Wachenröder
| Wachenröder | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Original title | バ ッ ケ ン ロ ー ダ ー |
| Studio | Sega |
| Publisher | Sega |
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
 Japan August 6, 1998 |
| platform | Sega Saturn |
| genre | Strategy RPG |
| Subject | Dark Future , Steampunk |
| Game mode | Single player |
| control | Gamepad |
| medium | 1 CD-ROM |
| language | Japanese , partly German |
Wachenröder ( Japanese バ ッ ケ ン ロ ー ダ ー , Bakkenrōdā ) is a strategy role-playing game for the Sega Saturn . It was developed by Sega and published on August 6, 1998; So far it has only been published in Japan .
action
The story takes place in a dark future vision on the island of Edoald, which is ruled by the Emperor Duran . In this alternative world history , steam power has developed a great deal and has a very high priority: Vehicles, equipment and weapons are operated with steam instead of electricity. That is why Wachenröder can be assigned to steampunk in terms of content and above all in terms of design .
Since the construction of several water treatment plants for the rich upper class, the residents of Edoald are increasingly suffering from diseases caused by drinking water contaminated with toxic waste.
The player takes on the role of Lucian Taylor, who goes in search of Emperor Duran in order to avenge the death of his sister caused by illness, for which he blames him.
Gameplay
The game is mostly presented from an isometric perspective , similar to the genre-related games Vandal Hearts , Front Mission or Final Fantasy Tactics , and consists of a sequence of turn-based battles , between which the story is continued with the help of the narrator Bellebete . Because of this straightforwardness, it is easy to play even for people who do not speak Japanese, especially since all important functions are displayed either in English or as small pictograms.
main characters
The events of the game essentially revolve around the following characters :
- Lucian Taylor
- An often depressed young man in his early 20s who wants to avenge the death of his sister, who died 4 years ago. He is equipped with an SRG, a so-called "Steam Refine Gear", which supplies his "Sledge", a steam-powered weapon, with energy.
- Carrol Mew
- A young girl who looks very much like Lucian's sister. She is armed with two firearms mounted on her hands.
- Titus Groan
- Named after Mervyn Peake's fictional character of the same name . He is armed with a kind of steam-powered hammer.
Use of the German language
Wachenröder is bilingual in many places. The little art book that comes with the game begins with a longer German text that tells the background story in poetry . The names of the individual chapters and some items are also in German. Some characters even speak German (e.g. a character named “Slap Happy” in the mission “The Court” ) or have a German name (“Walter”, “Georg”); a steel melting plant bears the name "Falkenhof" etc.
The title of the game itself is made up of the words Wache and Röder (pronounced Roder ), the latter being derived from the German word " Roden " , which in the original sense denotes the cutting down of trees. A "guard" is a person who mainly "clears guards", which describes the game of the individual missions well.
Also worth mentioning is the use of the Wiener Werkstätte logo on the cover, the CD-ROM and in the game itself.
This once again shows the preference for Germany and the German language in Japanese video game culture.
Other examples in which the German language has a higher priority would be e.g. As the shoot 'em up Handed the company Square (now Square Enix ) or the Jump' n 'Run Akumajō Dorakyura X: Chi no Rondo (also known as Dracula X: Rondo of Blood ) from Konami , which completely a Has German intro.
Web links
- “Wachenröder” on www.cenocide.de Review, cover scans and screenshots of Wachenröder
- ShinForce Review for "Wachenröder" Review and screenshots for Wachenröder