ShadowPact Info
Date: May 15th
According to BlueByte, Shadowpact emphasizes interacting with over 40
unique characters who act as the player's agents within the game. Every
character has their own abilities, personality, and history that will have a
direct bearing on how the game is played. Characters respond to both the
player's actions and the reactions of other characters. Because of the vast
combination of different characters and strategies, players will find that
every game is different, but becoming a skilled player will require them to
understand both their agents and how they are best utilized. This in turns
adds to the game what the company hopes will be a high level of
replayability.
Developer, Murder Of Crows researched pop culture such as the music
of Portishead, books such as Umberto Eco's "Focault's Pendulum," the
Cuthulu mythos of H.P. Lovecraft, cyberpunk, and the work of such
artists such as David Carson and Dave McKean. Elements from these
popular works have been rolled into the game according to the
developers, adding an intriguing back story and interesting characters.
Says Thomas Hertzler, Blue Byte CEO on the style of Shadowpact, "It is
aimed at gamers who are looking for a more demanding level of computer
game entertainment that steps over the conventional boundaries, and
offers a higher intellectual element to the player.
Hertzler continued "Of course we are aware of the risks in publishing a
new genre, (a new combination of real-time strategy, adventure and
role-playing). Shadowpact is definitely a mainstream title, and is aimed at
a wider audience than say a ‘first person shooter or hard-core strategy
gamer’. This title has a lot to offer as it won’t be intimidating to
newcomers, but will capture hardened strategy gamers looking for a new
gaming twist". Hertzler concluded, "Blue Byte’s success over the past 11
years can be attributed to stepping off the traditional gaming bandwagon
and throwing something new into the arena!"
Shadowpact is scheduled for release Fourth Quarter, 1999. Further
product information can be found at www.bluebyte.com. Blue Byte
Software are located at Booth 2408, West Hall, during the 1999
Electronics Entertainment Expo.
Announced many moons ago, Blue Byte Software and Texas-based
developer Murder of Crows have been silently working on a game that
combines three genres in an unlikely marriage; adventure, roleplaying and
strategy. The game being developed is called Shadowpact - billed as a
real-time strategy-adventure game with elements from games like Settlers
III and Heroes of Might and Magic, but with more persistent characters.
The company emphasizes the fact that these are characters, and not
expendable units as in other strategy games.