Getting a couple of people together for a night of roleplaying can be quite a challenge, so why not try The Dark Eye : Book of Heroes for some quick evenings of derring-do?
Based on The Dark Eye roleplaying ruleset, this game lets you cobble together complex characters using a series of cards played out for you at the beginning of the game. Whether you want to be a troublemaking dwarf assassin, a blessed half-elf with a gloomy past, or a powerful mercenary human who has a penchant for debauchery, you can create that character and then set out on a variety of quick adventures.
I tried out a demo at PAX East, experiencing the short and sweet combat sequences the game would generate for you. The game plays out in an overhead view of your character, working your way through tiny dungeons and little woods using a variety of attacks you have at the ready. I set out as a mercenary, using brute force to deal with any problems I ran into. This only works for so long, as the game’s difficulty is quite high, so you should enlist some friends or hire AI helpers unless you really enjoy dying.
Sadly, I was only able to play single player during the PAX East demo. The AI companions were a decent help, ensuring I survived all of the short dungeons, but I definitely felt something was lacking by playing without other humans. It’s a decent RPG when played by yourself, with some fun moves, intriguing customization options, and helpful companions, but it’s that interactive element with other players, each fulfilling unique character roles, that I think will really make this game pop. The Dark Eye : Book of Heroes shows definite promise as an RPG, compressing everything into short play sessions for the RPG fan with a busy schedule, but I’m definitely curious to see how the game fares when you’ve got some friends alongside you.
The Dark Eye : Book of Heroes is currently in development, but in the meantime, you can add it to your Steam Wishlist.
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