In part II of our interview with Runic Games (you can check out the first part right here) we talk about what went wrong at Flagship Studios and what the future holds after the single-player part of Torchlight is released on Oct. 28.
Runic Games first title, an action RPG called Torchlight, got a lot of buzz at the Penny Arcade Expo in Sept. and a lot of positive feedback from fans that were seeing it for the very first time. A month later the game is in its final stage of development as the team races towards its Oct. 27 release date. To understand the appeal of Torchlight, you need look no further than the gentlemen working on the game and their influences and past accomplishments. Collectively the small development team working on this game has worked on such titles as Diablo and Diablo II, the indie hit RPG FATE, and the now cancelled MMO Mythos. While that list of accomplishments might seem short, it’s also very impressive.
What I learned from talking to Runic Games co-founder and CEO Max Shaefer, Art Director Jason Beck and Runic Games co-founder Travis Baldree was that these influences are helping them to build a better game and later to build a perfect extension of that game with an MMO project. In part I of my interview with this trio I learn about the first fruits of their labors: Torchlight. Read on.
WildTangent has quietly released the sequel to FATE, an action role-playing game that literally came out of nowhere to capture the hearts of gamers and journalists around the world. The game was a bit of a stepping stone for developer Travis Baldree, who (unfortunately) went on to develop Mythos for Flagship. The sequel, FATE Undiscovered Realms, expands of the original game with new dungeons and overlands to explore and grind through, new towns and brand new quest types.
But what is most interesting about the game is that you can play it for free. Players can purchase the game outright for 19.99, use WildTangent’s “WildCoins” virtual currency for a pay-per-play, or play the game for free in an ad-supported game session. Here are some interesting numbers about the original game: it was played more than 50 million times and sold one million copies worldwide. Pretty decent statistics for a game that was developed by only a handful of people.
The game uses the same top-down perspective, colorful environs and characters and skills system, but expands the game with new skills, monsters, new towns, new pet transformations, two outpost dungeons (one set in an arctic region, another in a lush forest), the ability to import you FATE characters into the new game, a hardcore mode, the ability to level up past level 99, the ability to Fate Cards for Gems, and five new quest types:
– Defend: Fight an onslaught of monsters while protecting sacred places
– Capture: Imprison evil foes and bring them to justice
– Escort: Lead important characters through throngs of enemies to safety
– Assault: Assault an ancient shrine that has fallen prey to enemy monsters
– Herd: Gather creatures in groups to reunite them with their masters
You can download a trial of the game at ww.fatethegame.com.
