Warhammer: Dark Omen
| Warhammer: Dark Omen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | Mindscape | ||
| Publisher | Electronic Arts | ||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
1998 | ||
| platform | Windows , PlayStation | ||
| genre | Real time strategy game | ||
| Subject | Warhammer Fantasy | ||
| Game mode | Single player , multiplayer | ||
| control | Mouse & keyboard , game controller | ||
| medium | CD-ROM | ||
| language | German | ||
| Age rating |
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Warhammer: Dark Omen is a real-time strategy game from the US developer Mindscape and is based on the Warhammer Fantasy tabletop license from Games Workshop . It is the sequel to Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat and was released by Electronic Arts in 1998 for Windows and PlayStation .
action
The player again takes on the role of the mercenary leader Morgan Bernhardt from the Angerbringer Brigades, known from the predecessor, who saved the empire from the attacks of the Skaven . But the peace is short-lived as the greenskins - orcs and goblins - threaten the empire from the south. A new power has arisen in their ancestral lands, an army of the undead that is driving them towards the borders of the empire. Bernhardt receives the order from Emperor Karl Franz to stop this new threat.
The action leads from border counties via Sylvania, Kislev , Bretonia to the finale in Tomb Kings of Khemri . The progress of the plot is staged in the form of conversations between the various leaders, e.g. Bernhardt, the emperor and his court magician, in which the events are commented on and the goals of the next mission are explained.
Gameplay
Dark Omen has both a single player campaign with 20 missions - unlike its predecessor, which are linearly consecutive - as well as a multiplayer mode for two players. The game events during the battles are presented from an overview perspective with the help of a 3D graphics engine. The camera can be rotated freely and has a zoom function. The PlayStation version also supports the use of the PlayStation mouse.
Like its predecessor, the game works without building a base or individual units. Instead, the player only has a set number of troop types available, consisting of a mixture of medieval / early modern-inspired unit types (close and long-range fighters, cavalry, artillery), fantasy elements (magic, steampunk ) and characters (elves, dwarves, ogres etc.). It is important to strategically position these in a first phase of the game before the start of the battle. The contingents can only be positioned and given orders as a collective unit, splitting up, uniting with other troops or direct control of individual soldiers are not possible. The positions of the opposing troops are still hidden from the player at this point.
When positioning is complete, the battle begins and the opposing troops enter the battlefield. Compared to other genre representatives, the game speed is comparatively slow. Although there are optional quests in some of the single player campaign missions, it is usually the player's job to destroy or drive off enemy units. As usual in real-time strategy games, the units can be set in motion at any time or the order to attack can be given. However, psychological effects also play a role. If a troop is vastly outnumbered by an enemy, suffers heavy losses or falls victim to a fear spell, it can escape.
On the other hand, the player can morally support a certain unit by holding down a corresponding button and thus give additional strength or end an escape, but gives up his ability to influence the rest of the battle. The nature of the terrain and the positioning of the units have a significant influence on the course of the battle. Ranged fighters need a clear view of the enemy to be attacked (line of sight). Higher-lying locations extend this viewing radius. Buildings and trees, on the other hand, can be used as privacy screens or cover from enemy attacks, and attacks on the flank or from behind affect the enemy more than frontal attacks. In addition, there is the use of magical spells, which is bound to mana that only gradually regenerates through so-called magical storms.
Troops that survive the battle collect experience points similar to role-playing games, which increase the strength of the entire company after leveling up. In addition, the player collects money with which he can recruit improved equipment for his troops and replacements for the fallen soldiers of a company after the battle. However, if all soldiers of a troop are killed during the battle, they will no longer be available for the rest of the game.
In the multiplayer mode, both players have the choice between the faction of the empire, the greenskins and the undead. They have a limited budget with which they can hire different companies.
development
Scriptwriter Stephen Marley wrote the script for the plot and Mark Knight wrote the soundtrack. The German version was set to music with the help of the speakers Stefan Boje, Lutz Liebelt, Martin Mueller, Peter Schaufler and Gertrude Thoma. Dark Omen supported the first generation of 3dfx voodoo graphics cards . The technology consisted of a mixture of 3D terrain and two-dimensional sprites with billboarding .
reception
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Warhammer: Dark Omen received mostly benevolent reviews. Above all, its 3D graphics and the integration of role-play aspects were praised. A very high level of difficulty was often criticized. Elliott Chin from the US magazine Computer Gaming World mainly compared the game with Bungie's Myth and criticized, for example, that if the losses were too high, despite winning the mission, further progress would be almost impossible in the long term. The game also lacked corresponding functions, such as the option to repeat a mission at the end of a mission. He also criticized the user interface, which had partially corrected the predecessor's deficiencies, but still did not provide important tactical information such as the health of a unit. Alex Folkers from Video Games also complained about the PlayStation version that it was annoying or even unplayable without a mouse.
Warhammer: Dark Omen is a good game, and is much better than its predecessor. Its only direct competition right now is Myth , and Dark Omen holds its own with its 3D graphics, deep combat engine, role-playing elements, and story-driven gameplay. If you can stand a more slowly paced real-time game and a steep learning curve, you'll find a redeeming strategy experience in this latest Warhammer offering.
“ Warhammer: Dark Omen is a good game and much better than its predecessor. Its only direct competitor at the moment is Myth and Dark Omen can assert itself with its 3D graphics, profound combat mechanics, role-playing elements and its action-driven gameplay. If you're more of a slow-paced real-time game and a steep learning curve, then you'll find a fulfilling strategy experience with this latest Warhammer offering. "
“I don't particularly like real-time strategy - as an editor, I've already had enough hectic pace. Dark Omen didn't come in handy. However, I cannot deny that the tough chunk of strategy has a certain appeal - the intermediate dialogues give the military leaders their own personality and are not just tiny piles of pixels. There is also the tricky financial aspect, as there never seems to be enough money available. "
Web links
- Warhammer: Dark Omen at MobyGames (English)
- Mark Knight's Game Sounds , website of the composer with audio samples of the soundtrack
- Warhammer: Dark Omen Online Community , with extensive game documentation
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f Elliott Chin: A Good Omen . (Article scan) In: Computer Gaming World . 07/1998, No. 168, July 1998, pp. 178-181.
- ↑ a b c d http://www.ninretro.de/game-10-1400.html
- ↑ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/warhammer-dark-omen-review/1900-2531818
- ↑ http://www.ign.com/articles/1998/08/14/warhammer-dark-omen
- ↑ http://www.ninretro.de/game-10-1400.html
- ↑ http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=3638 ( Memento from June 2, 2008 in the Internet Archive )