Nuove informazioni per Dawn of Magic

Siete curiosi di scoprire cosa vi riserva Dawn of Magic, il nuovo hack 'n' slash in stile Diablo in uscita su piattaforma Pc? Allora date un occhiata al seguente comunicato stampa (in inglese):

"Dawn of Magic" is an old school hack 'n' slash (like "Diablo") with a multitude of improvements to handling and a refreshingly new magic system on which the developers' attentions were focused. The possibility to combine two spells (or their effects) and use them simultaneously offers a number of tactical opportunities in combat with enemy hordes. For example, it is no longer necessary to switch between attacking and supporting spells. Instead, a fireball can be directly coupled with a paralyzing spell, thus weakening approaching enemies and at the same time preventing their attack.

Moreover, spells and skills often have additional effects that give players plenty of room to experiment. An example? The Boulder spell, which is available to magicians from the School of Earth Magic from the beginning, not only causes damage, but comes with a chance to stun the struck creature for several seconds, rendering it unable to move. Naturally, the higher the level of the spell, the greater the chance of achieving this additional effect. However, a rock is unfortunately a rather sluggish projectile and easily deflected by uneven ground, which limits its suitability for combat against enemies positioned at greater distances. So then what? Well, for one thing we could combine a target-seeking spell such as Chain Lightning with the Boulder spell. The result: Multiple hits and the certainty of reaching the target, additional damage from the dropping boulder (also an automatic hit) and the chance to stun every single enemy. The cost, however, is horrendous, and it is always advisable to keep an eye on your remaining Chi.

There are few limits to experimental possibilities, especially at higher levels of experience: Pentagrams trap enemy monsters and enclose them so they can be frozen by a Blizzard spell or radioactively infected by a Circle of Light. Some curses lead your enemies' own allies to attack them or generate more life for the player when an opponent dies. Summoned creatures aid the hero in combat and independently pursue fleeing enemies. The Teleport skill heals the wizard en route, making it ideal when you need to escape from an overwhelming force of enemies. Hardly any other game (if any at all) ever had as wide a range of selectable options as Dawn of Magic.

At the same time, the remarkably good balancing prevents the gameplay from becoming too one-sided. If you don't choose your magic with care, you run the risk of becoming entangled in too many weak basic spells. Traders offer new spells for sale at every corner, but you should always ask yourself which of them suits your own strategy, and which will only hinder it. A player who sets priorities wisely and knows the opponent's weaknesses can take on a much larger force of enemies. In short: Dawn of Magic is a game where good playing is rewarded, which can unfortunately no longer be taken for granted these days.

The player is aided by the carefully thought-out system of mouse control and numerous (freely selectable) hotkeys. Every element of the game can be activated by mouse-clicking, but it is advisable to be familiar with at least the basic keyboard commands in the heat of battle: The hotkeys 1 to 8 activate the respective skills, which are then employed using the right mouse button. This includes spells and special skills such as the Teleport skill mentioned before, and the ability to summon a trading genie. This old man will enable the player to sell superfluous weapons, armor and other items even in the wilderness or dungeons, and to restock the inventory with life potions. Thus, troublesome journeys back and forward between the battlefield and the city (as seen in "Titan Quest") are a thing of the past.

Both during trade and in the Inventory screen, items can be sorted by category (e.g. weapons, armor or runes) at the click of a button and there is no need for the wearying rotating and moving that can be seen in rival titles. Instead, each character possesses a certain weight limit, and if it is exceeded, the movement speed is greatly reduced. The limit varies according to the basic character you begin with, but can be increased as you progress through the game. If you can't bring yourself to part from your beautiful but heavy axe, you can leave it with the genie described above, who will look after it. He has room for a total of 100 (sometimes stackable) items that you can demand to have returned to you at any time. In this way, you can store good weapons that can't be used yet owing to high level requirements, and use them later.

All of this reflects the developers' efforts to provide an intuitive gaming experience for PC adventurers. In this context, the excellent path-finding routine and the user-friendly collision management are also worth mentioning. Whether you click on a crate by the wayside while running along, or click on an opponent in the middle of a melee, the reaction (an attack in the latter case) is immediate and precise. Thankfully, most spells don't have "friendly fire" effects, so you don't need to worry about walking through your own cloud of poison gas. Summoned creatures are included in this rule, too, which is a great relief in the midst of battle.

