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What do you guys think of Hexplore?

Outmind

Augur
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
211
Seeing as though people here have played some pretty obscure games, it surprises me that i wasn't able to find a topic about this not so well known gem.

Basically, Hexplore is a hack & slash game (diablo has topics in here, so i trust no one will object that i put my thread in the rpg discussion as well) where you control four characters - your main character, the adventurer, who uses various explosives, melee and short ranged weapons, and three other characters which you pick up on the first level. The archetypes are archer (long range, traps, sneakiness), warrior (heavy melee and some short range / explosives) and wizard (long range heavy damage spells and buffs). You had to lead these four through ten huge levels filld with monsters, traps puzzles and loot, as each of their abilities could get upgraded three times.

The game came out in 1998. i believe, and i remember playing the demo a gazillion times as a kid. I finally managed to get the full version a couple of years ago and loved every minute of it. Here are a few screenshots to help jog your memories:


90677_large.jpeg


hexplore_screen003.jpg


12874-hexplore-windows-screenshot-trapped-and-surroundeds.jpg

/discuss

Oh, and if you want to try it out / play it again, don't forget to get WinThrottle, as the game will crash on a modern system which isn't slowed down this way.
 

MisterStone

Arcane
Joined
Apr 1, 2006
Messages
9,422
Oooo it uses voxels, p. damn cool. I poked around a bit trying to learn more about it, but I don't understand if it's RTwP, TB or what? Just out of curiosity, what kind of 'puzzle' solving is involved in the game?
 

Outmind

Augur
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
211
The game plays in real-time, and you can controll either a single character or all of them at the same time. Kinda like your standard black isle rpg, without the emphasis on tactics (although you can't just rush in either).

As for the puzzles, they aren't that difficult - find this switch, press that stone etc. One cool thing about solving them though is that each character gets to play a part - the adventurer is the only one who can activate mechanical devices, the archer can fit into tight passageways, the warrior can push certain switches, and the wizard can decipher arcane texts. Basically all this does is it opens up new parts of the map, but it is an interesting feature.
 

Lockkaliber

Magister
Patron
Joined
Apr 27, 2009
Messages
2,542
Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Divinity: Original Sin 2 Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire
Played this when I was younger and came quite far if I recall correctly. I remember appreciating the puzzles when I got the hang of the controls. Also it was cool that you could recruit different party members.

edit: I played it with a bro in LAN which was quite fun, figuring out the puzzles together.
 

spectre

Arcane
Joined
Oct 26, 2008
Messages
5,380
I remember I played the first level to death when I had the demo, and it was pretty freaking awesome, but when I got the full version, somehow I quickly lost interest.
 

Lightknight

Liturgist
Joined
Nov 26, 2008
Messages
705
Cutscenes in this game are quite awesome, editing is on Blizzard level, i'd say.

What i do remember about this game, is that you could start it without a disc, but it would crash in exactly 10 minutes, no matter what you do. Caused me a lot of grief, since i wanted to play it coop with a friend.
 

sgc_meltdown

Arcane
Joined
May 8, 2003
Messages
6,000
the party member portraits all look like they're veterans in performing nonconsensual acts of love
 

Lonely Vazdru

Pimp my Title
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
6,656
Location
Agen
I played and finished it when it was released (I'm a patriot) but I didn't like it (I'm not that much of a patriot). Fighting was more of a "20% simple puzzle solving/80% precise timing reload fest inducer" than any real hack and slash. Plus characters didn't really level-up. Not my kind of game. Nice graphics though.
I guess I was more stubborn when I was younger since nowadays I wouldn't finish a game that I like so little.
 

ZbojLamignat

Educated
Joined
Apr 29, 2010
Messages
382
This game went completely next-gen with experience being a drop left by the mosters.

I also remember really liking it, probably one of the most original hns games I know, have a non-inventory-removal copy somewhere on my hdd waiting for a replay.
 

Lightknight

Liturgist
Joined
Nov 26, 2008
Messages
705
flabbyjack said:
My thoughts on Hexplore:
"Almost as good as Rage of Mages or Rage of Mages 2!"
Allods were basically expansion on the old Warcraft idea of no base missions, whereas Hexplore is pretty much Lost Vikings : MiddleEarth.
 

Archibald

Arcane
Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Messages
7,869
Strange game, i remember finishing it to the end(for that time had kinda cool story) and i can`t say a single amazing thing about it yet i remember enjoying it and sometimes think about replaying it.

I wish we would still get games like that, nothing spectacular but fucking solid.
 

Wolfus

Arcane
Joined
Jan 22, 2011
Messages
2,117
Location
Slovakia
Ooooh, I almost forgot this great game... I never finished it (I get stuck in one dungeon near the and and I still remember music from that level), but I loved it.
 

DeepOcean

Arcane
Joined
Nov 8, 2012
Messages
7,394
Very nice game, it isn't exactly a straight Diablo clone with all the flaws that imply, it is a very simple but fun game. It plays more like Blood Omen or an isometric version of Trine with very light RPG elements. You go around hack slashing monsters while navigating puzzle traps to get treasure, using the different abilities of the characters. A long time since I plyed this, but from what I remember, the game isn't randomly generated and I got impessed at that time with the amount they did with so little they had.

I think what I liked the most is how they managed to simulate dungeon delving, you go on a dungeon, killing shit, evading traps and get loot, you feel like you are controlling a bunch of low level adventurers hunting for loot. It is very simplistic but it is a charming game.
 
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