Arthurian Legends - Witchaven-like medieval first-person slasher

[Jenkem]

game was updated today and is discounted for the first time ever (33% off)

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/658890/view/3705959047640528729

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v1.2
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-Added text for missing translations (translations still need improvement)
-Fixed behavior of the manual Interface Scale buttons in the options menu
-Fixed 'T' key from changing ammo display height
-Fixed Item HUD info updating when first picking up Bear Traps and Caltrops, also when selecting those items in the item menu.

-Added Halloween Achievement + Pumpkin available from the secret dealer on Halloween.

-001 Engine updates
-Alt-Tab to change window while in full screen
-Alt-Enter to change from full-screen to windowed mode
-Performance improvements

-Fixed ChangeSun error when saving/loading in the very end area of Castle Interior.
-Fixed many flickering wall textures throughout the game
-Fixed being able to trigger secret through the wall outside of C3M2 Lightning rune secret.
-Fixed way to get out of bounds in the Village map towards the end.
-Fixed missing ceiling block in C2M2 in bronze key cave
-Added blocking around end area of C3M1 to stop player from falling out of map.

 

[Tacgnol]

The dev is alive then.

It seemed like he fell off the face of the earth.

 

[udm]

I love this game, so much so that I want to replay it. But I simply can't bring myself to if the level load bug still hasn't been fixed.

 

[toughasnails]

Glad to see that he's back at it. This is easily one of my favorites from the boomer revival wave.
Dare I hope that the expansion episode he was teasing way back is still in the works?

 

[SharkClub]

I think about this game sometimes, it has a very cool gothic dark medieval fantasy atmosphere that kinda stays with you. Very aesthetically pleasing. I hope there's an expansion pack at some point.

 

[Kabas]

it has a very cool gothic dark medieval fantasy atmosphere that kinda stays with you. Very aesthetically pleasing.

Damn right it is

 

[Tacgnol]

Yep, gave it another go. Getting 100+ fps on most maps now.

Performance is still not perfect, but it's much better than it was.

 

[udm]

it has a very cool gothic dark medieval fantasy atmosphere that kinda stays with you. Very aesthetically pleasing.

Damn right it is

Where's this location? I don't remember seeing this room.

 

[Kabas]

Where's this location?

Last episode, penultimate level if i am not mistaken.

Most of the big open wilderness areas are somewhat "blocky"-looking and drab. Heavily decorated indoor areas on the other hand the developer absolutely nailed.
I also like how the "ancient celtic secrets" in this game look.

^This one is from the last boss level.
Some familiar faces if you take a closer look at the painting.

 

[udm]

I gotta add one more thing because this game keeps living rent-free in my head: Arthurian Legends is the perfect example of how to do a game with sprites and 2.5D graphics right. Yeah it still looks like a 2.5D shooter, but you never get the feeling that the developer intentionally downscaled the graphics to pander to fetishism. Everything, from textures to sprites to weapon models, looks crisp and properly coloured. When playing similar titles like Nightmare Reaper or Ultrakill (which I sorta kinda like), sure some of them have decent gameplay, but never once did I think, "Gosh, this game is beautiful" the same way I did when I went through Hollywood in Duke 3D or the Phantom Express in Blood. Arthurian Legends is the first boomer shooter in a long time to make me think, "Whoa, this shit actually looks great!"

 

[Tacgnol]

I gotta add one more thing because this game keeps living rent-free in my head: Arthurian Legends is the perfect example of how to do a game with sprites and 2.5D graphics right. Yeah it still looks like a 2.5D shooter, but you never get the feeling that the developer intentionally downscaled the graphics to pander to fetishism. Everything, from textures to sprites to weapon models, looks crisp and properly coloured. When playing similar titles like Nightmare Reaper or Ultrakill (which I sorta kinda like), sure some of them have decent gameplay, but never once did I think, "Gosh, this game is beautiful" the same way I did when I went through Hollywood in Duke 3D or the Phantom Express in Blood. Arthurian Legends is the first boomer shooter in a long time to make me think, "Whoa, this shit actually looks great!"

Yeah, I've made the same point several times. I hate how shit the sprites look in a lot of the 2d revivals.

It's like the devs didn't understand that the sprites in games like Duke 3d and Blood etc were actually very high quality for their time and not a stylistic choice.

 

[Star Citizen]

It's fucking amazing, just so damn fun to play. The powerups and tools add so much.

 

[otsego]

This is one of the best 'boomer shooters' I've played since the revival of 'boomer shooters'. It has the aesthetic, it has the has gameplay, its has secrets, it has the wonkiness, it has an uneasy atmosphere that it has no business having... like the sheer grittiness of the environments and art puts you at unease like it did in games like Witchaven or Cybermage or even Marathon.

Fantastic purchase.

 

[udm]

Game has a rocking soundtrack too. I wish the developer would put it up somewhere.

EDIT: Maybe I'll hop on to the Discord and just let him know there's an active discussion going on here.

EDIT2: Also just realised our esteemed Melan wrote a review here: http://beyondfomalhaut.blogspot.com/2023/01/beyonde-arthurian-legends.html

 

[udm]

EDIT: Maybe I'll hop on to the Discord and just let him know there's an active discussion going on here.

