It ’s prison term to take another sojourn to the underground world of Avernum , scene of a long - running series of part playing games made by Spiderweb Software . This is a return to a “ classical ” form of turn - based role playing that fans will enjoy immensely , specially if they value substance over trend .
Spiderweb ’s previous three Avernum game have all been retellings of an old biz serial yell Exile , update with a novel plot locomotive engine that uses isometrically displayed graphics . Avernum 4 is the first plot in the series to sport an exclusively new storyline . If Avernum is unexampled to you , do n’t concern . While there are references to the event that have taken situation in previous games , Avernum 4 does n’t ask you to be familiar with the previous installments to enjoy .
Avernum is an underground world — formerly a prison of sorts for undersirables who the surface Empire sent off . A maze of colossal cavern , mines and caves , Avernum is home not only to human castoffs but a mixed bag of sentient races , such as the feline Nephilim and the reptilian Slitheraki . It ’s also plate to monsters and shambling creatures of all embodiment , sizing , and intellects — many determined to do you harm .
Avernum 4 is very much a traditional role - play game . Before you get the game started you assemble a company of four adventurers of various specie and professions , each with unique ability and specialties . There are the customary warrior , priests , mages , and more . You assign them stop in various categories like strength , intelligence , quickness at handling specific weapons , or familiarity with specific types of spells or sorcerous items . And as you gain experience , you may apply unexampled points your characters will earn to those same family to increase their skills .
This is a twist - found strategy secret plan . You move your party on the screen either by pointing and clicking using your cursor , or using piloting keys on the keyboard . Every action your company can take is approachable using a fundamental command ( in the main user interface , clicking the Tab samara shows you which activeness turn with what keys ) , so you do n’t need to spend a lot of time learning the port . Avernum 4 ’s interface has been honed by years of pattern from Spiderweb , so it makes sense for the most part .
One thing you ’ll notice right off the bat is that you ’re dealing with a very different family of secret plan — diagrammatically and aurally — than the RPGs you might be accustom to playing on your Mac or cabinet . The interface and graphics seem positively antique by comparison . But , from where I sit , that ’s part of Avernum ’s charm . What ’s more , this game is unbelievably scalable regardless of your hardware&38212;even though Avernum 4 works just dandy ( and natively ) on Mac OS X , it even works on Macs That Time Forgot which still might be running Mac O 8.1 . ( Yes , even OS 8.1 ! ) And it work all right on Intel Macs using Rosetta ( really , Universal Binary is n’t necessary ) .
art and user interface aside , the durability of Avernum 4 , like all games from Spiderweb , is in the incredible storytelling . Exploring the game ’s branch plot line and working through every subplot and mission will take you weeks , if not months , of gameplay . Spiderweb ’s game volunteer some of the richest RPG storytelling experiences on any platform , and do n’t let anyone tell you different . This is classic RPG play at its very just , and Avernum 4 serve up you up unnumbered challenges like a practiced dungeon master should .
You ’ll go out with streamlet - of - the - manufacturing plant mission that are designed to help you improve your experience , build your inventory , and increase your wallet . But before too long , you discover that Avernum has been plunged into chaos by an unknown military group — monsters are stray the underground city of Avernum , killing ingenuous bystander at will . water supply monsters are piss the waterways impassable . The foreign mission you ’re thrust into ultimately put you in contact with the person behind this fresh menace , and to “ bring home the bacon ” the game you have to get the better of them .
voyage around Avernum invariably brings you in contact with monster , and the game swap fairly effortlessly into its armed combat mode . Each venturer in your company is assigned a limited number of “ action point ” that can be used to either position themselves near the enemy or to affect . Your company and the enemies in the vicinity each get turns to do damage , and whoever ’s left victorious can take the spoils . you’re able to resurrect political party members who are felled in combat at various place in the game or by using specific magic .
There ’s a little bit of vivification present in the combat succession as your company and the monster they ’re fighting take turns bring down scathe . It ’s pretty simple clobber — a vacillation of a brand here , a burst of light tie in with a magic spell there . Otherwise , the game ’s graphic are largely static , which may be off - putt to gamers who have gotten cross on the more advanced RPG offering like Neverwinter Nights ( ) and Knights of the Old Republic ( ) in late year .
You ’ll discover that while there are century of side - missions and quest to go on , there ’s really ultimately one goal to reach to gain at Avernum 4 . That draw gameplay more linear than some of Spiderweb ’s past games , which might limit replayability . Then again , just generate to the close will take you weeks — still , it ’ll be likely that you wo n’t want to recreate Avernum 4 once you ’ve finished with it the first fourth dimension .
All of this makes you marvel just how deep and copious a Spiderweb biz might be if the budget was unlimited and the technology even more advanced . Maybe some day we ’ll discover out .
By the way , there ’s a massive demo you could download from the Spiderweb Web site before you plunk down your Johnny Cash . And if you ’re the sort of gamer who mother frustrated easily , you could spend a few extra dollar on the Book of Answers , which will give you walkthroughs of each mission , maps , tare , and more .
The bottom line
Avernum 4 is old - school RPG gaming at its fine . It may not have the most cutting - edge locomotive in the world , but tons of rich storytelling make this game loads of fun .
