World of Darkness Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood - action-RPG adaptation from Cyanide

[rusty_shackleford]

If you're looking for a 00s brawler it's actually not bad. The werewolf fighting part was fun, can't really think of any other games that have the same feeling so it gets bonus points for uniqueness.
The problem is the shitty stealth parts that ruined my werewolf brawler.
definitely not an rpg though, it's an action game.

It's very average, but also fun.

the stealth is even more pathetic when you realize this is the same dev that made the Styx games btw.

 

[J1M]

Why would you encrypt your game files when that would drastically increase loading times, make streaming from disk more difficult, and lower performance?

In both Brawlers and Figthing games, the encryption of game assets (animations specially) are rather common practice
Don't be fooled by that site's compatibility table, as it has alot of games that say you can acess things (Skeletons, Textures, Animations, Static Meshes) but when you try to actually open/modify these files you are barred by encryption

You forgot to explain 'why'.

Here's a legitimate reason: you run a live service game and want to preload assets for an event you don't want to have spoiled. Not applicable to the vast majority of games.

I think you found a tool you are excited about and are confusing "custom binary format I can't extract" with "encrypted".

 

[Roguey]

the stealth is even more pathetic when you realize this is the same dev that made the Styx games btw.

Looking at the credits, this was made by a skeleton crew even compared to the Styx games.

 

[Zombra]

I had high hopes for this but it looks like the perfect embodiment of "buy at large discount"

More like "Do not spend a fucking cent on this, and do not even pirate it. Nothing here is worth a sliver of your remaining time on this earth."

 

[Infinitron]

Released on GOG: https://af.gog.com/game/werewolf_the_apocalypse_earthblood?as=1649904300

 

[RaggleFraggle]

Aside from the poor mechanical execution, the lore for this game is fucking tone-deaf especially decades after it was originally conceived by the antecedents of the modern woke. Climate change and pollution are complex issues without an easy solution, and the way this lore reduces it to furry!Captain Planet is just fucking offensive.

If you really must adapt an IP with tons of irrelevant outdated lore bloat rather than make up your own like you should, then the “Forsaken” AU reboot/spin-off would obviously go over much better because it’s not founded on Captain Planet morality. To sum it up as best I can, it’s about werewolves descended from Sumerian gods who fight what are basically yokai to maintain the balance of the world.

 

[J1M]

Aside from the poor mechanical execution, the lore for this game is fucking tone-deaf especially decades after it was originally conceived by the antecedents of the modern woke. Climate change and pollution are complex issues without an easy solution, and the way this lore reduces it to furry!Captain Planet is just fucking offensive.

If you really must adapt an IP with tons of irrelevant outdated lore bloat rather than make up your own like you should, then the “Forsaken” AU reboot/spin-off would obviously go over much better because it’s not founded on Captain Planet morality. To sum it up as best I can, it’s about werewolves descended from Sumerian gods who fight what are basically yokai to maintain the balance of the world.

No thanks. I would rather not have everything "recontextuallized" by modern leftists. The prospect of all media looking and tasting like a beige paste is what you are asking for. Which is hilarious because 99% of everything produced today is already like this. You'd think it would be enough.

The game is a period piece. If its accurate presentation of what leftists actually believed in the 90s makes you uncomfortable, then maybe that's because your brain is trying to process the updated set of talking points in conjunction with how silly the old ones were.

 

[RaggleFraggle]

Aside from the poor mechanical execution, the lore for this game is fucking tone-deaf especially decades after it was originally conceived by the antecedents of the modern woke. Climate change and pollution are complex issues without an easy solution, and the way this lore reduces it to furry!Captain Planet is just fucking offensive.

If you really must adapt an IP with tons of irrelevant outdated lore bloat rather than make up your own like you should, then the “Forsaken” AU reboot/spin-off would obviously go over much better because it’s not founded on Captain Planet morality. To sum it up as best I can, it’s about werewolves descended from Sumerian gods who fight what are basically yokai to maintain the balance of the world.

No thanks. I would rather not have everything "recontextuallized" by modern leftists. The prospect of all media looking and tasting like a beige paste is what you are asking for. Which is hilarious because 99% of everything produced today is already like this. You'd think it would be enough.

The game is a period piece. If its accurate presentation of what leftists actually believed in the 90s makes you uncomfortable, then maybe that's because your brain is trying to process the updated set of talking points in conjunction with how silly the old ones were.

Maybe it’s because I didn’t sleep well, but I can’t even begin to understand what your point is.

Look, this game and the lore behind it sucks ass for a variety of reasons. I just want a game about werewolves that doesn’t suck. Is that really too much to ask?

 

[Semiurge]

Released on GOG: https://af.gog.com/game/werewolf_the_apocalypse_earthblood?as=1649904300

That's how you know something's shit - it gets a GOG release whilst still being new.

 

[J1M]

Released on GOG: https://af.gog.com/game/werewolf_the_apocalypse_earthblood?as=1649904300

That's how you know something's shit - it gets a GOG release whilst still being new.

Ahh, like Witcher 3.

 

[Lord_Potato]

Finished it today.

