Current state of Russian RPGs (with screenshots)

[hoverdog]

"Заговор Темной Башни"

WTF is a 3 doing there?! You should not be using an Arabic numeral as a goddamn letter, you fucking untermensch!

Ретард?

 

[likaq]

Both Night Watch and Day Watch are underrated.
Op forgotten about Cops 2170: Power Of Law which is pretty good party based tb cyberpunk tactical combat game with stats.

 

[laclongquan]

Acceptable

Any Russian posters can make an update about Russian game development scene as of now? It's been 4-5 years since the OP. We could use a headup.

 

[Grimwulf]

This thread gave me a PTSD. And I only read half of op-post.

 

[StaticSpine]

Acceptable

Any Russian posters can make an update about Russian game development scene as of now? It's been 4-5 years since the OP. We could use a headup.

I think the most promising right now is InSomnia

There are also some interesting fallout engine-based projects like Olympus 2077 and Fallout of Nevada.

Also the OP lacks Metaheart: Replicants Rampage (2004), it was shit, but still worth mentioning.

 

[Parsifarka]

Lovely thread. I've a morbid affection to russian RPGs; Hard to be a God is one of my favorite games and I've fond memories of playing Rage of Mages as a child. I've been looking for Goldenland for a long time, does anyone know where to get it translated? I don't understand why those companies doesn't re-release their shit in Steam as anyone else.

 

[hivemind]

Goldenland

Not sure about English but I can find you a Czech version easily.

 

[Parsifarka]

Not sure about English but I can find you a Czech version easily.

Thanks, but I don't speak southern potato.

 

[Lhynn]

A good thread to remind people the newer releases arent THAT bad.

 

[laclongquan]

That Insomnia game look promising. But only one new game in that stretch of time?

 

[StaticSpine]

That Insomnia game look promising. But only one new game in that stretch of time?

AFAIK Russian gamedev is now mostly occupied by MMOs, free to play and mobile stuff.

 

[Commissar Draco]

Metalheart: Replicants Rampage was not that shity if linear and somewhat underachieving; still lot better than PoE.

 

[Stompa]

Both Night Watch and Day Watch are underrated.

I don't know about Day Watch, but Night Watch was really bad. Castrated SS combat + bland magic + banal plot peppered with shitty jokes = Night Watch.

 

[Sjukob]

Well fellas . If you want acceptable russian games , go play Space rangers , King's bounty ( The legend or armored princess ) or Cossacks . Not exactly RPGs , but at least they are alright .

Click spoiler to see some shit

Spoiler

A game that nobody knows , was released in 2005 . I usually give this description about the game: "Everything about this game sucks , but somehow it's interesting to play " . I'm sure it has horrible english translation , but I've never tried it . So you can give it a go if you want , it's length is about 15 hours and you might even get involved actually .

Some screenshots .

 

[likaq]

I don't know about Day Watch, but Night Watch was really bad. (1)Castrated SS combat + (2)bland magic + (3)banal plot peppered with shitty jokes = Night Watch.

1. is still way better than abominable rtwp which codex love so much.
2.what's so bland about it?
3.banal plot? you just described oh so awesome games like: baner saga, blackguards, kotc, serpent in the staglands, 4/5 inbred engine games, and every AAA crpg released in the last 5 years ( at least ).

 

[Stainless Veteran]

Acceptable

Any Russian posters can make an update about Russian game development scene as of now? It's been 4-5 years since the OP. We could use a headup.

Well, current state of the Russian RPGs can be neatly summed by this picture:

Our developers mostly make shitty MMOs, Facebook&Vkontakte "games", and shitty casual time wasters for Android&iOS now. There were a couple of Kickstarters, but they are yet to deliver, and, honestly, I kinda doubt that they will.

