Game News AntharioN Released

[Infinitron]

Tags: Antharion; Orphic Software

Today sees the release of AntharioN, a retro-looking turn-based indie RPG from Orphic Software that was Kickstarted and re-Kickstarted back in 2012. Here's the launch trailer and description from its Steam page:

Antharion is an epic old-school fantasy RPG that combines tactical turn-based combat with the freedom of a huge living-breathing open world. You'll create and customize a party of four: choosing from seven races, nine classes and fifteen skills, before setting out to explore the fully interactive continent of Antharion. Explore dungeons, get thrown in jail, discover hidden passageways, burglarize homes, read books, create potions, become and infamous pickpocket, embark on a journey at sea and discover uncharted islands or persuade NPCs to do your bidding. In Antharion no play style is off limits.

Features

• Create and fully customize a party of four, choosing from 7 races, 9 classes and 15 skills.
• Journey through five huge provinces, each with its own environment, history and culture.
• Experience an open-ended epic storyline where you determine what happens.
• Turn-based tactical combat makes dungeon crawling endlessly satisfying.
• Explore a huge living-breathing and fully interactive open world.
• Make choices that matter and affect the world around you.
• Enjoy total freedom to play however you want.

Looks ambitious. So many RPGs from the early days of Kickstarter coming out these days - I hope it doesn't get completely lost in the crowd. AntharioN is available for the price of $18 on Steam or directly from Orphic's website. No GOG release, because that's how GOG rolls these days.

 

[m_s0]

Looks pretty good. Too bad I don't have much time for games I already do own.

Might end up grabbing this anyway, but I sure wish there was a demo.

 

[Irenaeus II]

Great to hear. Looking forward to play it.

 

[Owl]

No GOG release, because that's how GOG rolls these days.

What's that supposed to mean?

 

[Grauken]

They have one race called Necrophil as well as an Undead race

I smell hidden romance potential for my party

 

[m_s0]

No GOG release, because that's how GOG rolls these days.

What's that supposed to mean?

Madman wasn't good enough for them, for instance. Serpent in the Staglands wasn't a given, either.

Basically, it's not as easy to get on there as it used to be, though you wouldn't know that from the indie garbage they don't mind selling.

 

[Night Goat]

Antharion is an epic old-school fantasy RPG that combines tactical turn-based combat with the freedom of a huge living-breathing open world.

Buzzwords!

You'll create and customize a party of four: choosing from seven races, nine classes and fifteen skills, before setting out to explore the fully interactive continent of Antharion.

Quantity over quality!

Explore dungeons, get thrown in jail, discover hidden passageways, burglarize homes, read books, create potions, become and infamous pickpocket, embark on a journey at sea and discover uncharted islands or persuade NPCs to do your bidding.

Shit you've already done a million times!

Yeah, I'll pass.

 

[Infinitron]

No GOG release, because that's how GOG rolls these days.

What's that supposed to mean?

Madman wasn't good enough for them, for instance. Serpent in the Staglands wasn't a given, either.

Basically, it's not as easy to get on there as it used to be, though you wouldn't know that from the indie garbage they don't mind selling.

They won't even add Eisenwald ffs

 

[Decado]

I really want to try this game but I have to say that your party walking around the map as this unwavering line of dudes looks annoying as fuck. Maybe I won't mind it so much once I start playing?

 

[Mech]

The website site is called GOOD old games. Maybe you missed that part?

 

[Grauken]

Then why do they add so many new shitty adventures and puzzlers?

 

[Infinitron]

The website site is called GOOD old games.

No, it isn't.

This is what happens when you only become interested in games during Bethesda release windows.

 

[Grauken]

The sad thing is, there are still a lot of great classics that should turn up on GOG, but I think they make much more money from new release, higher prices, less trouble securing the rights

 

[Mech]

The website site is called GOOD old games.

No, it isn't.

This is what happens when you only become interested in games during Bethesda release windows.

Well I'll be damned. If they are now including anything in their library, regardless of quality, then yes they should be putting those in there.

 

[Irenaeus II]

Just read Scrooge in shoutbox happy that female characters have +5 wisdom and male characters have +5 strength. This should be fun.

Can't wait to get home and start playing it.

 

[m_s0]

The website site is called GOOD old games. Maybe you missed that part?

