[inm8#2]

This game looks super awesome. It comes out on April 11 and is $12 to preorder from the developers or GOG.

http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/legend_of_grimrock

http://www.grimrock.net/''

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xmSJ1iFx5zA

[Oscar]

It's going to be awesome. It also saddens me that this thread - a *real RPG* - has zero replies while the Mass Effect 3 thread has dozens.

[Crunchy in milk]

Originally Posted by Oscar

It's going to be awesome. It also saddens me that this thread - a *real RPG* - has zero replies while the Mass Effect 3 thread has dozens.

Maybe because this game has an END BOSS!



Its not even out yet, (~5 hours from now). Here's a countdown courtesy of Rodrolliv, on the GOG forums.

I pre-ordered on the developer website, I'd hoped to wait and play it on the iPad but I just couldn't. The reviews are almost unanimously positive and it really does look beautiful. Not to mention the allure of a possible random level generator and 'creation kit' at a later date.

Buying from the developer site seems to net you both a stand alone installer, and a steam key. Hopefully this means I won't have to purchase it again when the Mac Version comes out.

[Lucien21]

Bought the PC version from GOG.

Played about an hour and so far it seems very EYE of the Beholder goodness.

Fantastic for $10. IN fact seems like a hell of a bargain for that price.

[Oscar]

This game is RPG heaven. Who would have thought stumbling round a dungeon in the dark getting killed by monsters would be so much fun?

[thejobloshow]

This looks like the game Stonekeep should have been. Very interested.

[Crunchy in milk]

Well this was an outstanding game. So much was artfully retained from the Dungeon Master formula, and prettied up a treat. Its a clear labour of love by Almost Human Games.

It doesn't just look beautiful, it plays beautifully. I've seen some complaints that its light on story, or lacks the refinement (dumbing down convenience) of 'modern' RPGs and should be marked down for this, but thats bunk.

It stays true to its roots and plays like a dungeon romp that challenges 'you', as much if not more than your characters. Who 'they' are, and why they're there is of cursory importance. Its all about dealing with the traps, secrets, enemies, and managing the wonderfully hands on inventory and spell mechanics.



Picture: You'll always feel a bit reluctant to let something go in case its needed later... be it food, a weapon or information.

The game has artful ground/world items that can be pedantically stacked to your (OCD) heart's content. Those crates, bag, and items where placed there by me and shifted from level to level as a mobile base.

Any team of prisoners can make it to the bottom of the dungeon, so long as they're carefully played. This game is a gem for fans of the dungeon crawler, in particular Dungeon Master. It took me a little over 15 hours to complete it once, and I immediately had to replay it with a different 'team' and hunt down ALL the secrets and treasures.

Its worth noting that some of the more powerful items and secrets require some serious gamer (twitch) reflexes, but they are optional.

[Stonez]

Originally Posted by Lucien21

Bought the PC version from GOG.

Played about an hour and so far it seems very EYE of the Beholder goodness.

Fantastic for $10. IN fact seems like a hell of a bargain for that price.

This. Oh and so good it is to just wallow in nostalgia. It makes me want to pull out my C>64 and play Bard's Tale all over again!

Retro is the new.... retro?

[kuze]

So is it still worth playing for an infant like me who has never played nor is particularly interested in a dungeon crawler, but likes RPGs in general?

[Stonez]

RPG wise it's mega lite, but I earned many a gaming scar on dungeon crawls. This style of game was a real big thing in the late 80's early 90's when I was cutting my chops. Time that should have been spent doing homework, I was searching for glory and loot and hand crafting maps on grid paper.

This game is a real joy and well worth the price of a couple of flagons of ale!

[Crunchy in milk]

Originally Posted by kuze

So is it still worth playing for an infant like me who has never played nor is particularly interested in a dungeon crawler, but likes RPGs in general?

In some respects the gameplay has more in common with Portal or Trine. You might be curious about why the heroes are there and there's a thin on the ground plot to follow but what you're really there for is the puzzles and challenges. And it delivers in this respect.

The only character development is how you spend your skill points. They're like a glorified (but still engaging) health bar. You keep them alive as a means to an end... to go deeper, solve all the puzzles and find all the secrets.

If you enjoy RPGs for intricate plots and detailed NPCs with exposition oozing from their very pores... this is going to disappoint.

[kuze]

Originally Posted by Crunchy in milk

In some respects the gameplay has more in common with Portal or Trine. You might be curious about why the heroes are there and there's a thin on the ground plot to follow but what you're really there for is the puzzles and challenges. And it delivers in this respect.

The only character development is how you spend your skill points. They're like a glorified (but still engaging) health bar. You keep them alive as a means to an end... to go deeper, solve all the puzzles and find all the secrets.

If you enjoy RPGs for intricate plots and detailed NPCs with exposition oozing from their very pores... this is going to disappoint.

Thank you! Doesn't really sound like something I'd enjoy too much though, unless it has a serious loot-just-one-more-dungeon-Ă*-la-diablo-hook.

[Crunchy in milk]

Originally Posted by kuze

...unless it has a serious loot-just-one-more-dungeon-Ă*-la-diablo-hook.

Nope. Most weapon types have 3 or 4 (evolutions), in fixed locations on specific levels. They're the highest form of reward for discovering secrets and exploring dungeon levels completely. All of the mechanics relate to one another as part of the challenge (to the player).

[Crunchy in milk]

Just a heads up for those who did play Dungeon Master, and are looking to make Grimrock as nostalgic an experience as possible; An upcoming patch has been confirmed to allow custom portraits.

There are already fan made tools to do it yourself (also requiring photoshop skills), and for those willing to try now, or those willing to wait for the patch:



The whole Dungeon Master: Hall of Champions, updated for Grimrock use, courtesy of AngryMeteor.

[Oscar]

I don't understand. Are the pixellated portraits included in the patch or the hi-res ones. Or both?

I didn't really like the graphical style of the Grimrock portraits. Didn't suit the game and lacked character.

[Crunchy in milk]

They are unrelated to the patch, and are provided by a fan of the game.

From the website linked above, you can get JPGs of the hand drawn 'updates' (the right column), not the classic 8 bit, pixel art versions extracted from Dungeon Master.

The 1.1.4 patch was released yesterday for Grimrock, which adds the option to import custom portraits. They must be in .TGA format though, at a size of 128 by 128 pixels. So if you grab the above, you will still have to convert them for use with Grimrock. Only works for a new game from the Character Generation screen.

There is a thread in the 'Modding' forum on grimrock.net where the user Gambit37 has already converted the above JPGs to TGA format for use with the recent Grimrock patch.

[inm8#2]

I haven't had much of a chance to play during the last week. I'm on level 4 and have a long way to go. I'm so anal retentive about searching every nook and cranny, finding every secret switch, etc. that it elongates my playing time. Plus, since moving around causes the characters to go hungry I often have to figure out a puzzle then reload because I'm low on food from all the resting I did in previous levels.

[Andromus]

Originally Posted by inm8#2

I haven't had much of a chance to play during the last week. I'm on level 4 and have a long way to go. I'm so anal retentive about searching every nook and cranny, finding every secret switch, etc. that it elongates my playing time. Plus, since moving around causes the characters to go hungry I often have to figure out a puzzle then reload because I'm low on food from all the resting I did in previous levels.

Heh, sounds all too familiar. I'm just about to wrap up level 4 myself. I predict I'll take about twice as long as average to finish this, with all the time I'm spending trying to ferret out every secret.