History of Dungeon-Master Clones 1987-2012 [Video]

Here is a great video by a fellow Swede, called JemyM on YouTube. He goes through every real-time blobber from 1987 to 2012 with a surprisingly deep review for each title. If you care about RPGs, and see value in gaming history—this is a top-notch video to watch that avoids meme overload and feels more “academic”. Unexpectedly, a project of this magnitude will produce a lengthy video, hence the runtime clocking in at nearly 4.5 hours. In my opinion, this just means more of a good thing. However, I recommend bringing a large thermos with strong coffee if you are going to tackle the video in one go. Watch the video after the jump!

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Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy – Side-quests or Die! [Review]

Welcome to AtomTeam’s third RPG: Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy. If you have played any of their former projects, like ATOM RPG: Post-apocalyptic indie game, or ATOM RPG Trudograd, you know what to expect here. It’s essentially the same type of roleplaying experience—created in the same engine, following the established structure, and gameplay mechanics they created. However, this time they are ditching the radiated wasteland for a lush low-fantasy medieval world, where the sword rules instead of the rifle.

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Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy – IS OUT!

After about a year in Early Access on Steam following its successful Kickstarter campaign, Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy is finally out! I have invested a few hours into it, but it was a while back (about a year ago). I remember being entertained in a low-level RPG way, similar to Baldur’s Gate, which I just love. Funnily enough, this was said back then too, but I’m sticking with it! I don’t think much has changed in that regard, though—except that we have a full game on our hands now. So, it’s a pure Christmas joy, as I didn’t actually know it was this close to release, yet, here we are. Make sure to take a gander over at their Steam page, if you want a cozy, grounded adventure during the winter months. And the price is not too shabby, just a bit over twenty euros, making it a steal!

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Gothic 1 Remake – Video Dev Log #4 [Video]

Despite the recent controversy regarding the uglifying of Gomez’s sex slaves, I’m still excited about the Gothic 1 Remake—at least, as much one can be for a recreation of a classic. This latest devlog goes into depth of the story, and to me, it seems clear a lot of effort has been put into maintaining what the original was, yet expanding it in parts. What’s interesting here is that they are collaborating with Mattias Filler, one of the original writers—and you can say that his role in the franchise, and Piranha Bytes (RIP) games are legendary. So this must be a good sign! Going by what he says in the video, he seems genuinely glad to be able to fix some writing inconsistencies that he missed back in the day. Check out the devlog video after the click!

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Of Ash and Steel – Seven Points of Critique

I’m far from finishing Of Ash and Steel, so this is not a review—just a critique of the game and its mechanics after about fifteen hours of playing. While I think it’s a good addition to the specific Gothic/Risen/Skyrim lineage of RPGs, I do find it falls short in places—in areas where they could have found easy inspiration. It’s not something that overly disappoints me, but thanks to these issues it will probably never reach the same level of appreciation (at least from me).

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