For example, not long ago ex-Mist land YUG (Paradise Cracked, COPS 2170: The Power of Law) announced a new game, called «HTPD: Власть закона» [1, 2]. Not only their previous games were, well, not masterpieces, but while they pitch their new game as tactical TBS with RPG elements, it's: a) multiplatform (including Android and iOS), b) will be (probably) online only; c) its writing and art are simply disgraceful. But the funny thing is, this was the only announced game form Russia this year, which has (vague) RPG elements. Maybe there were one or two other projects, but I haven't heard about it.

tl;dr

 

[Trash]

Anyone ever made a decent fan translation of Planet Alcatraz? Played it but got bummed out by the horrid translation.

A game I liked and which had some (few) rpg influences was Precursors from the Kiev based Deep Shadows. Interesting concept of a game with space combat, planetary fps and rpg influences with a less than stellar execution. Still, it has its charms. Earlier versions had a fanpatch by Wesp (of Vampire fanpatch fame) which at one point got introduced in the digital version and thus became official.

 

[Stompa]

1. is still way better than abominable rtwp which codex love so much.
2.what's so bland about it?
3.banal plot? you just described oh so awesome games like: baner saga, blackguards, kotc, serpent in the staglands, 4/5 inbred engine games, and every AAA crpg released in the last 5 years ( at least ).

For a game that has nothing but slinging spells in TB having shit combat is disgraceful, just because it has turns and shit doesn't mean it gets a free pass. Magic was your usual fantasy fare with telekinetic punch being the most exotic thing, and IIRC it wasn't even necessary to use most of the spells, the combat boiled down to using same shit over and over again.

For example, not long ago ex-Mist land YUG (Paradise Cracked, COPS 2170: The Power of Law) announced a new game, called «HTPD: Власть закона» [1, 2]. Not only their previous games were, well, not masterpieces, but while they pitch their new game as tactical TBS with RPG elements, it's: a) multiplatform (including Android and iOS), b) will be (probably) online only; c) its writing and art are simply disgraceful.

Oh come on, Paradise Cracked and COPS 2170 weren't perfect, but as far as TBS go they were pretty damn good. I was really hoping Mist-Land South was done for after the JA3\Hired Guns fiasco, they've declined heavily in such a short amount of time. But alas, now they're back from the grave to rape something I loved

 

[likaq]

For a game that has nothing but slinging spells in TB having shit combat is disgraceful, just because it has turns and shit doesn't mean it gets a free pass. (1)Magic was your usual fantasy fare with telekinetic punch being the most exotic thing, and (2) IIRC it wasn't even necessary to use most of the spells, (3)the combat boiled down to using same shit over and over again.

1. And how many crpgs don't suffer from magic being "usual fantasy fare" ?
Very few if any, even arcanum have only a few interesting and original spells.

2. And in which crpg it was necessary? Not in any of top 20 crpg in latest codex list. So why "wasn't even necessary to use most of the spells" is a good reason to shit on night wish but not on let's say bg 1?

3. True. But the same can be said about at least 95% of crpgs.

Why night watch deserve to be shit on, but indie trash ( hi serpent ) get free pass is beyond me.

Oh come on, Paradise Cracked and COPS 2170 weren't perfect, but as far as TBS go they were pretty damn good. I was really hoping Mist-Land South was done for after the JA3\Hired Guns fiasco, they've declined heavily in such a short amount of time. But alas, now they're back from the grave to rape something I loved

This.

 

[Ptosio]

AFAIK Russian gamedev is now mostly occupied by MMOs, free to play and mobile stuff.

Do you know what happened, though? Is it just the gamedev or a sign of general changes in gaming culture and the country going the Chinese way?

I always thought The Empire of Evil was firmly on the hardcore PC-gaming side and relatively immune to Decline - which should keep the local gamedev scene in check.

Proper Russian cRPG, preferably steampunk or 1950s style space sf, is something I've wanted to play for quite some time, thugh I think my only contact with Russian RPGs was in form of some Gothic mods (not bad AFAIR)

 

[StaticSpine]

Do you know what happened, though? Is it just the gamedev or a sign of general changes in gaming culture and the country going the Chinese way?

