Information Realms of Arkania HD Remake Announced

[Crooked Bee]

Tags: Crafty Studios; Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny (Remake)

RPGWatch reports that we may soon see an HD remake of Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny, courtesy of Attic, publisher UIG and the Austrian developer Crafty Games. Here's the press release:

A legend reborn as Realms of Arkania - Blade of Destiny returns
2013-01-28 10:47

Developed by Austrian developer Crafty Games, Realms of Arkania – Blade of Destiny is a one-to-one remake of the 1992 original, adored by a generation of Role Players and one of the most successful German RPG’s of the 1990’s. Get ready to return to Thorwal, one of the oldest cities of Aventurien. Make sure your wits are sharpened before walking down the small alleys of Thorwal and Prem, and prepare to stop the Orcisch threat while creating a mighty alliance between nations. Featuring a complete visual reimagining along with a comprehensive overhaul of every aspect of the gameplay, Realms of Arkania – Blade of Destiny is set to captivate a 21st century audience of new and old fans alike.​

Apparently they also intend to remake the other two games in the trilogy. I don't really care for remakes, but maybe it's a good thing provided it helps introduce RoA to the new generation of gamers - and doesn't butcher the original game in the process.

Also, the German press release can be found here, and here you can see the first work-in-progress screenshot of the remake.

 

[Infinitron]

Where's the source?

 

[evdk]

This will of course end well and will in no way be an example of popamole in action.

 

[felipepepe]

Just googled the publisher, here's the source: http://www.uieg.de/index.php/en_pre...alms-of-arkania-blade-of-destiny-returns.html

EDIT: The german press release is quite bigger:

DAS SCHWARZE AUGE - UIG Entertainment und attic inszenieren die Nordlandtrilogie neu

2013-01-28 10:42
„Thorwal, Stadt der Freien. Eine der ältesten Städte Aventuriens. Bewohnt von unbeugsamen Kriegern und Seefahrern, reich an Schätzen aus vielen Raubzügen...“ Die Einleitung der „Schicksalsklinge“ hat sich in die Herzen einer ganzen
Rollenspielergeneration gebrannt und weckt immer noch sehnsüchtige Erinnerungen an die Nordlandtrilogie, den erfolgreichsten deutschen Rollenspielklassiker der 90er. Wer träumt nicht davon, erneut durch die engen Gassen von Thorwal und Prem zu streifen, der orkischen Bedrohung Einhalt zu gebieten und ein undenkbares Bündnis zwischen den Völkern zu schmieden?

Die Zwölfe sind uns gnädig! UIG Entertainment kündigt den internationalen Vertrieb von „Das Schwarze Auge – Nordlandtrilogie“ an und kleidet den Klassiker in neue, zeitgemäße Grafik und Technologie während der Charme der damaligen Handlung und ihrer Charaktere, die Einzigartigkeit und das Spielgefühl des DSA Regelwerks erhalten bleiben. Ein handverlesenes Team aus erfahrenen deutschsprachigen RPG Entwicklern und Autoren arbeitet in diesem Moment an einem epischen DSA Abenteuer für alle Fans der Nordlandtrilogie, alle DSA Spieler und natürlich auch für alle DSA-Neueinsteiger.

Wenn der Namenlose nicht unsere Wege kreuzt und uns die Zwölfe weiterhin wohl gesonnen sind, könnte das Licht Praios bereits im zweiten Quartal 2013 segnend und geleitend auf Eure Häupter scheinen - natürlich nur wenn ihr ihm gefällige Helden ins Feld führt, bei Hexen und so manchem Druiden ist Vorsicht geboten...

Gehabt Euch wohl junge Abenteurer!

 

[Infinitron]

Okay, did some fact checking. "Crafty Games" is an American PnP RPG company located in Portland, Oregon.

Crafty Studios is Austrian.

They can't even get their press releases right?

 

[Crooked Bee]

Source: http://www.uieg.de/index.php/de_pre...tic-inszenieren-die-nordlandtrilogie-neu.html
Work-in-progress screenshot: http://www.pcgames.de/Das-schwarze-...ge-der-Nordlandtrilogie-angekuendigt-1046051/

EDIT: beaten by felipepepe

 

[Brother None]

I am excited! And fearful. Mostly fearful.

Okay, did some fact checking. "Crafty Games" is an American PnP RPG company located in Portland, Oregon.

Crafty Studios is Austrian.

They can't even get their press releases right?

Nice investigative game journalism

 

[Infinitron]

Crooked Bee You should update OP with this new information.

 

[General Maxson]

This will of course end well and will in no way be an example of popamole in action.

It would be good for them not to make it like you said, because the only people excited by this, are fans of the originals and they won't take kindly to popamole. You think next gen kids give a shit about RoA? This isn't Bioware's Baldur's Gate EE.

