magerette
Hedgewitch
- Joined
- October 18, 2006
- Messages
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Moby Games has posted an extensive look at the history of Western RPGs by their contributor Drunken Irishman. It spans the early days of the Eighties and series like Wizardry and Ultima, through the golden years of the Nineties and on to the present. Almost every conceivable crpg is discussed including the perennials like Fallout, Baldur's Gate and Planescape:Torment, but here's the author's look at a less frequently scrutinized game:
More information.
And a short bit on the Might and Magic series:Westwood made a return to the RPG genre with the sequel to Lands of Lore. In the second game you step in the shoes of Luther, the son of Scotia who was the villain in the first game. The game essentially remains the same - a plot-driven dungeon crawler with an inspired character with whom you can look at objects like in an adventure game. Another thing of interest is that LoL 2 is one of the few RPGs to use FMV cut-scenes with live actors in it. There is much more interaction with the environment and you have control over the fate of your character; some of the decisions you can make nudge Luther towards the good or the evil path.
In many ways, the LoL series pioneered the visceral approach to RPGs of nowadays, because they are way more action-oriented, fluid and dynamic than the RPGs of their time. The last game in the series ditched the live-action actors in favor of CGI. It continues the kind of visceral gameplay of LoL 2 and the tradition of the LoL series to star only male characters as leads...
There's also an equally extensive article on Asian RPG's, which you can find here....The 6th has become the most popular Might and Magic game ever, though it did not do anything different from the previous Might and Magic games; it only delivered an updated engine and a more comfortable interface. Most likely it just hit the right time when the public's interest in RPGs was increasing. In a way, MM6 is the peak of Might and Magic games. It is also the last in the series to have that esoteric, mathematical equation feel to it.
The 7th and 8th lose the esoteric part of it. They cut the new age inspiration and went for a more straightforward fantasy meets sci-fi approach. The seventh title added a good and evil path and starting from the eighth game the series faded into obscurity. The ninth and final game was the last nail into the coffin, because by 2002, different things were expected from RPGs rather than the kind of 80's gameplay M&M dearly protected.
More information.
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2006
- Messages
- 7,834