Yeah... never mind what I said. The last time the dev (Kilatorian) posted on his own Discord server was January 2022. I'm not even going to bother tagging him in the General channel lol

 

[toughasnails]

It's a shame that the game never received any notable coverage or was reviewed by any retro FPS-related personality with larger following. Those whom it reached, it reached thru word of mouth. Steam friend circles, then smaller YT channels and blogs and threads such as this one. There is of course that special hipsterish pleasure in being in on a secret, be it an obscure director or a band or a video game... but this thing really deserves more visibility.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

From Discord:

Kilatorian — heute um 02:13 Uhr​

Short time future plans are making sure the latest build is solid before I release it to everyone. And then Chapter 4 will be the main focus, it is undetermined if it is standalone or DLC, I need to be sure that adding more to the current game doesn't break it.

Also, Patch 1.3 coming soon.

 

[Kabas]

 

[JarlFrank]

It's a shame that the game never received any notable coverage or was reviewed by any retro FPS-related personality with larger following. Those whom it reached, it reached thru word of mouth. Steam friend circles, then smaller YT channels and blogs and threads such as this one. There is of course that special hipsterish pleasure in being in on a secret, be it an obscure director or a band or a video game... but this thing really deserves more visibility.

It easily beats some of the more popular boomer shooters.

 

[Spike]

It's a shame that the game never received any notable coverage or was reviewed by any retro FPS-related personality with larger following. Those whom it reached, it reached thru word of mouth. Steam friend circles, then smaller YT channels and blogs and threads such as this one. There is of course that special hipsterish pleasure in being in on a secret, be it an obscure director or a band or a video game... but this thing really deserves more visibility.

It easily beats some of the more popular boomer shooters.

Agreed. Funny enough I just fired it up today for the first time and am having a blast. Great stuff. Sure enough, to my surprise there are recent poosts on the dex about a patch and forthcoming expansion.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

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v1.3
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*NEW QUICK SAVE FUNCTION*
-The old one will cease to exist, current saves should continue at beginning of current map, and future updates won't require an outdated warning.

[Weapons & Items]
-Bear traps now do damage to enemys immune to being trapped.
-Improved bear trap collisions, less likely to get stuck on doorways.
-Bear traps and Caltrops won't go through doors anymore, also stay on moving platforms.
-Crossbow/Mini Crossbow/Hellbow pickups give ammo now if already in possession.
-Fixed melee weapons hitting poison gas cloud.
-Improved collisions for Throwing Axes, Throwing Knives, Bolts & Arrows.
-Boxes of Bombs, Boxes of Firebombs & HHG item pick-ups can explode if hit now.
-Ice from the Jesters Wand now freezes enemies below 50% health (was 10%).
-Bloodstar now delays a fraction of a second before exploding when hitting an enemy.
-Fixed Players Blood Star from colliding with Player in high frame rates.
-All Chalice & Potion durations now scale with difficulty.
-Throwing Axes & Throwing Knives now do increased damage while a Potion Of Strength is active.
-Boots Of Protection now halve fall damage.
-Improved Shadow Lion summon

[Interface]
-Added control page for gamepad (can also be used for setting secondary controls)
-Changed interface scaling calculations to be based on screen height, not width, this should fix issues with ultra-widescreens.
-Fixed various minor interface issues.
-Added Music option, lets user select any track they want to, or just play it in the menu.
-Added Auto-Hop option, has always been on but now can be disabled.
-Added Bitmap Font option.
-Added Option to show the "Continue from start of Level" on the Character/Chapter selection screen (Now disabled by default)
-Simplified loading screen.
-Added more loading tips.
-HUD Status affects now correctly update when changing HUD size.
-Fixed Health Rune healing over time effect not updating HUD health display.
-Fixed picking up bolts & mana not updating HUD ammo display.
-Fixed chapter selection screen from not scaling properly when the 1st save slot is empty.
-Fixed both daggers durability % display in the weapons/runes menu screen.
-Improved memory usage of HUD sprites

[General]
-Fixed auto-run not being correctly turned on in a couple situations.
-If Auto-Run is enabled, Run key now becomes Walk.
-Can now hit severed heads with melee weapons/axes/knives/explosions
-Added some more gold to boss level secrets.
-Enemys move a little slower on easiest difficulty and have less armor.
-Modified falling damage to be more progressive (initial fall height to take damage doesnt change).
-Improved performance of certain projectiles that draw a lot of sprites
-Improved some things with the ending, + Dark Masters skull is kickable/destructable now.
-Improved way enemies are spawned in at the very end of Castle Interior
-Level Select option now lets player select Chapter if they havn't beaten the game yet.
-Harder to jump directly onto an enemy
-Added display settings to a Video menu in Options

 

[REhorror]

Thanks for the update.
This one looks coolio.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Did finally pick this up a while back and it's solid. Will say the full version doesn't quite get as spicy as I'd like. Weapon variety's ultimately not great, enemy variety could desperately use some love, and the level variety's tolerable but doesn't really get exciting. But the two key points that have remained strong is the combat's fun (Despite the weapon and enemy bitching, those similar weapons used on similar enemies IS enjoyable) and the secrets are fantastic. Nothing completely outrageous and impossible to find, haven't really run into hidden trigger bullshit, timers, etc. No wallhumping but looking over areas once you've secured them is pretty rewarding. The nostalgia is probably doing heavier lifting than in some other old school shooters but this is also cheaper than most and has a demo so there shouldn't be an excuse if the nostalgia doesn't work on you.