I always thought The Empire of Evil was firmly of the hardcore PC-gaming side and relatively immune to Decline - which should keep the local gamedev scene in check.

Proper Russian cRPG, preferably steampunk or 1950s style space sf, is something I've wanted to play for quite some time, thugh I think my only contact with Russian RPGs was in form of some Gothic mods (not bad AFAIR)

The gamers are still hardcore, CRPGs are still traditionally popular in Russia, as you see, the remaining normal developers are still trying to make their own Fallout

I'm actually not a big expert in our gamedev, haven't played most of games from Stainless Veteran post, haven't even heard of some. Though I'm proud of games like Silent Storm and Katauri's King's Bounty.

 

[Sjukob]

the remaining normal developers are still trying to make their own Fallout

Spoiler

 

[Stainless Veteran]

Do you know what happened, though? Is it just the gamedev or a sign of general changes in gaming culture and the country going the Chinese way?

I always thought The Empire of Evil was firmly on the hardcore PC-gaming side and relatively immune to Decline - which should keep the local gamedev scene in check.

Well, it's a little of both. As anywhere in the world, newer generation of gamers doesn't like oldschool games, they haven't played the classics (be it RPGs, TBS, RTS, various sims or even FPS and other genres). Our kids like their shitty MMOs and MOBAs, CODs, newer CS and so on. But then some part of the newer generation (more hardcore one, so to speak) respects oldschool RPGs (and other genres), at least in theory. Most still probably haven't played them, though. 25-40 years old bracket is much more hardcore, some played most of the classic games on release, and still want to play games made in similar style. Even with piracy we have quite many owners of recent Kickstarter RPGs on Steam here (can't link the source, the fucker restricted the Geo data to paid users, and even after Valve hit them with C&D letter he still left the info unavailable).

Problem is, most of our publishers either went belly-up, or were bought by «1С-СофтКлаб». It's a monopoly (at least in retail segment it has roughly 80% of the market share), made from merging Softclub and 1C (later they also have bought Buka, which is still publishing some games under its own brand, but financially is a part of «1С-СофтКлаб»). They specialize both on AAA releases and smaller ones, but it's all mostly localized games. Two other remaining publishers, Akella and Noviy Disk, for some reason are following this pattern too, and are publishing localized western games. Noviy Disk is also publishing and localizing console games, and various e-learning soft. Akella almost have gone bankrupt not so long ago, and now is a shadow of its former self. There's also Mail.Ru group, which has bought the whole gaming studios, or acquired individual talent and become a huge monopoly on online PC market.

I don't have any insider info, but from what I gather - neither of them think that financial investments into either creating some AAA Russian studios, or even supporting indie ones, is financially profitable venture, and so the are content with publishing and localizing games from other countries. Mail.ru Group is being an exception, they are both acting as publisher, and have internal development teams - but they are making and publishing online-only games.

Now why this particular business view has taken root I cannot say, I think one should be have degree in economics, have an insider info and make a study to answer this question, I can only speculate the this was somehow influenced by 2008 economical crisis and rise of the digital distribution.

Proper Russian cRPG, preferably steampunk or 1950s style space sf, is something I've wanted to play for quite some time, thugh I think my only contact with Russian RPGs was in form of some Gothic mods (not bad AFAIR)

Well, there's dead RPG which was going to be a mix of 50s USSR and postapocalypse - http://www.novysoyuz.ru/ . Can't really remember any Russian steampunk game at all, even a prototyoe. As for 50s sci-fi - well, we had a shitty VN Krasniy Kosmos about USSR in space, as for RPGs - I can't name a single one with such setting, alas.

 

[Don Peste]

Did you know Planet Alcatraz 2 is on Steam?

The sequel to Planet Alcatraz tells the story of sergeant Hartman, the leader of the Ghoul strike unit, that remained MIA in the original game. Only Russian language is supported at the time of Steam release.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/389250

 

[PeachPlumage]

I always find the settings of Russian rpgs really fascinating and slightly more refreshing to what some of the Western studios tend to use.