The World of Hunted: The Demon's Forge

[DoctorFinger]

Bethesda has a bunch of intriguing games coming in 2011, but the one getting the least attention may be inExlie Entertainment's Hunted: The Demon's Forge. The developer describes it as a fantasy co-op shooter/RPG, which on the surface sounds like a case of buzzword bingo gone mad. But the game itself has some interesting features.

You play as either the archer E'lara or the warrior Caddoc. Unlike most other co-op games you're not just playing the same character with a different skin. E'lara and Caddoc both have their own unique abilities and skill progression.

Look for Hunted: The Demon's Forge in the middle of 2011.

[Grifter]

This is one of my most anticipated releases for 2011.

[DoctorFinger]

I only wish the fantasy world was a bit less...generic than it seems in all of the videos for it.

[Karak]

...
Uhm. That's the first I have seen of....whatever it is I just saw. It looked like a cool rollercoaster game I guess with all the zooming through tunnels and skimming along the ground. Not much to even think about till its actually got something to look at.

[ElektroDragon]

I played this at PAX and I'm VERY glad they delayed it, because it needed a LOT of polish.

Also, given inXile's history (you got their name wrong, bud), I am really hoping they put in a bard character that plays the lute, and you can HEAR the songs in the game, and they actually have an effect on creatures.

You know, the sort of amazing technology Bard's Tale had in 1989. Come on, do it Brian Fargo!

That said, I pre-ordered it already, back when I thought it was supposed to come out in January.

[Squidbot]

Originally Posted by Grifter

This is one of my most anticipated releases for 2011.

Mine too. Fantasy style Gears of War? Yes please.

[DoctorFinger]

One piece of free advice for inXile: please for the love of god pick a better name. Just "The Demon's Forge" would be better than what you're using now.

[Grifter]

Originally Posted by DoctorFinger

I only wish the fantasy world was a bit less...generic than it seems in all of the videos for it.

It's high fantasy... all high fantasy is "generic" when you've been exposed to it for as long as we have.

Originally Posted by DoctorFinger

One piece of free advice for inXile: please for the love of god pick a better name. Just "The Demon's Forge" would be better than what you're using now.

They can call it "Shit in a Box" for all I care, if the game is good it'll be good no matter what the name is, if it's bad a better name won't help it.

[Exodus]

Originally Posted by Grifter

It's high fantasy... all high fantasy is "generic" when you've been exposed to it for as long as we have.



They can call it "Shit in a Box" for all I care, if the game is good it'll be good no matter what the name is, if it's bad a better name won't help it.

Feelin the same way. I look forward to this game and I really hope it doesn't suck.

[DoctorFinger]

Originally Posted by Grifter

It's high fantasy... all high fantasy is "generic" when you've been exposed to it for as long as we have.

Look at the world of the Elder Scrolls and look at the World of Warcraft. Both are high fantasy with most of the usual tropes, but WoW has a aesthetic which just draws you in more than the Elder Scrolls or Dragon Age.

Originally Posted by Grifter

They can call it "Shit in a Box" for all I care, if the game is good it'll be good no matter what the name is, if it's bad a better name won't help it.

But a bad name can keep a good game from selling. I'm not saying that's the case here, I just wish publishers would be a little less generic with their naming.

[Grifter]

Originally Posted by DoctorFinger

Look at the world of the Elder Scrolls and look at the World of Warcraft. Both are high fantasy with most of the usual tropes, but WoW has a aesthetic which just draws you in more than the Elder Scrolls or Dragon Age.

See, I feel the exact opposite, I hate the art direction of WoW and prefer Dragon Age and for the most part Oblivion though in Oblivion the character animations and models ruin most of the immersion the world creates.

Originally Posted by DoctorFinger

But a bad name can keep a good game from selling. I'm not saying that's the case here, I just wish publishers would be a little less generic with their naming.

True, I guess thats the benefit of being a more serious gamer. We know better than to let some of the constant stupidities of this industry ruin what could be an enjoyable game once given a chance.

[Xerxes]

Look pretty cool.

[Deadend]

I want to see how the hell I am supposed to use a sword dude with a cover mechanic. As that sounds kind of rad.

[Grifter]

Originally Posted by Deadend

I want to see how the hell I am supposed to use a sword dude with a cover mechanic. As that sounds kind of rad.

Easy, you hide behind a large rock and eat a sandwich and let the woman clean up all the baddies.

[Karak]

Originally Posted by DoctorFinger

Look at the world of the Elder Scrolls and look at the World of Warcraft. Both are high fantasy with most of the usual tropes, but WoW has a aesthetic which just draws you in more than the Elder Scrolls or Dragon Age.

But a bad name can keep a good game from selling. I'm not saying that's the case here, I just wish publishers would be a little less generic with their naming.

Agreed. Though I am not a fan of WoW's look too much, generic is generic and it's been proven many times that it's possible to have unique worlds and aesthetic's.
When I see say WoW(despite not really liking it much) it does have aesthetics that put Elder Scrolls to shame.
Dragon Age on the other hand is possibly the worst art direction and style I have seen in a fantasy world in years, especially a supposedly triple A game.

Everything from the basic design of the world to the characters is horrendous. I played it and beat it but damn...it was an assault on my eyes when it came to creativity.

[DoctorFinger]

I'd love to see a fantasy RPG with western writing, characterization and gameplay, but with some eastern graphic design.

[jpc_theoneandonly]

Dragon Age was visually atrocious. I loved it though. Great DLC and a decent exspansion. The story was as generic as they come but the combat, character interaction and depth of customization more than made up for the obvious drawbacks.

Until I see a better trailer that shoes the comabt mechanics and leveling system, this game doesn't seem all that special. I also want to see a better story trailer. What makes this game unique? I will wait for Dragon Age 2.

[tacitus]

The funny thing about DA:O is I liked the flash game better the DA:O proper. I played about 10 hours, and stopped one night before a boss-battle and then never felt compelled to complete it. Maybe my taste has changed. I played BG with expansion to death, but I had a very similar issue with BG-2 and stopped after about 10 hours and never went back. One thing I really liked about DA:O is the NPC interactions.

We will see about Hunted - I remember seeing gameplay during one of the shows, but we see. I hope when you are not playing co-op your partner isn't an idiot.