Genre: RPGDeveloper: AtticYear: 1994
Rating: 0.00 / 10.00
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Realms of Arkania is an old-school CRPG trilogy with all the ingredients of a classic: it's long, has interesting quests, interactivity and a big gameworld to travel on. It's based on a successful german pen'n'paper RPG called Das Schwarze Auge, and Star Trail is the second game in the series.
In this chapter, again, the threat of war spreads over the land. You're assigned to look for the Salamander Stone, supposedly an icon of good will among elves and dwarves, long lost. Your adventures gain epic proportions as you're finally sent out to find the Star Trail, a powerful relic and your ultimate goal in the game. Again, side-quests can be found everywhere, and the non-linear aspect of the map can take you to dangerous places at any time.
The RPG system is quite complex, and so is the character creation. Actually, if you're into creating your own characters, I suggest you read the manual first. Otherwise, simply load the "Start" game and you'll start out right away with an average party that can take care of themselves. Then... well, the game *is* somewhat complex, so read the manual either way. It has valuable information and hints, and teach you about the many icons you'll find on different buildings and stores. You can always try to figure them out on yourself as well, it's complex but not impossible.
What amazes me about this game is the great array of options. Many kinds of characters and actions to take. You have to set up camps in the wilderness, hunt for water, food and herbs. You can try to earn money in taverns by amusing the customers or cheating in games. The game randomly throws unique situations and NPCs at you at anytime. And there's much more, you'll see by playing it.
The graphics and music are quite good. Most of the game is in first-person perspective, combats happen in isometric view, and there's a world map mode in which you can travel anywhere you feel like, anytime you want. To further improve the experience, Star Trail has a much better engine, which makes most in-game tasks a lot simpler compared to its prequel, and expands combat scenes.
As said above, it's an old-school RPG, with great focus on character development and quests, the kind that keeps you busy for hundreds of hours. Hardcore roleplayers will love this one.
