Dhruin
SasqWatch
Here's a couple of new Reckoning items. First, AusGamers has an interview with Ken Rolston. Oddly, Ken identifies himself as a PC gamer but then goes on to admit he hasn't played around much with the PC version:
...and StrategyInformer has a general preview that looks gathered together from existing information:AG: Now among our readers we have a big die-hard PC gaming contingent.
Ken: Good. Like me!
AG: Right. I think a lot of RPG developers are cut from that cloth. Now I’ve seen the Reckoning gameplay demo and its loot and inventory system and it has been very tailored to be user-friendly towards console players, but I’m a bit concerned as to how that would translate to a PC experience. Are there going to be any differences between how that works on PC? To make it easier for someone with a mouse to use?
Ken: How do you mean? The interface of going through loot?
AG: Yeah, and when you pick up loot from the ground or you’re adjusting the items equipped to your person, it seems to be very tailored to a control-pad experience.
Ken: Oh do you mean the ways the menus work and stuff like that?
AG: Yeah, exactly.
Ken: The first step for me as a being a role-playing gamer, I want to make sure that the interface is better than other games are. For example... it’s interesting, the console gives you the... even though there are fewer buttons, our having a weapon on each of the different buttons gets past one of the awkward things. For example: you always want to switch between your ranged weapon and your melee weapon, so that happens automatically and easily. And for example: when you open a chest or a body, you can equip directly before you go into your inventory.
So that we have all of those consciousness things of what hasn’t been done well in the past for RPGs. I admit, it hadn’t occurred to me -- I haven’t played the PC version that much -- if there’s any kind of a problem with using a mousewheel... do you consider the mousewheel to be an acceptable.. is the mousewheel a familiar tool?
AG: Yeah I think it is for most PC gamers.
More information.Considering the game engine being used was last seen in the likes of Catan and Rise of Nations, it's rather impressive to see how the company's proprietary 'BigHugeEngine' has come a long. They hope to dazzle us with a wide range of high-quality locations and assets, and we're told there's a lot of visual content in the game that helps bring it to life and to create a world that'll make you want to protect it. Big words, and whilst it certainly looks impressive, what we've seen isn't necessarily striking in any particular way - but with plenty of time to go, perhaps that will be improved.
Make no mistake though, this is going to be a content filled game. Along with the main quest, there’s supposed to be side-quests, as well as separate faction quests. Players can also engage in crafting, such as alchemy, smiting and sage-crafting and we wouldn’t be surprised if there’s other meta and mini games tucked in there somewhere as well (and that’s not forgetting Achievements, Trophies etc...). Prepare yourself for many an hour of travelling, collecting and grinding... although from what we've seen of the combat system, it should be entertaining at least.