Realms of Arkania
The Realms of Arkania series is one of my most favourite role-playing games. OK, the graphics suck, but the plot is exceptionally good, and that more than makes up for the bad graphics. There are three installments in the series: Blade of Destiny, Star Trail and Shadows over Riva.
Blade of Destiny
This is the first installment in the Realms of Arkania series. It has the worst graphics of the lot, but a very good storyline.
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The main game view is first person, and only the scenery shows up on the screen. The camera only turns 90 degrees so there are only four possible directions to travel in: north, south,east and west. You will not see anything moving about on the screen, and if you encounter someone and talk to them, a text box will come up with the necessary information for you to read. The text is all in capitals, which can also be hard to read.When you need to fight, the screen will change into a grid where you can direct your characters' ations.
The storyline, however,is excellent. The city of Thorwal is threatened by the presence of a huge Orcish army which is easily capable of the city's destruction. You are hired by the Hetman of Thorwal to go out and find the sword Grimring, the weapon of the ancient Hetman Hyggelik who defeated the Orcs hundreds of years before. There is a treasure map which leads to its ruins, but it has been divided and different parts of it handed down through the families of Hyggelik and his companions. It is your job to find the map fragments, retrieve the sword and beat the Orcs once and for all!
During your quest, you will fight many enemies, encounter many people, and come back a hero if you succeed!
Download Blade of Destiny at http://www.classic-trash.com/gamelist.php?genre=9&publisher=&developer=©right=&order=name+ASC&year=&offset=90
Unzip the files, then run Install.exe to install the program. After installation, click Bladem.exe to play.
Need help? Download my Realms of Arkania Walkthrough (Adobe Acrobat format)
Star Trail
The second installment in the Realms of Arkania series is a lot better than the first. The graphics are better, although there is still no animation on the main screen. There is also lowercast text in this game. However, you can move the camera in a 360 degree rotation, so the game seems more realistic.
The combat system has been improved, so you can now have the computer quickly determine the outcome of a battle. The camping system is better, too, as you can assign your characters duties (e.g. find supplies, find herbs, stand guard) and have them carry them out night after night at the click of a single button. There are several new character portraits, and the portraits now depict if a character is healthy or injured. There is also a new dialogue box that makes it possible to ask people about certain subjects when you engage them in conversation. The map has also been updated, allowing text flags to be put on a certain area to remember what is there. Also, when resting in a town or dungeon, you can sleep for up to 24 hours, and in an inn, you can choose the number of days you want to sleep.
Although you defeated the Orcs with Grimring, the threat of their armies is much greater than was thought. The armies of the Elves and Dwarves are needed, only thing is, the Elves and Dwarves are not exactly friends any more. Years ago they were, but the Salamander Stone - The object created to mark that friendship - was lost so the friedship sundered. You must find the Salamander Stone and take it to the Dwarvem Prince Ingramosch to obtain the help of the Elves and Dwarves. Along the way, you must also track down the legendary throwing axe of the God Phex - Star Trail. But is it too late to stop the Orcs? They have already laid siege to the city of Lowangen, and they will probably besiege other towns as well in their march north.
Download Star Trail at http://www.classic-trash.com/gamelist.php?genre=9&publisher=&developer=©right=&order=name+ASC&year=&offset=90
Shadows Over Riva
In my opinion, this is the worst game in the entire series. The action all takes place around the city of Riva, and you cannot visit any other towns. You cannot replenish supplies or look for herbs when outside Riva, and there is also no rest button for when you don't want tp pay for a room in an inn.
However, there have been some improvements. The map looks more realistic, when an important person talks to you in the window with just their head showing, you can now hear them speak. The spells now have incantations uttered by the magician to cast them, and there is also an item distrubutor for easy allocation of items won in battles, found in chests etc. See below.
The Orcs that you beat in Blade of Destiny and Star Trail are marching to the port city of Riva in the north of Arkania. The town is of strategic importance, as it would give the Orcs an opening to the sea. What concerns most of the Rivan citizens is that the Holberkian (half Orc, half Elf) population may secretly be passing messages to the Orcs. You must find out about the Holberkians' connections with the Orcs, and then defeat the Orcs. Rumors have it that the local judge, Bosper Jarnug, has something to do with the Orcish presence. But something far more sinister is behind the Orcish attacks, and it is your job to find it and destroy it. Are you up to the challenge?
I do not have a download for Shadows Over Riva, as I bought it on CD (the other two games I downloaded), but as it is in my opinion the worst in the series, this is not much of a loss.