. So being reasonably leveled and equipped after sacking the troublesome brigand fort I ventured into cat people country. I stumbled upon a small fort which with some effort I wiped out and came across a bronze key which lucky for me I needed for the main fort of the Nephar.
My group, storming the Nephar fort like we own the place.
To the north of the small fort was a much larger fort which in my arrogance I ignored all warnings and stormed from the front being decimated by hot oil traps, window archers and a heavily guarded entryway. resting my save I sneakily made my way to the rear of the fort taking out some easy sentries and entered from the obligatory secret entrance. Stealthily I made my way through the fort picking off its inhabitants and looting as I went until finally on the second floor I came across the room with a shaman, undead guards and several cat man warriors whom after defeating I was able to finally recover the necklace in a adjacent room.
As it stands now my exploring has taken me to the west past a notable mining city and into the realm of some strange friendly talking spiders (whom were apparently removed from the latest remake). So I’m off to save there spidery friend that was kidnapped by the neighboring evil intelligent spiders. Oh and the friendly spiders also find your party oddly attractive.
I’m cute huh? strange species attracted to me WWKD? (What Would Kirk Do?)
Random Battles: my life long level grind 