Aleshar: The World of Ice

Aleshar: The World of Ice description

An outstanding example of commercial games (that is, made primarily for sale) is created, however, the principle of "for yourself". Anything else can explain the fact that Aleshar exists in the world, I can't.

Before us is an RPG. At least, so says the authors of the game: "Aleshar is a role – playing game". This assertion can be challenged, it is possible, but not necessary, because the essence of how we call IT, will not change.

The game takes place in Aleshar'e (who would have thought!), a certain world where it is always very cold. Cold is the explanation – it brought evil (or rather, they are considered evil) priests of the Order. Previously, as was the flowery world full of life and magic Items, a total of six (and water and ice somehow considered different Elements). But then those magicians who prefer the magic of Ice, decided to create a "junta" and subjugate the world to his will. And it was done the world by sending them the monstrous power of the spells was a prisoner of a thick layer of ice and snow, and the remaining five spheres of magic was strictly forbidden.

Since then many years have passed. The population Aleshar'and slowly degenerated in the first place in the magic plan. Initially to become magicians could not all its residents, and the ability of the magician is manifested soon after birth. But because ultra-low temperature permanent residents began to slowly fall into a kind of suspended animation, the birth rate began to fall, and even children, who are likely in the future to achieve something in the magic field, were born quite small. If someone like this were born, the clergy immediately took away his parents and after examining the child decided what to do with him: either to kill, or to make a Cult member.

And, of course, any class with any kind of magic was strictly prohibited. But it suited not all, therefore, in contrast to the all-powerful Cult there was a small Sect of the Elementalist, consisting of several deepest elderly enthusiast, who lived unknown and than the snowy wastes in such a wilderness that even the soldiers of the Cult there seem to get. But it was not a resistance movement, so the cultists paid to such hermits little attention.

The fate of your character in this world is somewhat unusual. As you probably already guessed, he is capable of magic child. His father, in order to save her son's life and remembering the example of his father, who also had the gift of magic. and was killed by the Cult after a long persecution, decides to send him almost immediately after birth the education to one of the Elementalist. The game begins at the moment when your hero has grown up and decided to leave the residence of a hermit. Why? Just to see the world and survive in it anyway.

And that is perhaps the most unusual (perhaps someone seeming brilliant, others quite the opposite) side of the game. Your character does not have (initially, at least) aims to overthrow the power of the Cult, to save the dying in the terrible cold world, he actually has no purpose. He just (under your control) goes forward on the vast snow plains.

The snow here is the basis of everything. 98% of the game, not counting rare visits to towns and dungeons, you will spend, leaving a barely visible footprints on the white bleak landscape. Snow, snow and nothing but snow. For long moments you often will see the same white cloth. Any indentations, bumps, mountains, nothing. Only smooth snow surface.

Since this is an RPG, as we presented it, then we must have two indispensable elements of the genre: characteristics and possibility of their increase ("leveling"). Here it is. In the beginning of the game you can choose one of several available classes, which, by the way, is not quite normal: if the Healer and bard is easy to discern familiar to us these same classes in other RPGs, here the Hunter is quite different from the Ranger. Of course, each class a set of characteristics are different, respectively, first style of play will also be slightly different, but soon, all differences erased.

The same "pumping" there is, too, but that's just it-that makes the first question of the genre affiliation game. Here there is not only a principle of accumulation of experience, even experience itself, even numbers or "points" - nothing! Characteristics and skills increase, so to speak, "as in life": if something makes your character a few times, then after some time you suddenly notice that this was he can do better. On the one hand, of course, unusually, with the other primitive.

The game itself has two game modes. In the "card" (not global), you can (and will) move around the Ice World. Here you can meet monsters, which can and should be killed, here are the entrances in all sorts of places that can be visited. To help you – there was not a compass that somehow you can determine its position relative to some reference points.

By the way, about monsters are worth mentioning here. Monsters in Aleshar'e – being truly intelligent. This is not some spoiled carefree and full of life creatures who live in a small area, nowhere for her comfort, and waiting for the dashing hero-the player will wander and put an end to their carefree existence. No monsters here – it's unfortunate products of old magical experiments, which are always hungry in a cold climate, so they are constantly searching for food. In other words, they move around the world map. In practice, this means that there are NO safe places: even if you have been somewhere for a long time and are in place, there is no guarantee that after the n-th number of time you will pick up any stray creature...

The second game mode is a so – called "tactics": it turns on when you start a battle or go to town/dungeon/building. Interaction with NPC often reduced to "business" conversations on several topics: buy/sell, to give something, to work. Often, by the way - "buy/sell". One thing is positive about every thing you at least you have something to say.

Fighting in the game is turn-based and very boring. Most of them boils down to text messages in which first need to determine how you want to lead this fight – defensive or offensive. Since your character is a mage, then magic will be your main weapon, but its use is also not particularly interesting even from the point of view of the application itself, not the visual display (which simply is not). There are five so-called "runes", responsible for the five "elemental" spheres of magic: Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Spirit. No separate spells there – only the application of one or another of magic. In addition to the magic, in battle we can choose power our future shock: the stronger it is, the more damage will deal to your opponent, but the longer the character will have to rest before the next. If we are fighting together with an ally (it happens, albeit rarely), you can help him with his magic. In this game, the magic aimed at another, never cause him harm, but rather empowering.

Interesting innovations for the genre the game is. For example, because your journey without a purpose is very long, then you will have to survive in the snowy wilderness, building his house out of snow and hunting (you can even choose the term for future hunting). But these "chips" game, unfortunately, don't pull. It is unlike an RPG is not only a virtually no role-playing system, there really is not even the game world. The back story is great, but expectations are quickly frustrated. The dialogue is practically useless, the quests are very few.

On the schedule much to say should still be as painful as this is to talk about it. Alas, it is flawed. Moreover deficient not only in relation to the release date of the game, and and as such at all. Even ten years before the creation Aleshar'and the game was much prettier. All that you will see throughout the greater part of the game is monotonous white square and a tiny pixel figure. It's your character. He can't even distinguish the outlines of the parts of the body, to distinguish it from monsters only is that color. In buildings and dungeons thing a little better, but only slightly. The game is fully top.

What is the outcome and who can recommend a game? Perhaps, anyone at all. It just seemed to me that those who important graphics are just barely legible on the screen, and those who need a bright and original world, advanced role system, you will not find here neither one nor the other.

There are games for "everybody", are "not for everyone", and there are, it appears, and "for no one". It is a pity that a game with such an interesting, in General, the plot and many of the original ideas were not just spoiled, and ruined and destroyed a disgusting realization. Play Aleshar is almost impossible, and the once beautiful world, most likely, will remain forever encased in ice shackles. Or all the same?..

Important! Because of the monstrous domination of white color to play the game for a long time – very dangerous, it can negatively affect your vision, so if it is dear to you – do not play more than 2 hours.

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Source: Archive.org, Mobygames.com