Posted October 30, 2009
Shadows over Riva is third and arguably the best of the Northlands Trilogy. Like its predecessors, this cRPG is set on the continent of Aventuria (also known as Arkania), this time focusing solely on the mysterious seaport city of Riva. And it is your task to discover the evil lurking inside and save the city.
To do that, you need a group of heroes willing to fight the cause. You start by creating a troupe of six unique and detailed characters. Bringing them to life is an intricate and fun experience by itself. The Dark Eye system this game is based on allows you to customize your characters in a way no other game at the time did. You think your party needs a jester? No problem, The Dark Eye has it covered.
You will spend plenty of time customizing your party, having fun in the process. Mechanics employed take what was fun in RPG in the late nineties and grow it without turning it into a chore. This assortment of characters combined with the varying attitudes of the people populating the world, will make you come back to play this game again.
Especially since the gameplay stands on its own merit. Exploration in 3D combined with the conversation screens featuring highly detailed non-player characters may seem slightly dated today - as you get tossed between different experiences - back in the nineties however left nothing to complain about.
Beautiful portraits of the townsfolk let you get immersed in the experience and even likenesses of Jane Seymour or Sean Connery simply spice up the experience instead of distracting. Story is being revealed with both pre-rendered 3D cut scenes as well as lush, high resolution stills featuring main plot points.
But what would be and RPG without combat? Shadows over Riva transports your party into a grid based, isometric view, there tactics play role equal to the abilities and equipment of your heroes. For those of you who’d rather soak in the story disregarding the combat portions, there is an automated combat feature to release you of your battle duties.
Deep characters, interesting story and intricate mechanics are accompanied by the quality soundtrack. Slightly repetitive at times but worth mentioning nevertheless, and by no means distracting from the overall fun and exciting experience.
If you’re a fan of European-style cRPGs, if you want to experience captivating adventure in a fantasy setting, this game is for you. It’s worth every minute of your time, just like its prequels. And if you’ve tried both prequels and want more, there’s always a pen-and-paper RPG this game is based on. Realms of Arkania : Shadows over Riva is strongly recommended to all RPG fans out there.
To do that, you need a group of heroes willing to fight the cause. You start by creating a troupe of six unique and detailed characters. Bringing them to life is an intricate and fun experience by itself. The Dark Eye system this game is based on allows you to customize your characters in a way no other game at the time did. You think your party needs a jester? No problem, The Dark Eye has it covered.
You will spend plenty of time customizing your party, having fun in the process. Mechanics employed take what was fun in RPG in the late nineties and grow it without turning it into a chore. This assortment of characters combined with the varying attitudes of the people populating the world, will make you come back to play this game again.
Especially since the gameplay stands on its own merit. Exploration in 3D combined with the conversation screens featuring highly detailed non-player characters may seem slightly dated today - as you get tossed between different experiences - back in the nineties however left nothing to complain about.
Beautiful portraits of the townsfolk let you get immersed in the experience and even likenesses of Jane Seymour or Sean Connery simply spice up the experience instead of distracting. Story is being revealed with both pre-rendered 3D cut scenes as well as lush, high resolution stills featuring main plot points.
But what would be and RPG without combat? Shadows over Riva transports your party into a grid based, isometric view, there tactics play role equal to the abilities and equipment of your heroes. For those of you who’d rather soak in the story disregarding the combat portions, there is an automated combat feature to release you of your battle duties.
Deep characters, interesting story and intricate mechanics are accompanied by the quality soundtrack. Slightly repetitive at times but worth mentioning nevertheless, and by no means distracting from the overall fun and exciting experience.
If you’re a fan of European-style cRPGs, if you want to experience captivating adventure in a fantasy setting, this game is for you. It’s worth every minute of your time, just like its prequels. And if you’ve tried both prequels and want more, there’s always a pen-and-paper RPG this game is based on. Realms of Arkania : Shadows over Riva is strongly recommended to all RPG fans out there.