Reflexive Entertainment, 2003
Windows
Reflexive Entertainment, 2003
Windows
狮心王(Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader)是黑岛工作室(Black Isle Studios)发行的最后一款 RPG,许多 CRPG 粉丝也知道它是唯一一款基于《辐射(Fallout)》SPECIAL 规则集[1] 的非《辐射》系列游戏,但这只是《狮心王》众多不寻常之处的其中一点。
游戏的背景是架空历史,十字军东征[2] 期间,狮心王理查(King Richard)[3] 处决了三千名囚犯,因此导致了次元的“断裂”(the Disjunction),魔法和恶魔出现在这个世界上。
故事发生在更晚的 16 世纪,在因拥有魔法被宗教裁判所(Inquisition)[4] 逮捕后,玩家遭到刺客的袭击,随后被达芬奇所救,在游戏中,达芬奇是一位发明家,也是一名巫师,他与玩家有着紧密的联系。
事实上,早在《刺客信条(Assassin’s Creed)》将其发扬光大之前,《狮心王》就已经开始很疯狂地将历史人物设置成游戏的 NPC 了,达芬奇只是其中之一——伽利略、莎士比亚、马基雅维利、塞万提斯、诺查丹玛斯(Nostradamus)[5] 、圣女贞德和许多历史人物都在游戏中登场。
玩家最后被带往新巴塞罗那(New Barcelona),在那里有四个主要势力:圣殿骑士团(the Knights Templar)[6] 、宗教裁判所、萨拉丁骑士团(the Knights of Saladin)[7] 和行使者(Wielders)。当你决定加入哪个势力后,它们各自的独特任务会让你简单地和这个不寻常的世界互动,探寻其奇怪之处。
当玩家离开新巴塞罗那后,游戏体验开始下降,所有东西都变得更加线性,主线任务变成了探索一系列的地牢和重复的战斗。
战斗是即时的,类似于《暗黑破坏神(Diablo)》,但是非常简易,对于那些没有认真创建角色的玩家来说,战斗可能是个难题。再加上糟糕的等级和任务设计,游戏的后半段变成了匆匆收场的无聊旅程。
Lionheart was the last RPG published by Black Isle Studios, and many CRPG fans also know it as the only other game to be based around Fallout's SPECIAL ruleset, but those are just some of the unusual things about Lionheart.
The game is set in an alternate reality where the execution of 3,000 prisoners by King Richard during the Crusades caused the “Disjunction”, a dimensional rift that brought magic and demons to our world.
The story itself begins much later, in the 16th century. After being arrested by the Inquisition for possessing magic, the player is attacked by assassins, then saved by none other than Leonardo da Vinci, here an Inventor/Wizard who shares a bond with you.
Indeed, the game used historical figures as NPCs in crazy ways long before Assassin's Creed made it popular. Da Vinci is just one of them – Galileo, Shakespeare, Machiavelli, Cervantes, Nostradamus, Joan of Arc and many others make an appearance.
Players are eventually taken to New Barcelona, where they'll meet the four main factions: the Knights Templar, the Inquisition, the Knights of Saladin and the Wielders. As you decide which one to join, their unique quests will allow you to briefly interact with this rather unusual world, exploring its oddities.
It's after the player leaves New Barcelona that the game takes a turn for the worse. Everything becomes a lot more linear, with the main quest turning into a series of dungeons and repetitive battles.
Combat is real-time, similar to Diablo, but it's very simplistic and can be a hurdle for those who didn't carefully create their characters. This, combined with poor level and quest design, makes the game's second half a boring path to a rushed conclusion.
所以游戏的优点在哪?原声音乐很棒,独特又漂亮的美术设计为游戏氛围增色不少。但对那些至少喜欢《狮心王》某些部分的玩家来说,这个游戏世界本身才是他们热爱这款游戏的原因。即使在 Kickstarter 平台和独立游戏崛起后,《狮心王》依旧是我玩过的最古怪的 CRPG。
不管怎么说,《狮心王》不是一款伟大的游戏,它也不是一款好游戏。它看上去像是一个被中途取消的项目,又不知道为什么得以发行。如果你像我一样对这款游戏不抱有任何期望的话,那你游玩时会找到一些乐趣,但我不会给任何人推荐这款游戏。
So what is good? The soundtrack is great, and the unique and beautiful art adds a lot to the atmosphere. But it's the game world that seals the deal for those who enjoyed at least some portions of the game. Even after the rise of Kickstarter and indie games, Lionheart remains one of the wackiest CRPGs I've ever played.
Regardless, Lionheart is not a great game. It's not a good one either. It feels like a cancelled title that somehow was released. Those with zero expectations may be able to find some enjoyment, as I did, but it's not a game I'd recommend anyone.
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1 译者注:《辐射》系列有关角色属性的设定,即力量(Strength)、感知(Perception)、耐力(Endurance)、魅力(Charisma)、智力(Intelligence)、敏捷(Agility)、幸运(Luck)。
2 译者注:十字军东征(1096-1291),是中世纪西欧封建领主和骑士针对地中海东岸穆斯林世界发动的战争。
3 译者注:即理查一世(1157-1199),英格兰金雀花王朝国王,第三次十字军东征(1189-1192)的统帅之一,因勇猛善战而有“狮心王”的美誉。
4 译者注:中世纪天主教会为对抗异端而设立的宗教法庭。
5 译者注:诺查丹玛斯(1503-1566),法国籍犹太预言家,著有《百诗集(Les Prophéties)》
6 译者注:圣殿骑士团(1119-1314),三大骑士团之一,是法国贵族在第一次十字军东征攻占耶路撒冷后,为保护圣地而建立的骑士团,14 世纪被法王腓力四世铲除。
7 译者注:萨拉丁(?-1193),埃及阿尤布王朝苏丹,是阿拉伯世界抵抗十字军的代表人物,1187 年指挥哈丁战役大胜十字军。