Ancient Evil Awakens in Lovecraftian RPG Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones
David Gelmini
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In this age of loud, shooty bang-bang titles like Call of Duty dominating the market, the appeal of turn-based RPGs has sure taken a hit; but rest assured it hasn’t dried up completely. And while it’s a genre that’s usually most commonly associated with Japan, the upcoming Lovecraftian RPG Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones actually comes from Turkish developer Cultic Games.
So yeah, we’re getting another Lovecraft game to go along with the several million that are already in production. But this one will appeal to the hardcore gamer crowd who still play and enjoy turn-based RPGs. And believe me; it really does take a patient, seasoned, and articulate gamer to fully appreciate the old school style of gameplay, but anyone with a pair of eyes can appreciate those beautiful cel-shaded visuals.
Featuring a story filled with classic elements from Lovecraft’s stories including the ancient deities known as the Old Ones, the music composer Erich Zann, and the town of Arkham, Massachusetts. Help the Old Ones to rise again by backing the game on Steam Greenlight.
Synopsis
Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones is a supernatural horror role-playing video game which takes place in the strange worlds of Howard Phillips Lovecraft. Stygian will draw the player into a bleak journey from a ruined Arkham to the very depths of the Abyss.
The gameplay experience promises a mix of rich role-playing and turn-based tactical combat in an authentic illustrative 2D graphical style. In Stygian, you’ll be able to create your character from scratch with a robust selection of archetypal backgrounds with different origin stories, attributes, skills, traits, and lastly, belief systems which determine how your character replenishes his lost sanity, also presenting unique dialog choices.
The narrative of the game is strongly connected to the works of H. P. Lovecraft. In your quest, you’ll use the haunted violin of Erich Zann to lure a fiendish deity and convince the poor wretched protagonist of “The Outsider” to join your party among many others. The heavy burden of fighting a desperate battle with forces beyond recognition will haunt you to the end of the game.
Physical combat will be scarce and difficult, spellcasting will have deep and dangerous consequences, sanity loss will leave its marks on characters as mental illnesses, and sometimes the best solution will be running away from the terrors that lurk in the night. Stygian embraces the original themes of pulp and weird fiction, incorporating them into the computer role-playing genre, promising a fresh (or putrid from another perspective) breath of air for role-playing fans.
History:
Your former life was in a bliss of ignorance until you’ve awakened to the darkness waiting to devour our very existence on the doorstep of our fragile dimension. Something terrible left its eons-old slumber and reality as we knew it collapsed. The city of Arkham was pulled to somewhere not of this world, and its residents are in the shadow of absolute terror. As a survivor of the catastrophe, you should investigate the strange occurrences in the city and survive the rising darkness physically and mentally, if possible…
Features List:
• A hand drawn 2D world which reflects the mood of Lovecraft and the pulp era of horror.
• Quests and storylines which capture the iconic themes of Lovecraft. Take part in your favorite horror stories and shape their outcome according to your role-playing style.
• Weirdest of the companions will accompany you in your accursed journey. Lonely antediluvian of “The Outsider,” a dead WWI soldier reanimated in the hands of “Herbert West,” a psychic narcissistic cat from Ulthar, and more will be among your eccentric cast of companions.
• Sanity and the mental state of the character will have influence on the dialog options. Mental conditions create benefits as well as hindrances. Sometimes being mad in a mad world helps.
• Belief systems determine what the characters find comfort in and regenerate lost sanity alongside providing unique role-playing opportunities. A rational character gains sanity after completing research on a mythos creature while a divine one gains sanity after converting a lost soul to the path of God.
• A unique spell system which sometimes takes more than what it gives. The black magic of Stygian is very potent but will cost you your mind, health, and sometimes your very soul. Being a master of the true occult is unlike flinging colorful missiles from your fingertips.
• Turn-based tactical combat in beautiful 2D with “Heroes of Might and Magic” like perspective.
• 7 different archetypes with completely unique prologue stories and specialities.
• The struggle is not for saving the world; that battle is lost already. Find salvation or settle a vendetta in a doomed world.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2-ivhhpEtE]
Categorized:Horror Gaming News
