Based on one of the oldest and most successful pen and paper fantasy RPGs of all time and slated to hit store shelves in late 2010-early 2011, The Dark Eye: Demonicon is slowly but surely making its way onto next generation consoles. Although there have been 4 successful PC adaptations based on The Dark Eye universe since 1992, Demonicon, which is optimized for the Xbox 360, is destined to make history by being the very first installment of TDE to be released on a console. Unfortunately there is not alot of information available at this time but at XboxMessiah we were able to get our grimy little paws on some pretty juicy tidbits and it’s looking like Xbox 360 based action/RPG fans are likely in for a real treat.
The Dark Eye: Demonicon is an epic action role-playing game which takes place in Aventuria, the main continent in The Dark Eye universe. The majority of the story transpires in the Black Lands, a treacherous place where evil touches all aspects of everyday life; every person, city and animal showing signs of demonic change from the earliest first signs to blasphemous mutations. Of course your journey will also take you to the idyllic forests and meadows of the Middenrealm, coastal regions infested with pirates, dense jungles, and dark temples located deep within age-old mountains – the graphical depictions of every landscape and city alike setting new standards.
The guys at Silver Style Entertainment, the in-house development studio of The Games Company, are placing an extra special emphasis on the games’ story as well as the development of a dynamic and cinematic combat system. Demonicon narrates an enthralling tale of murder, intrigue and dark power. On your quest you will battle dangerous monsters and meet unforgettable characters – madmen, saints, and the desperate. Often times you will have to choose who will be your friend and who will be your enemy – but you must choose wisely. The Black Lands do not forgive mistakes.
The game is set in the year 1032, after the fall of the once mighty empire of Bosporan and some fifteen years after Aventuria was ravaged by the dreadful warlock Borborad and prophecies predicted the end of the current age. Born into increasingly uncertain times, you are raised by your adoptive parents on the borders of the Black Lands; your only happiness in life being your friendship with the dreamy merchants daughter, Calandra
The story begins when you find out that your adopted father is an attempted murderer, an ostracized one. He chased your beloved Calandra, the love of your life with the intent to murder her in cold blood – Or so you are told by the scheming powers that be. But is your loving father really a murderer? Did he really intend to kill your beautiful Calandra or is he the target of vicious slander? Beware as you’re enemies are many and the secretive half-elf Rhynn seems to be your only ally. Your quest for truth will lead you into THE most dangerous regions of Aventuria and deep into the shadows. Step by step you are forced explore the terrible Black Lands, infamous for their sinister characters and the most terrifying, dangerous monsters ever to walk on Aventurias’ soil and it isn’t long before you realize you are part of something much bigger than you’d ever imagined; events that will shake the very foundations of YOUR world. Your actions and decisions from this point on will decide the fate of the world. Your physical metal and moral fiber will be put to the test. You can count on it.
Based on the original TDE rule set, Demonicon promises an extremely comprehensive character creation system. As in most any RPG, you will be able to select your characters gender, race and profession at the onset of the game. You will also be given a pool of points you can pour into your attributes and skills as you see fit. Given the varied possibilities for character development within the TDE rule set, attributes and skills are rarely ever the same for any two characters so your choices here will affect your quests as well as the way NPCs react to you for the rest of the game. For example, your adventure will play out differently if you are a wood elf scout rather than, say, a dwarf; obvioulsy making for a moderately high replay value. But the buck doesn’t stop here.
From what we understand character development goes much deeper. So deep in fact, that you will be able to design your characters outer appearance right down to defining customized tattoos and scarring. However, if you are the impatient type and you want to jump right into the game without thinking too much about it, you will be able to choose from several pre-made, adventure-ready archetypes. I’m going for the tattoos and the scarring. You know, that battle hardened look. After all, intimidation goes a long way towards thwarting evil. Atleast I hope so.
The world of Demonicon is a living breathing world with living breathing characters; every NPC having his/her own daily routines. For example, fishermen don’t hang out lakeside forever. They go home at night, sometimes stopping off at the local tavern for an ale or two before doing so. Then, come morning, it’s back to the boat for a day of fishing. Depending on the quest, NPCs will also support you and even join you on occasion in your adventures. Advanced artificial intelligence will control the NPCs so you can have full control of your hero. This, along with a realistically seamless day/night cycle make for an unbelievably authentic atmosphere which will support what the developers at Silver Style Entertainment hope will redefine the genre with its action-oriented combat and movie-like storyline.
Oh, and yes there are definite plans for some seriously kickass multi-player mayhem. It is to our understanding at XboxMessiah that you will be able to combat evil as a group in co-op mode with the story being told from a slightly different perspective. There will also be additional content like special dungeons that will be fine tuned for cooperative, multi-player gaming. On the other hand – and we’re totally diggin’ on this idea – Silver Style plans to include an extensive arena mode where several players can battle each other simultaneously. This my friends would be where the mayhem and madness ensue. Your special skills and talents will be very important here, for example, as players will be able to set traps and trigger specific events. Care to meet me in the arena (what with my intimidating appearance and all)?
Unfortunately, that’s all we have for now but I have a strange feeling there is a lot more where that came from as the Silver Style team seems to be working diligently to make this the genre-bending experience that they’ve been promising since they acquired the license in ‘08. I hope they’ll deliver.
Unfortunately, that’s all there is for now but. . . .Wait! I forgot about the eye candy. Hit the J-U-M-P and feast your eyes on these! Oh yeah and the Demonicon Developers Diaries 1, 2, and 3 at RPGVault/IGN. Some pretty good stuff there as well.
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