Fun brawling, boring stealth and very barebones RPG. You really feel the might of your Crinos form, especially after a few upgrades. Wolf form on the other hand is fast and quiet, but for some reason has no option for taking down enemies, which is lame. These teeth and claws are for something after all. Human form is ok, has lots of things to do, but walks infuriatingly slow in areas populated by enemies.

Despite changing environments (forests, deserts, oil rig in the middle of the ocean) the locations are pretty repetitive, with rooms after rooms of silent takedowns, sabotaging reinforcement gates, turning off cameras and turrets and then, when everything fails, engaging in a short bloodbath. Which is the best part, so why should I really avoid it by crawling through ridiculously situated ventilation ducts?

The story about a secret war between an evil corporation and an alliance of spiritual werewolves and environmentalists is not very good, although it never lacks tragedy. However I did not really care about the tragic fate of Cahal's family because we spend very little time with his wife and daughter and never manage to get attached with them. I literally cared more about his buddy, but he dies offscreen so the emotional impact of this fact is kind of lost.

The only choices you get is whether to pursue boring sidequests (finding and repairing altars, putting spirits to rest, etc.) and a 'big' choice at the end which boils down to which group of enemies you fight and which cutscene you watch.

I feel that with a bigger budget the talented people at Cyanide could have achieved something decent. Maybe not on the level of Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines but still a decent game. There are some good ideas here,but they are not developed enough. A pity because I feel the rich lore of Werewolf setting deserves more than this halfhearted try.

 

[RaggleFraggle]

The story abiut a secret war between an evil corporation and an alliance of spiritual werewolves and environmentalists is not very good,

This is the problem with the IP in a nutshell.

If you want a video game franchise about werewolves, then it may be best to make settings from scratch to fit the medium, the audience, and the times.

 

[J1M]

The story abiut a secret war between an evil corporation and an alliance of spiritual werewolves and environmentalists is not very good,

This is the problem with the IP in a nutshell.

If you want a video game franchise about werewolves, then it may be best to make settings from scratch to fit the medium, the audience, and the times.

I would prefer a Cobra Kai approach.

 

[RaggleFraggle]

The story abiut a secret war between an evil corporation and an alliance of spiritual werewolves and environmentalists is not very good,

This is the problem with the IP in a nutshell.

If you want a video game franchise about werewolves, then it may be best to make settings from scratch to fit the medium, the audience, and the times.

I would prefer a Cobra Kai approach.

That failed epically. The tabletop fandom has already been torn to pieces by the controversial changes made in the latest edition. Such as *checks notes* the removal of deformed incest babies from character creation.

I’m not sure which I should be more disturbed by. The fact that the writers thought deformed incest baby should be a character class, or the fact that fans are upset it was removed?

 

[J1M]

I meant making the protagonists the capitalists because it is so obvious to even normies that Greenpeace were the baddies and climate change was a scam to profit from imaginary financial instruments like carbon credits.

 

[RaggleFraggle]

I meant making the protagonists the capitalists because it is so obvious to even normies that Greenpeace were the baddies and climate change was a scam to profit from imaginary financial instruments like carbon credits.

That’s certainly a creative choice. Very interesting perspective flip.

But in my original post I meant I think other devs should make their own original werewolf games. There wouldn’t be baggage and fan expectations.

For example (and with tongue firmly in cheek), you could write a… I don’t know… a paranormal romance visual novel about three werewolf clans jockeying for influence in a modernish urban setting? They’d be loosely inspired by the shticks behind Hogwarts houses: 50 Shades style rich sexy businessmen, a druidic mystery cult who study the mysteries of the moon god, and brave champions of the proletariat who spout meaningless populist rhetoric. The PC is a newly turned werewolf who must navigate the treacherous politics and thirst over the clan leaders who are all romance novel love interests.

Or the PC is a private detective or police detective that uses his werewolf powers to help him solve cases.

Or the PC is a benandanti/krsnik/whatever who uses his/her powers to hunt warlocks and demons like a werewolf version of Buffy or Charmed.

Or whatever. There’s no notable werewolf-centric video games so you’re free to do anything and slap werewolves onto it. Or do other kinds of shifters like cats, dragons, selkies, spiders… folklore is full of them.

 

[Vincente]

But in my original post I meant I think other devs should make their own original werewolf games. There wouldn’t be baggage and fan expectations.

Glad to see you're still the useless ideas guy with a hateboner for everything World of Darkness related, churning out the same drivel like a broken record.

I meant making the protagonists the capitalists

A Pentex-sided WtA-VtM game would be interesting to say the least, don't they have Kindred in Pentex Board of Directors?

 

[RaggleFraggle]

Glad to see you're still the useless ideas guy with a hateboner for everything World of Darkness related, churning out the same drivel like a broken record.

Yeah, sorry about that. It's been months so I forgot I already posted in this thread and was too stupid to read the previous posts on the same page. Sorry for annoying you. If it's any consolation, I am currently working on projects in which I intend to feature werewolves. Also, I wouldn't call it hate for everything: I take issue with the execution, but I do think some of the ideas are worth recycling and the books were my first introduction to urban fantasy before I got into reading other authors.