Naturally, spell effects that sometimes cover the whole screen and the huge amount of enemies don't make it easy to remain always on top of the situation. One great help here is the camera's zoom distance, which has been greatly increased compared to the Russian original. In the bird's eye view, enemies can be recognized from afar and you can prepare spells, while the optional display of life bars immediately reveals the status of your friends and enemies. Items that have been dropped also become visible at a distance in this view, and can be picked up either by clicking on them or by pressing the spacebar.

However convenient this perspective may be - it would be a waste to play Dawn of Magic at a distance all the time. The close-up view reveals numerous lavishly created landscape animations, droll hostile creatures and magical visual effects. Standard opponents such as coyotes, giant scorpions and goblins are soon replaced by half-naked Amazons, ferocious rabbits and shaggy bear riders. Each of the five acts holds new surprises. There are underwater scenarios and visits to regions resembling the Far East - complete with samurais, geishas and ninja masters. These are random-generated to a certain extent, and the positions of individual buildings and enemies may vary between games.

In view of this great diversity, it is only mildly surprising to find that even the player character changes over time: The avatars' outer appearance is gradually adapted to the skills they acquire and the spells they employ. A mage dealing with Earth Magic will sprout twigs from his shoulders later in the game, until he ends up looking like a walking tree. A wizard who uses Lightning spells, on the other hand, may turn into a crackling metal suit of armor showering all around him with sparks. In extreme cases, sorcerers may even grow the legs of a spider or the wings of an angel. These effects can be combined in many different ways and not only have visual results, but also directly affect the game, bringing with them bonuses and penalties specific to certain spells. A magician who is experienced only in dealing with electricity may have an advantage when it comes to Air Magic, but his resistance to Water Magic will be low, etc.

Thanks to (or rather: despite) all these ideas, Dawn of Magic securely treads the thin line between novelty and tradition, independence and experience. Every absurdity such as orcs called "Satan's helpers" and dressed as Santa Claus is met by a whole handful of traditional goblins and giant snakes (but no robots nor mechanical units). The concept of "mainstream with a twist" is continuous throughout the game: While RPG veterans set out hunting for way-out rune combinations, rare weapons and almost unattainable item sets, newbies concentrate on the classical story of Good versus Evil. Tasks and side quests vary depending on whether you chose a "good" or an "evil" character at the start of the game. It is advisable to choose the virtuous path when first playing the game, as it means that most NPCs will be friendly and willing to talk. The dark campaign, on the other hand, opens up new (and usually more difficult) paths for advanced monster slayers


One thing that all main and side quests have in common is the endeavor to improve the character's level. As in any other RPG, the main appeal of Dawn of Magic lies in the evolution of the player character from a zero to a hero, or in this case from a simple student of magic to a mighty mage. The experience points required to that end are mostly gained by battling with monsters, although these fights yield less and less as you progress through the game. In order to gain additional stats, spell and skill points, you can accept and fulfill numerous small tasks. These can be anything from babysitting through handing out leaflets (under time pressure) to bounty hunting or assassination missions. In some cases, such as that of the two rival street vendors, the player must even choose between two conflicting offers of work.

The Quest Journal enables you to check the current situation concerning your tasks at any time, and is also displayed whenever you leave or enter an area. Each of the acts mentioned above is explored by and by using portals. Once you have discovered a region by stepping through its respective portal, you may travel back there from any other portal. The player can see at a glance which quests and smaller tasks are still open in that area and where the next task relevant to the story is to be completed. Conveniently, you can also jump from portal to portal in different acts. This means that, if you skipped a side mission earlier in the game or only discover the items required for an earlier collecting task at a later point, you can return to those locations any time. And there is absolutely no need to trudge endlessly across terrain that has already been explored.

All in all, Dawn of Magic is a well made old school hack 'n' slash, whose strength is its pure, genuine playability. The intuitive controls and the well thought-out battle system ensure quick success for new players. The great choice of spells, side quests and options provides weeks of diversity for experienced adventurers, not to mention the unlockable pro difficulty levels and multiplayer deathmatches (up to 16 players). The 3D graphics are lavish, and the enemies are varied and round off the unique gaming experience.