Alaloth: Champions of the Four Kingdoms is the upcoming old-school RPG from Gamera Interactive.
We recently had a sneak peek at this title and it looks staggering, to say the least. For fans of older RPG titles such as Planescape: Torment, Baldurs Gate series, Neverwinter Nights or anything based on the Dungeons and Dragons franchise; Be excited. Be very excited.
Sword and Shield
Gamera Interactive, the development studio of Alaloth: CFK has been marred by as many setbacks and obstacles as a studio could possibly face. But having fought off these setbacks with a trusty sword and defended themselves from collapse with the butt of their shield, Gamera Interactive is not only alive and kicking.
Gamera is positively foaming at the mouth with beans in their belly and spunk in their pants and… any other euphemism you can think of. They want this game to kick arse and it looks like it will. And then some.
The game is said to be 90% complete and nearly ready for a Summer release. And when it arrives, it looks set to rock our fucking socks off.
“This means each play-through feels and acts differently, giving a plethora of choices and outcomes.”
The story is written by the same genius mind that brought us the original Fallout games, as well as Fallout: New Vegas. So, rest assured this fantasy story will be immersive as a nude bath with a fair maiden, complex as a dialogue with a ranting crone, and hard-hitting as a cudgel to the skull.
The Lands of Orcs and Men
Alaloth is divided into several kingdoms, ruled and populated by four races: Men, Orcs, Dwarves and Elves. Each of the biomes of the game looks drastically different. Mountain ranges, sandy wastes, icy-desert locales.
Even rainbow-vomit coloured, sparkly magical lands where unicorns look set to jump out at you from giant waterfalls to offer arcane ice cream cones. Whatever your thing, Alaloth has you covered (except that unicorn thing. That’s not in the game…).
Each world has everything you’d want in a lore-rich RPG, in terms of detail. Politics, war and discrimination are rife and change, according to the time of day, month and even year. Each war and political event also has markedly unique consequences, making the player feel distinctly different in each town, city, or village, based on their race, family and class.
“The plot of Alaloth is that Alaloth is a fallen god, who descended to Earth and is now trapped. He must be stopped at all costs.”
AOE: Fire
When it comes to visuals, imagine a modern take on isometric titles like Fallout 2, with the same loving and meticulous level of detail in every NPC, building and blade of grass.
Lighting, textures and particle effects are all top-notch and add a huge amount to the immersion.
Forget about the princess, it’s tough enough to save yourself!
“An absorbing world and killer visuals are nothing without gameplay. So what does Alaloth offer? Worry not young warrior, bountiful pleasures lay before you.”
Combat in Alaloth is varied and complex, with souls-like elements such as the ability to select specific enemies in a group to attack and many challenging enemies that need cunning and strategy to defeat.
The inventory is as rich and deep as the story in Alaloth too. Items are varied, detailed and all lore-friendly. Plus, many items can only be bought from the area they were made. Want elven armour but you’re in a human city? Tough luck buddy. Get your arse to Elf-Town!
But much like many classic RPG titles, there is no fast travel in Alaloth. Well actually, there is… kinda. Fast travel can be unlocked, but only from specific locations and each location must be unlocked separately via corresponding missions.
Dynamics such as this are welcome immersion factors that make everything real that little bit more real. Which is important to help you suspend your disbelief in such an un-ashamedly high-fantasy title.
Closing Thoughts
That’s all we are really allowed to say for now. Alaloth looks to us like a breath of fresh air within our current climate, where we are a bit starved of old-school RPG games.
Countless hours of gameplay, no micro-transactions, challenging gameplay and rich story and lore are the order of the day when it comes to Alaloth: Champions of the Four Kingdoms.
Roll on the Summer, D&D/RPG fans, roll on!
