Among failed domestic projects, games with a high, but unrealized potential are often found. The reasons for this are usually banal: somewhere there was not enough money, somewhere-experience. But what, in what, but in fantasies to our developers you can’t refuse. Do not take away attention to the details, and not succumbing to the intelligible definition of “sincerity”, and the desire to untie the player’s hand wherever possible.
There is no need to go far for examples – it is enough to launch any of the games that we wrote about in the first part. And today we continue to recall the most successful games of Russian developers. Before you is the second – but not the last! – Part of our cycle.
Allods
In 1998, the now famous studio Nival completed work on one of her iconic creations. " Allods: Printing Secrets "Turned out to be a bizarre mixture of role -playing game and strategies in real time – moreover, so successful that the project gained frenzied popularity in our country, managed to pay off, despite the revelry of piracy, and attracted the attention of Western players and journalists. It is possible that it is " Allods "Returned the Russian Games Walking to Success.
► initially " Printing secrets "Was supposed to become an online role -playing game, but Nival had to delay this idea before the release of" Allods Online ".
The game had enough advantages: an exciting story, and a spacious, deeply designed world, and that now the horse of good Russian games, focused on tactics, verified gameplay. The local development system does not allow to become a superman, training on rats, here each skirmish forces to turn on the brain and competently use the skills of heroes and “cannon fodder” in the face of expensive mercenaries. For a full -fledged role -playing game " Printing secrets »One -sided, and for RTS it is rustic, but it is in the alloy of two genres that its mechanics works wonderful, so the gameplay carries away to this day.
" Allods "Soon they overgrown with continuation, the most successful of which were" Damned lands ". The Royal Lama Casino game was solemnly translated into three dimensions (it turned out damn beautifully), and the mechanics were redone almost from scratch: RTS/RPG turned into … role stealth, without giving up tactical advantages and plot delights. " Damned lands ", Perhaps, still remain the top of the development of the series.
King’s Bounty. The legend of the knight
In 1990, the ** New World Computing ** Studio made MS-DOS users with a game King’s Bounty. The novelty, combining the hero’s travels on a global map with tactical step -by -step battles of his troops, made a splash, was transferred to each calculator and literally formed a new genre, which will subsequently give us cult Heroes of Might and Magic And Disciples. Technically, the game did not shine, but it did not worry anyone – King’s Bounty fell in love immediately and forever. And she gained special glory in our area, which the proof is a wonderful remake released in 2008 by the Russian studio Katauri Interactive and turning into an independent series.
► A considerable share of charm and humor is provided by the rage box, which the hero searches along the way. Its inhabitants expand our tactical capabilities in battle.
Being a remake, " King’s Bounty. The legend of the knight »Honestly repeats the original mechanics, making neat amendments and additions. Choose one of three heroes and already at the training mission go to help the princess from the paws of the dragon.
Traveling is not in splendid isolation, but with a whole army, which can be bought in a castle or replenished along the road. The hero himself moves in real time, the battles are conducted in step -by -step mode. The number and quality of troops depend on both the person’s personal qualities and on the amount in your pocket, which motivates to explore the world, develop and look for treasures. The soldiers are wayward and picky, we won’t pay them a salary – they will desert, and if we disregard their personal addictions (swinged paladins with all kinds of undead in one field of muzzles will not beat the enemy!), the initiative of the fighters will crash catastrophically.
Updated King’s Bounty She became an ideal remake, which fans are always waiting, but, alas, rarely receive: she increased the dignity of the original by moderate innovations and fantastic work of designers. IN " The legend of the knight »Harmoniously everything: colorful picture, romantic music and verified fighter. And invariable jokes and funny conflicts discharge the atmosphere: instead of heroic pathos, there is good -natured irony, parody of stamps and other charms of postmodernism. Do not play this masterpiece – means to lose a lot!
Heroes of Might and Magic 5
** Heroes of Might & Magic – ** Perhaps one of the most high -profile names in the game industry. Born as a branch from a role series Might & Magic, This series of step -by -step strategies grew into a completely self -sufficient phenomenon, and her glory overshadowed the glory of the “parent” – and all possible competitors at the same time.
In the boundless Vosi, the series ascended the perfect five minutes Heroes of Might and Magic 3, Therefore, when in the fourth part the developers seriously changed the mechanics, many fans tore and threw. And then "ours" came to the rescue.