I'm cautiously optimistic. Want to see more details about their intentions of a "HD remake".

Is it me, or just as the Hollywood film industry remakes movies that don't need to be remade, and spews out sequels, gaming industry copied all that negative trends without an ounce of good new ideas and creativity? Remake, sequel, remake, sequel... I guess if the start remaking these old gems, and manage to interest some of the new kids, maybe some publishers will see there is some money to making these kind of games, and we'll start seeing them more form medium and small developers, so that can't be all bad.

 

[felipepepe]

Can someone translate the german release? The guys at the Watch said that the info was differenct on eng/ger releases...

 

[evdk]

This will of course end well and will in no way be an example of popamole in action.

It would be good for them not to make it like you said, because the only people excited by this, are fans of the originals and they won't take kindly to popamole. You think next gen kids give a shit about RoA? This isn't Bioware's Baldur's Gate EE.

But why would these people want a remake? The game runs just fine.

Can someone translate the german release? The guys at the Watch said that the info was differenct on eng/ger releases...

There's no new info in there, just a bit of in character LARPing.

 

[General Maxson]

This will of course end well and will in no way be an example of popamole in action.

It would be good for them not to make it like you said, because the only people excited by this, are fans of the originals and they won't take kindly to popamole. You think next gen kids give a shit about RoA? This isn't Bioware's Baldur's Gate EE.

But why would these people want a remake? The game runs just fine.

That's why I said:

I'm cautiously optimistic. Want to see more details about their intentions of a "HD remake".

 

[Crooked Bee]

Crooked Bee You should update OP with this new information.

Um, yeah, of course I did that.

 

[Vault Dweller]

Featuring a complete visual reimagining along with a comprehensive overhaul of every aspect of the gameplay, Realms of Arkania – Blade of Destiny is set to captivate a 21st century audience of new and old fans alike.

 

[Crooked Bee]

Can someone translate the german release? The guys at the Watch said that the info was differenct on eng/ger releases...

Don't feel like translating the whole thing, but it speaks of the entire trilogy whereas the English press release only talks about Blade of Destiny.

 

[General Maxson]

Featuring a complete visual reimagining along with a comprehensive overhaul of every aspect of the gameplay, Realms of Arkania – Blade of Destiny is set to captivate a 21st century audience of new and old fans alike.

We all know what that means...

 

[Essegi]

Oh!!! ROA is one of the (many) oldies that i missed and maybe the one that i want to play more badly...
But "overhauled" gameplay make me thing i'll play old ones.
Anyway quite interesting stuff!

 

[Vault Dweller]

Featuring a complete visual reimagining along with a comprehensive overhaul of every aspect of the gameplay, Realms of Arkania – Blade of Destiny is set to captivate a 21st century audience of new and old fans alike.

We all know what that means...

You have to do some serious overhauling to captivate the demanding 21st century audience, that's for sure.

 

[Infinitron]

What's the point of "overhauling the gameplay" of a series which is iconic precisely because of its gameplay and not much else?

I mean, seriously, not even Trent fucked with BG's actual gameplay mechanics. I can't believe they would change it.

 

[Crooked Bee]

Featuring a complete visual reimagining along with a comprehensive overhaul of every aspect of the gameplay, Realms of Arkania – Blade of Destiny is set to captivate a 21st century audience of new and old fans alike.

For what it's worth, the German press release only mentions "new, contemporary graphics and technology."

 

[felipepepe]

If this is truly 1:1 except for graphics and maybe interface

and perhaps third person view, cover system, guns, romances, DLCs and shitton of bugs.

 

[Trash]

Awesome. That's one of my absolute all fav rpg's of all-time. One of the very few games that made traveling and exploration a worthwhile component. Yay!

 

[Mrowak]

Featuring a complete visual reimagining along with a comprehensive overhaul of every aspect of the gameplay, Realms of Arkania – Blade of Destiny is set to captivate a 21st century audience of new and old fans alike.

We all know what that means...

Not necessarily. I, for one, would welcome some common sense solutions, like NPCs giving the blasted directions (Go to City X for a map piece. Oh you don't know where city X is? Have fun going blindly around "exploring"). The bajillion skills there are could also prove to be useful - as opposed to only selected few.

 

[Harg Harfardarssen]

So Crafty Studios looks like they make primarily casual and browser based games.

So, on the plus side maybe the "comprehensive overhaul of every aspect of gameplay" is press release exaggeration and they actually won't have the resources to screw around with it too much? (because its just a straight port to the browser)

 

[TalesfromtheCrypt]

Meh. I was hoping for a remake that would keep the original game intact and would solely restrict itself to deliver high-res version of the original graphics. The work in progess screenshot looks like shit though and the "complete overhaul of every gameplay aspect" doesn't sound to promising either. Let's see how this turns out but I'm pretty sure it will be shit less than optimistic about this.