It's not. They rebranded to 'GOG.com' back in 2012. Coincidence?

 

[karnak]

No GOG release, because that's how GOG rolls these days.

What's that supposed to mean?

Madman wasn't good enough for them, for instance. Serpent in the Staglands wasn't a given, either.

Basically, it's not as easy to get on there as it used to be, though you wouldn't know that from the indie garbage they don't mind selling.

They won't even add Eisenwald ffs

 

[Roguey]

Congratulations, Zamboni guy..! Hope you managed to out-Vogel Vogel or at the very least release something on par.

http://steamcharts.com/app/293160



Maybe you'll beat Staglands before the weekend's over..?

 

[getter77]

Hopefully GoG will see the light after they get some momentum on Steam and such alongside any quality of life patching and whatnot---I reckon they'd like to get out in front for classic-styled releases like this, but probably also want to insulate themselves against any that pop out but poof out of existence when it comes to post-launch patching and whatnot.

 

[Eddas]

Shit you've already done a million times!

Yeah, I'll pass.

B-but there are rats and sewers!!!

 

[Apexeon]

A happy backer here.

 

[Russia is over. The end.]

No demo. Game not on torrents. This isn't serious.

 

[Bubbles]

Look good, will play.

 

[mindx2]

Since there are two threads for this game I'll post my impression here as I did in the other one to give people some general info about the game so far:

Just some quick impressions so far (only an hour or so and no further than the sewers in the 1st "quest" town south of the starting area):

- Really like the simplistic visuals as it does have it's own... "charm" for lack of a better word.
- You create your four characters. You can distribute points yourself or select predefined classes like Fighter, black(offensive)/white(healing)/grey (alchemy) magic-user, thief, warrior.
- Your character's in-game appearance reflects what your paper-doll has in the inventory screen so equip a round shield in the shield slot and a round shield pops up on your character in the game world.
- Definitely take a thief as I've encountered many locked doors and chests already and there are NO spells to unlock things.
- Time flows by each step you take. Movement is fast outside of combat if you hold down the mouse button when walking.
- In combat you have 4-5 action points to use. Right now everything seems to use 1 AP; 1 AP for one space movement, 1 AP to switch a weapon in inventory, 1 AP to use a potion, etc. Once you attack your turn is over regardless if you had any AP left.
- Combat is pretty simple right now basically exchanging blows back and forth to whittle down the enemies hit points. As of right now it reminds me of Ultima 6 type turn-based combat but I've only been in a few fights so far.
- The Mana bar for my healer and dark magic-user doesn't last long and each only has 1 spell so far. Those two PCs I had to move away from combat several times.
- Each hour you rest takes 1 food from inventory. I'm at such low level now that 1-2 hours totally heals my party.
- Very few enemy animations (no walking animation) but nice little touches like blood appearing on your weapons and armor. Also nice sound and death animation when you kill an enemy.
- This does not seem to be a choices & consequences type game at this point. Main plot quests you automatically accept. Only choices I've had in dialogues was whether to accept a side-quest or not.
- Speaking of dialogue, it's "OK." Very generic writing so far but this definitely feels like an exploration game... not a story focused one.
- Don't have much info on the main quest so far. You start out as four prisoners who are the only survivors of a town massacre (starting area where you valiantly battle the rats ) and you try to unravel the reasons for the attack and seek out some type of Codex!!!
- There is alchemy in the game but I haven't crafted anything yet, just collected a bunch of ingredients. I don't have any recipes yet.
- You can go in any direction once you leave the ruined starter town but going in certain directions (anyway but south) means a quick death unless your very fast and avoid some nasty critters wandering around.
- You can usually see enemies before they engage you and start the turn-based combat. There is a fog-of-war that retreats as you move similar to the BG games.

Overall, I'm having a lot of fun with it even though it lacks a lot of complexity right now. It will certainly get compared to Vogel's earlier games as those seem similar to this so far only better on the eyes. This is definitely an exploration style game where finding newer/better weapons/armor/rings/etc. and leveling up to finally get to go to other parts of the game map is the focus, which is just fine with me... so far.

 

[Fargus]

They have one race called Necrophil as well as an Undead race

I smell hidden romance potential for my party

Yeah, starting the game with a party of 1 necrophil and 3 undead will be pretty classy.