► Askhan can scare away with its deliberate caramel fairy tale, but the atmosphere of the game smoothes out.
The development of the fifth part was entrusted to the Russian studio Nival Interactive, and she chose the right path. If the fourth part has become a kind of revolution, then Nival arranged for the "heroes" restoration: they returned to the foundation of everyone beloved Homm 3 , Taking into account the experience of the fourth part, well, they added a little from themselves.
The main innovations in the fifth "heroes" were a complete transition to three dimensions and a rethought world. Yes, Askhan is the most ordinary fantasy, elaborate and colorful. But as a fifth part, exactly what fans wanted: the good old third “heroes” in a new way, with improved and supplemented mechanics, an excellent plot that lures a fabulous atmosphere and a pretty picture.
The fifth did not overshadow Homm 3 , But she did the main thing: it would have been revived, it would seem, a swollen series. And after all the released patches and additions, probably, one of the most balanced games in the series became. It is a pity that now the "heroes" are again desperately in need of "revival".
Sublustrum
Quest Sublustrum From the St. Petersburg studio Phantomery Interactive became evidence that ** Ice-Pick Lodge-** is not an exception to the rules, and Russian developers of the game as works of art are given much better than just entertainment games.
Sublustrum – This is a classic adventure in the best traditions Myst, But its beauty is not in innovations and original gameplay finds – they are, but they do not make the weather. It makes a sound. And color. And how the game treats our fragile perception. The fascinating images of the subconscious, measuringly swimming on the waves of the melancholy Dark Ambient, is what it is Sublustrum.
► Music in Sublustrum plays key – if not the most important – role. And she is damn good.
Yes, here we are waiting for ordinary classes in the spirit Myst. Logical, at times complex puzzles, pedantic overkill of objects, reading many and many notes, studying locations. But what are these locations! Copper steampunk, projection of black and white film, sipia of faded photos, spatial paradoxes ..
Sublustrum With the same success could become an interactive audiovisual installation – but did not. He tells a surrealist detective story with psychological background and his own logic of increditedness. Traveling along the foggy nooks of the subconscious will not lead you to a single conclusion about what is happening, but will give several equally meaningful options at once – and the full right to choose the most appropriate for you.
Sublustrum Not one of those games that will please everyone and everyone. This is a real arthouse from the industry, contemplative and thoughtful. It does not exchange for tips-and therefore still gives a challenge. But this challenge on an equal footing will accept and a fan Myst , And just a connoisseur of the aesthetics of the decadence. The rest before starting will not interfere with a little lyrical or even existential longing.
Blitzkrieg
The very first " Blitzkrieg "Was not just a gift, but a real masterpiece. “Nyval” showed how much they honor the Russian history: so much that they probably made the best strategy about the Second World War at that time, having beaten Sudden Strike on her own field. And securing the result with an exemplary continuation.
► in both " Blitzkriegs »Three campaigns: for the USSR, allies and Germany. Each mission in each campaign is strictly follows historical truth, and no “inglorious bastards” to you.
" Blitzkrieg »Attracts with its chamber, but jewelry look at the war. Unlike most strategies of his time, he rejected the classic construction of the base – only troops and tactics. As a rule, there are a few troops, so do not wait for the battles of the scale of the Kursk battle, but you can clean up the warehouse or to seize the town – this can be.
In the same place where enemies surpass you with a number, you will have to balance this superiority with the mind. Fortunately for the mind there is a real feast: you need to analyze the terrain, use a three -dimensional landscape, competently combine different kinds of troops, turn multi -way combinations and in parallel to learn history – with informativeness of " Blitzkrieg »Everything is in order. From the local leadership you can learn a lot – say, about the vulnerable places of armored vehicles.
Second " Blitzkrieg "I got rid of most of the shortcomings of the original, it has become more realistic, more detailed and noticeably complicated – if only because the trump ace of artillery is a luxury here, which is better not to count on it.
Now the developers are preparing a triumphal return of the series – the third part with a brand new asynchronous multipleor. Well, we wait and hope for the same chamber, harsh and realistic game, in which there are no less nuances than the orders on the chest of the veteran.
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As experience shows, domestic developers do not develop relations with spectacular adrenaline action. But they have a love of thoughtful, deep gameplay, in the heart of which the maximum tactical freedom, attention to the little things and taking into account all possible nuances lie. And the best Russian projects are not ashamed to launch even fifteen years after the release.
Our list is far from allocated, the sequel should be!
