Note: Although the CD version is on sale for only $5 at the CD-ROM store, it is the trimmed version, 'Sierra Classic', which includes neither the interview with Raymond Feist nor the music on the CD. Suffice it to say that no one can boast of being an RPG veteran if they've never set foot in Krondor:) Sierra made the game free in 1997 to promote its own sequel, Betrayal at Antara (which, without Feist's input, is a pale shadow of its predecessor). The only criticism of this classic is that it has an excellent storyline written by best-selling fantasy author Raymond Feist (who was also involved in the design process), memorable characters, a very attractive spell-casting interface, and a plethora of optional sub-quests and puzzle chests. Here's hoping that the next Krondor game, due out in late 2000, with live up to the high standards fans expect.One of the best RPGs ever, Betrayal at Krondor is a classic example of games that get good reviews but don't do well in stores (at least until it was re-released on CD-ROM). However, I know the team that created the game is capable of bigger and better things. It seems more a polished 'work in progress' than anything else. Return to Krondor is not the game I think most fans were looking forward to. Rushing to get the game out the door might help explain the uneven pacing in the second half of the game. I suspect that when Sierra bought the license back, their primary interest was to finish it as soon as possible and to get the team working on a new Krondor game. Overall, it appears to me that Return to Krondor did not benefit from its long development cycle, and that the end product is not the ambitious game the team set out to make three years ago. The ending will certainly come as a bit of a surprise (although one could debate whether this was the original one envisioned for the game…), and sets things up nicely for a possible sequel. Due in large part to the talents of Feist and the chapter structure of the game, the plot moved along quickly and kept me interested the whole time. Here's the skinny:Īlthough the game was shorter than I was expecting, the story was engaging and well-written. This is a bit late, but the Vault Network has posted a very comprehensive review of Return to Krondor. It is currently imagined to be, roughly, three novels. The Conclave of Shadows is not a Riftwar, per se, and I do not know how long a series it will turn into. Next two projects are Krondor: The Assasins and Krondor: Tear of the Gods. We will not be using anyone who has done a similar project before, to keep an original 'Midkemian' look.įinally, here's Ray's plans for the next few novels: There are lots of really good artists, but we want a specific look, and we have to see who is available out there and what the budget will require. This 1st one will be Krondor and the immediate area around the Bitter Sea, with some information on the rest of the world. Think Atlas of Middle Earth and you have a better notion of what we're heading for, but on a more localize scale. Next, Ray speaks of the Atlas, and seems to hint that there will be more than one in the future: I thought I might by the end of this week, but one of the people involved in this evolution is in the hospital right now and things are on hold until he's out and we can discuss some things. The first regards an official statement on the future of the Krondor license: Here are a few posts from Ray that are of interest.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |