Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals
 

This game looks good. It has a very Blade Runner feel to it.

You got any links to further details? I'm always looking for new adventures.

The game is based on a series of graphic novels by Enki Bilal.

Here is AG's game info page. (scroll down to see the news item about the N. American publishing deal)

We also had a three-part article on a visit to the White Bird studios and in one of those, we talked a bit about Nikopol.

Part One
Part Two (I think it's talked about here)
Part Three

There isn't an official website that I know of yet.

Well, the screenshots are nice, but we've heard so little else about it that I can't really form an opinion at the moment.

This game looks awesome and has gone gold.



I found this link and quote courtesy of gameboomers.

http://www.nikopolgame.com./


September 20th then.:)

"The dramatic stories and art of famed graphic novelist Enki Bilal will spring to interactive life on September 20, 2008 as Got Game Entertainment confirms Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals (PC) has gone gold. Developed by White Birds Productions, the studio founded by adventure game legend Benoît Sokal, Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals is a gripping adventure set in a futuristic Paris, now a maze of mysteries, secrets, and clues that must be explored. As Nikopol, you learn your missing father may be alive, a possible pawn in a looming political battle of revenge and death between a power hungry dictator and the Immortals. In a suspenseful adventure to find your father and thwart a dangerous conspiracy, you become entangled in political intrigue and find yourself caught between two worlds, one of anarchy and one of Immortality."

After I saw the trailer, this game raised in personal Hype-o-Meter to one of the highest positions, and I can't wait to try it.

I agree with Boneho: it has indeed something very Blade Runner-y about it, with its grim lights and the overcoming rain. From the teaser, the art design seems amazing: I haven't read Enki Bilal's graphic novel, but I'm thinking on seeing Immortal ad vitam, which - as far as I can understand - cover the same story.

Anyone has read the novel/seen the movie? From the press release, the story of Nikopol seems a bit vague ;)

I'm really looking forward to this game, though I'm still not sure how a story that revolves so much around characters having little control over their fate can be turned into a game where you're supposed to act as one of those characters (though the character you get to play in the game, Nikopol's son, is clearly the one who most forges his own destiny – at least in the first part, I can't even begin to imagine how the following two will play out). I'm definitely curious about how it'll work out.

The movie is loosely based on the first two graphic novels.

I wouldn't have wanted to be in the shoes of whoever had to write that press release. The story has lots of elements that work together well can't but be summed up easily; and this is made worse by the fact that it's hard to say what the story is exactly about, as there are many themes interwoven. I'm afraid I can't do better now than I did a year ago:
But anyway, the story is great (though those who reproached Syberia with lacking closure or catharsis are in for an even bigger disappointment), though, once again, I'm still very unsure how it can be turned into a game.

Now I'm even more intrigued :D

If I can, I totally have to find a copy of the graphic novel! ;)

http://www.nikopolgame.com/

Demo now available.

I'm certainly looking forward to it. Just, please, no filler puzzles. I'm interested because it's somehow slightly reminescent of Post Mortem and Still Life.

So, has anyone played the demo? Any feedback?

I like the demo. It is very short but fun to play. There are autosaves in the part where it is easy to fail so the it is not a problem that it is not possible to save manually. It has got this old feel to it so it is very similar to post mortem even though it is in the future. All those rooftops look very much a like. I think that post mortem also happened in Paris. I don´t see a european release for the game. I hope there will be one because I don´t like those big cardboard boxes american versions have.

The visual appeal of the game is extremely strong and the protagonist has a really charming voice. Graphics and sound top-notch, very grim and captivating atmosphere...

... what a pity that I can't get past the first five minutes of the demo. Maybe I'm only stupid :frown:, but the whole paint-your-daddy puzzle beat me, I can't solve it :frusty:

The graphics are artistic and great, but the puzzles are god awful. :( And I did beat the demo eventually. I already have enough of the game after finishing it.

I got through the painting just by trying different stuff and all of a sudden it was done. Then I noticed when I played the demo again that the face gets darker type of gray as you go farther from the nose area.

It's indeed true.

I just beat the damn puzzle, but I also have to say that - at least by my eyes - there isn't so much difference between the actual version required and the other I tried.

Let's say that I nonetheless find this puzzle totally futile.

Spoiler:

Why does Nikopol rant about something on which to project the film if he then simply turn the camera to the canvas?

OK. I finished the demo, and now my opinion can go a little further.

The setting of Nikopol is fascinating: the visual and sound departments did a great work in creating a dirt, grim, almost dunk environment, and the amazing art design give to the locations the proper mood. The cutscenes, animated in a comic-book style, are involving and creative, a nice diversion from one usually see. The voice work from the main character is really good, sometimes even impressive, as is every other sound, from the metallic radio voices to the rumors of water heard in the bathroom.

The puzzles however are actually quite poor, in my opinion: as I said the whole portrait puzzle is futile and a little contrived, and the wall-hammer one is ever worse - why on earth should I use only five knocks to to pull it down? This is an example of poorly integrated puzzles, of puzzles that has to be there just for the sake of it, without any real motivation.

Anyway, this game can be promising so I guess that the final judgment will be better reserved for the final release. As for the demo, considering the pros and cons, just above the mediocrity.

The menu screen is really slow when I move the mouse but the game itself is fine. My video card is more than enough to run the game so I was surprised that the menu behaved like that. Anyone else having that problem? I like the way the menu looked and I just kept watching the screen for half a minute when I started the game because I didn´t realise this was the menu. I thought it was a cutscene and was waiting for it to start.

I thought the same thing about the menu screen. I was wondering if it will start playing, or should I move my mouse.
It sure is a pretty menu screen, though.

To change how slow the mouse is, you can change the mouse sensitivity in options.

Anyway, I'm stuck in getting something to project on:

Spoiler:

I can't seem to move the projector on to the canvas.
But why should I do that anyway if I have at least two (mostly) white sheets that I could've projected on.

The menu screen just felt like that was lag more than it was about mouse sensitivity. Have you tried moving the the projector by touching it on the pole that holds it up?