暗影术士
ShadowCaster

Raven Software, 1993
MS-DOS

Raven Software, 1993
MS-DOS

今天的 Raven Software[1] 是动视旗下的一个分支,主要从事《使命召唤(Call of Duty)》系列的开发工作。在 1990 年代中期,公司以《异教徒(Heretic)》和《毁灭巫师(Hexen: Beyond Heretic)》[2] 在业界知名,而他们真正的起源是从 1992 年为 Amiga 开发的即时第一人称小队制 RPG《黑暗地穴(Black Crypt)》开始的。

后来,Raven Software 预感到 Amiga 的时日无多,就注册了一个由 id Software 开发的新引擎的版权,此引擎是 John Carmack[3] 在《德军总部 3D(Wolfenstein 3D)》发售后做的(但在《毁灭战士(Doom)》诞生之前)。可以说,《暗影术士(ShadowCaster)》可能是历史上第一款结合了 FPS 和 RPG 元素的游戏。

Raven Software is known today as an Activision subsidiary working on the Call of Duty series; in the mid-90s they were know as developers of Heretic and Hexen; but they really began in 1992 with Black Crypt, a real-time blobber for the Amiga.

Sensing the death of the Amiga, they licensed a new engine id's John Carmack was working on after Wolfenstein 3D (but before Doom), and made what's arguably the first FPS/RPG hybrid: ShadowCaster.

1994 年《暗影术士》以 CD-ROM 形式重新发售,增加了配音和过场动画,以及通关后可以游玩的两个挑战关卡。

ShadowCaster was re-released in CD-ROM in 1994, adding voice acting, FMV sequences and two challenging levels after you finish the game.

虽然游戏流程中大部分时间都在战斗,但是战斗的节奏缓慢,难度很低,既没有 RPG 的精细度,也不如《毁灭战士》刺激,并不是很好玩。

While most of your time will be spent fighting, combat isn't fun. It's slow, easy and lacks both the complexity of an RPG and the action of Doom.

不同的形态有其独特的优势劣势和能力。考恩虽然矮小瘦弱,但是有自愈能力,擅长潜行,能够施展光明照耀、心灵遥感等咒语。

Each form has unique advantages, cons and powers. The Caun is small and weak, but can heal himself, sneak, cast light, telekinesis and other spells.

你扮演的角色是科特(Kirt),有一天突然发现自己是另一个维度的变形者(shape-shifter),而且你必须打败邪恶的流放神明马尔柯(Malkor)。

作为一个变形者,科特逐渐在他的冒险中学会变成各种形态。一开始他只能变成毛林(Maorin)形态,一头有四只手臂的巨大狼人。这个形态下的你力量更强大,身体更强韧,速度更快,也能看到隐形的陷阱,但会在水中淹死。

之后,科特能学会幻化成考恩(Caun)形态,一个能够潜行的矮小瘦弱的术士;奥普西丝(Opsis),一个可以侦察区域并且恫吓敌人的眼球;卡帕(Kahpa),能在水下呼吸和运用元素攻击的青蛙型生物;斯萨尔(Ssair),会喷火的红色火蜥蜴;格洛斯特(Grost),力不可挡的石头巨人,能打穿墙壁,甚至引发小地震。

不过,变化成其他形态和运用能力会消耗科特本身的魔力。魔力耗尽,他就会退回人类形态。魔力会逐渐恢复,但此时他的战斗力也将被大大削弱。

探索地牢时你会碰到一些非常简单的解谜,也能拿到武器、护具、药水、钥匙和魔法道具,同时你的经验会增长,让你能够升级(尽管加点都是隐藏的)。

这些设定听起来很好玩,可惜游戏没有把它们的优势发挥出来。科特的丰富能力只在少数情况下才用得到,而且缺乏新意。战斗是游戏的核心部分,但是作为一个类《毁灭战士》作品节奏实在是太缓慢和枯燥,地图粗糙,敌人设计也不如意,近战的占比过大。

作为一个用了早期《毁灭战士》引擎的即时小队制 RPG,《暗影术士》的概念是很有潜力的,技术方面也足够先进,可惜所有的部分并没有很好地融合到一起。也难怪在这之后 Raven Software 就改做了带 RPG 要素的类毁灭战士快节奏 FPS《毁灭巫师》。

You play as Kirt, a guy who (very) suddenly finds out that he is a shape-shifter from another dimension who must defeat Malkor, an evil outcast god.

As a shape-shifter, Kirt will learn to assume various forms during his adventures. He begins only with the Maorin form – a huge werewolf with four arms. In this form you're stronger, tougher, faster and can see invisible traps, but drown in water.

Later on, Kirk will also learn to transform into Caun, – a small and fragile spellcaster that can sneak around; Opsis, a floating eyeball that can scout the map and scare enemies; Kahpa, a frog-like creature that can breath underwater and perform elemental attacks; Ssair, a red salamander that can breath fire; and Grost, a nearly invincible stone giant that can punch through walls and cause earthquakes.

However, taking the form of a creature and using its abilities drains Kirk's magical power. Once it runs out, he'll revert to his human form, which naturally regenerates magic power but is much weaker.

While exploring the dungeons you'll come across (very) simple puzzles, weapons, armour, potions, keys and magic items you can collect, plus gain XP and eventually level up (thought all stats are hidden).

While all this sounds cool, ShadowCaster never lives up to its potential. Kirk has all these interesting abilities, yet they are used sparingly and in predictable ways. Combat is the real focus, but it's dull and slow (especially for a Doom-like), with small, crude maps, weak enemy design and over-reliance on melee.

A real-time blobber inside an (early) Doom engine, ShadowCaster was a promising concept powered by an impressive technology, but its parts never clicked together. It's not surprising that Raven Software would next create Heretic, streamlining the RPG elements to deliver a Doom-like fast-paced FPS.

__________

1 译者注:Raven Software 制作的游戏包括 2009 年出品的《德军总部(Wolfenstein)》、《使命召唤:黑色行动(Call of Duty: Black Ops)》的 DLC 内容制作以及用户界面设置、《使命召唤:现代战争 3(Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3)》的多人模式,部分单人任务,DLC 内容制作以及用户界面设置、《使命召唤:幽灵(Call of Duty: Ghosts)》的多人模式,部分单人任务,DLC 内容制作以及用户界面设置、《使命召唤 Online(Call of Duty Online)》、《使命召唤:高级战争(Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare)》的多人模式、丧尸模式以及 DLC 内容,以及《使命召唤 4:现代战争重制版(Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Remastered)》的制作。
2 译者注:上述均为原创翻译。两款游戏虽然名字上有重叠,但实际上是两个单独的游戏系列。
3 译者注:John Carmack,id Software 的创始人,《德军总部 3D》、《毁灭战士》等游戏的开发者,他卓越的编程能力把当时的游戏引擎推向了新的技术高度,也带来了许多别的突破性创新;他本人反对软件专利,倡导代码开源,并在 1995 年和 1997 年先后公布了《德军总部 3D》和《毁灭战士》的源代码。

GameDB 相关游戏: 暗影术士

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