Deathkeep
| Deathkeep | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | Lion Entertainment | ||
| Publisher |
 SSI
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| Erstveröffent- lichung |
November 1995 (3DO) May 1996 (Windows) |
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| platform | 3DO , Windows | ||
| genre | Action RPG | ||
| Subject | Dungeons and Dragons | ||
| Game mode | Single player , multiplayer | ||
| control | Keyboard & mouse , game controller | ||
| medium | CD-ROM | ||
| language | English | ||
| Age rating |
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Deathkeep is an action role-playing game from the development studio Lion Entertainment. The game, first published in November 1995 for the 3DO game console , is the successor to Slayer and the last of 35 games that the American computer game company SSI published from 1988 to 1995 on the basis of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons RPG set of rules . At the same time, it is considered the creative low point of the longstanding partnership between SSI and TSR. The game was also ported to Windows in 1996 .
action
The plot of the game is straightforward, with little depth. The player character has the task of chasing after a malicious necromancer who has escaped from his prison. In order to defeat him, the player must find three balls.
Gameplay
Deathkeep is a 3D dungeon crawler presented from the first person perspective , which mixes the gameplay of first person shooters such as Doom or Descent with elements from role-playing games. At the beginning the player has the choice whether he wants to play as a dwarf fighter, half-elven fighter or elven magician. The game consists of 25 dungeons with eight levels each. In the levels, similar to Doom or Descent , you have to find several keys with which you can access the next level. The levels are guarded by enemy creatures typical of AD&D , the weapons are also based on the role-playing rules, but there are no further role-playing aspects such as collecting experience points, more in-depth dialogues or further development of the character. Progress next to the opponents is made more difficult by secret doors, traps and jump puzzles similar to Ultima VIII: Pagan . Terrain conditions such as an icy surface also hinder the player in his usual way of locomotion. For orientation, the program has an Automap ready, on which the already visited game segments are shown. If a level has been successfully completed, a rating screen follows, in which the player's performance is assessed with points, and the player is given the opportunity to save.
development
The game was originally released for the 3DO game console in November 1995 and ported to Windows in May 1996 . In the same year of the console release, the exclusive license agreement between SSI and TSR also expired . Instead of continuing to issue an overall license, the financially troubled RPG publisher decided to license its various campaign worlds individually in the future. But the declining success of SSI productions is also the reason for the end of the partnership.
reception
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The ratings of Deathkeep on the 3DO and for Windows differed greatly. While the game was received rather positively on the console, it received mostly negative reviews from PC magazines.
Sandrie Souleiman from the German console magazine Mega Fun praised the title for its “excellent graphics”, “atmospheric music”, “realistic noises” and “an overwhelming variety and dimension of the dungeons”. It only complained about "a slight jerking" and the high level of difficulty, especially at the beginning. But once you have found your way into the game, it would offer a lot of tension and “motivation for entertaining hours”.
Andy Butcher tested the PC version of Deathkeep for Arcane magazine and only gave it 2 out of 10 points. He noted that software developers were following a trend to simplify computer role-playing games, commenting that Deathkeep must have sounded like a good idea on the surface, “a traditional AD&D dungeon beater with the agile action of the current wave of 3D -Combine games from the first-person perspective that id Software's Doom created ”. He continued: "The original version for the 3DO console was more than uninspired and this below average conversion on PC is even less than that". His verdict: “Unfortunately, Deathkeep suffers from terrible graphics, poor sound quality, and uninspiring gameplay, all of which add up to one of the worst games released for PC in a while. Try as many times as you want, there is just nothing in it to recommend. If you are looking for a fast-paced fantasy game that is battle-heavy and with few rules, then Witches is infinitely better than this ”. Petra Schlunk from Computer Gaming World came to a similar conclusion .
In retrospect, the game was seen as a failure. After Allen Rausch from GameSpy , Deathkeep was "the last Dungeons & Dragons game for SSI and it was a pretty shameful ending to a pretty stellar series," Gamasutra's Matt Barton , along with his predecessor Slayer, described it as "pathetic" and an occasion for TSR not to renew the license agreement with SSI. GameSpot's Andrew Park and Elliott Chin also rated Deathkeep as "inglorious" and "one of the worst SSI games ever" that "tainted" the AD&D legacy. Both the gaming press and fans were grossly disappointed.
“SSI's once-glorious run of AD&D games ended on a note of bitter disappointment for fans. After this game, SSI ceased to have the AD&D license, and it looked like AD&D was gone from the PC, at least for the immediate future. Fans were left to wonder whether it was SSI's poor showing of recent AD&D games or TSR's own financial troubles that led to this quiet end of the AD&D franchise. "
“SSI's once glorious run of AD&D games ended in a bitter disappointment for fans. After that game, SSI lost the AD&D license and it seemed like AD&D was lost for PC, at least for the near future. Fans were left wondering whether it was SSI's poor performance in recent AD&D games or TSR's own financial problems that led to this dodgy end to the AD&D franchise. "
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Rosemary Young: Deathkeep ( English ) In: Quandaryland . August 1996. Archived from the original on April 16, 2007. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
- ^ A b c d Andy Butcher: Games Reviews . In: Future Publishing (ed.): Arcane . No. 9, August 1996, pp. 68-69.
- ↑ a b c d e Petra Schlunk: Deathkeep: Doomed Role-Playing . In: Computer Gaming World . No. 147, October 1996, p. 196. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ↑ a b Allen Rausch: A History of D&D Video Games - Part IV ( English ) In: GameSpy . August 18, 2004. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
- ↑ a b c d e Sandrie Souleiman: Death Keep . In: Mega Fun . No. 2/96, February 1996. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ↑ Allen Rausch: SSI's "Gold Box" Series ( English ) In: GameSpy . News Corp . August 16, 2004. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ^ A b Matt Barton: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games Part III: The Platinum and Modern Ages (1994-2004) ( English ) In: Gamasutra . UBM plc . April 11, 2007. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
- ↑ Tal Blevins: Deathkeep Review ( English ) In: GameSpot . CNET . June 13, 1996. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ^ Deathkeep . In: Video Games . No. 2/96, February 1996.
- ↑ Andrew Park, Elliott Chin: Gamespot's History of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Deathkeep ( English ) In: GameSpot . CNET . Archived from the original on November 11, 1999. Retrieved January 27, 2013.