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| RPGVault Covers GDC - Dan - 8:43:15 AM EST |
RPGVault.IGN.com was good enough to report on the activities of ION Storm and Arkane at the Game Developer's Conference. Hence:
Arx Fatalis. Two Askane [sic] Studios team members made the long trip from France, and I was able to chat briefly with Lead Designer Raphael Colantonio. He reported that the team is busy fixing bugs and polishing, and said the game is on track for release this summer. He also stated that he was generally pleased with reaction to the demo that was released recently, and that he hopes to see some more publicity for the game as it approaches release.
ION Storm. Studio Director Warren Spector was among the busiest individuals at the show with at least half a dozen sessions on his schedule. Among these were some for the International Games Developers Association where he is one of the leaders in the area of educational programs. Harvey Smith and Randy Smith, the Project Directors of Deus Ex 2 and Thief 3, both participated in a couple of sessions as did Doug Church, the studio’s recently appointed Technical Director. I also met Designer Ricardo Bare and Composer Alex Brandon. Little in the way of solid information was forthcoming about either project, but both teams definitely feel they can improve on the preceding ones, which would make both fine games indeed.
Now, please be kind and dash over to the RPG Vault and read the rest of the report, because I know that most of you want to know about NWN, Morrowind, and Dungeon Siege too. :)
| Wednesday, March 27, 2002 |
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| Arx Preview on Gamitopia - Elenkis - 3:46:00 AM EST |
Gamitopia have written up a nice, in-depth Arx preview. It's about three pages in length and covers the usual info in detail, best of all the fourth page consists of some cool new screenshots to drool over. Here's a neat snippet:
Both the human and goblin characters you encounter are well done, with the animations and voice-acting of a very high quality. The ambient audio does an excellent job of setting the atmosphere, as does the music. Arx Fatalis uses Arkane's proprietary 3D engine, and even the demo looks amazing, with very rich lighting, fogging, and particle effects. The levels look to be well designed, and the storyline promises to be rich and varied. Overall, Arx Fatalis is already well on its way to helping to revitalize this genre, which has been hurting for a good title since the Thief games, and we await its release with eager anticipation.
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| Arx Preview on Gamespot - Elenkis - 5:19:25 AM EST |
Gamespot have written up a pretty detailed Arx preview that comes to a nice 3 pages in length. No new info for the dedicated Arx fans out there and the screenshots are all taken from the demo, but this is some very good exposure for the game :-)
Here's a peek:
Audio quality shows similar attention to detail so far. Background "music" is often little more than an ominous throbbing, also very similar to that used by Looking Glass in the Thief games. In-game effects are very well done. In the goblin prison depicted in the demo, you can hear the voices of prisoners, the odd squeak of rats, flowing water, and the crackle of torches. There is a lot of dialogue that's both well written and well acted. The goblin jailer that you have to kill in your escape attempt even taunts you while you're fighting him.
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| RPG Vault Demo Impressions - Elenkis - 9:30:04 PM EST |
RPG Vault have put up their impressions of the Arx demo. The review is a positive one and they seem especially impressed by the graphics, sound and magic system. Here's a snip:
The superlative graphics are matched by a tasteful use of music. Incidental tracks kick in at appropriate moments, their tone hinting at the nature of what is to follow. The ambient dungeon effects also complement the aesthetics; the sound of water dripping reinforces the notion of a dank environment, and a whistling wind can be heard, punctuated by distant cackles and screams. Sound also finds a functional use in the magic system, as the successful motioning of a spell is acknowledged by an accompanying chant of the spell's name. Also of note is the voice acting, which for the most part is competently executed.
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| Arx Fatalis Release Date Pushed Back - Dan - 6:49:44 PM EST |
I have some good news about the release dates for Arx Fatalis. The release date for the game in Germany has been pushed back until May 23. Furthermore, the release date in the US will be some time after that. There is currently no exact date for this planned. I do not know how the UK and French release dates will be effected by this, but if I come into the know, I will post it here.
Yes, this is good news. The more time Arkane has to work on the game, the better. Some more good news: the demo of Arx was downloaded an estimate of 60,000 times in 10 days. That means it was snatched up faster then any other Fishtank demo released, including Aquanox. Bravo!
Thank you for the info, Arkane & Fishtank. :)
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| Demo Mirror - Elenkis - 9:21:05 PM EST |
Many thanks to Jason Tibbitts who has set up a speedy, new dedicated server for the Arx demo! If you've not yet got the demo then go grab it from here:
http://arx1.math.uh.edu/arx/arx_fatalis_english_demo.exe
| Wednesday, March 06, 2002 |
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| New Arx Interview - Elenkis - 1:14:25 AM EST |
RPG Player have done a new interview about the game with Arkane Studios. Not much in the way of new info, but it is always nice to see what the guys have to say on various design challenges and ideas encountered during development. The interview also includes 9 brand new screenshots to drool over (if the recent demo was not enough for you!) :)
RPGP: Arx is a game with first-person perspective and this really helps the player to become one with his character! There're some very creepy monsters ( and there is also this Black Thing...): we know this is going to be a very good crpg/adventure, and... Perhaps even a somehow frightening game? Are there situations of fear, horror, strain like in other kinds of titles (Half-Life,System Shock 1-2,Alien vs Predator 1-2)?
AS: Absolutely ! well, I hope you'll jump out of your chair in some situations :) There are some missions and places which are supposed to be very tensed, and so far, it worked on our testers :) I bet you won't like our nasty lich ;)
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| Demo Walkthrough - Elenkis - 11:19:48 PM EST |
So you've woken up to find yourself in a smelly goblin cell? You're alone, it's dark and you're unsure how to proceed? Or maybe you're just looking for a bit of advice, want to get clued in on a few secrets?
Either way, you've come to the right place! Thanks to the dedicated work of Alex/Jyre the Stygian Abyss Travel Guide is now online (including fully coloured maps, beginners guide and in-depth walkthrough with accompanying screenshots) and ready to serve as guide and companion to your new adventures in the under-realm.
What do you say, stranger? You get stuck and we'll fix ya up in no time ...you can never have too much help down here.
Thanks again for the great work Alex, you're the best! ;)
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| Arx Fatalis Demo is Here - Dan - 10:25:07 AM EST |
We got this news today from Fishtank.
Arx Fatalis:
The English demo with about an hour of gameplay is nearly finished. The official release (March, 1st in the afternoon) will of course be accompanied by a press release listing various links from where the demo can be downloaded. In order to avoid traffic problems on the Ravensburger site, you will be able to download the demo from several online magazines at the same time. Many thanks in advance for the support! Today is also the launch date for the Arx Fatalis forum at http://www.arxfatalis-online.com
Dan mutters a wish and a prayer.
And by jove, here it is. This is the first or what should be many download mirrors. Good luck!
Gamingo.de
GamersWeb.com
3D Gamers
Jason Tibbitts
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