Rune Classic

I did miss this when it was new. I think I was on my RTCW clan kick around that time. I saw this and was immediately intrigued since I love everything about the history and culture of Europe. Graphically I would say it's moderate. It looks really good for how old it is and seems to hold up well. The sound is equally immersive and helps to put you in the boots of a Viking warrior. I'll admit that I didn't finish the game. I installed it on my old laptop and was playing it for a few months until I got my new one. Once I got the new one, I was busy with games my old one couldn't run and haven't gone back to it yet. I saw this on sale, which reminded me of it and motivated me to get back into it for this weekend off. I did love what I played of it and was really hoping for a sequel, which just happens to have started development last year: https://www.runeragnarok.com/ It really plays great as an action title with very limited RPG aspects. You collect various weapons and shields throughout the game, which make your character more powerful. It isn't open world from what I played, but while it is linear, the stages you play through are pretty large and have some puzzles to advance. I highly recommend this to any fan of action, medieval, or Norse themes.

A couple of days ago, I've found a video review from a Spanish YT channel where this game was the main topic. Never expected this 24 yo videogame offered too much fun and challenge and it got me in front of the screen for almost three hours the first time. This is a hidden gem most of the RPG and nord mythology fans must play. It also includes a table RPG book in pdf that can be printed if you are used to these games.

I remember playing this on ps2 when I was a kid. Cool to have the full version.

This game is made by it's combat "system" - if it can be called that- and multiplayer. It has the baseline "feel" of an FPS (specifically, Unreal) - no wonder, since it's made in the UnrealEngine* - but is played in third person. Whilst it might sound like it, this is not a bad thing; on the contrary, it makes it feel very tight and precisely controlled. The combat is where this game shines. With such tight controls, running, jumping, and swinging around just feels incredible. It's tight, it's fast-paced, and it's - above all - precise. The controls are also exceptionally simple; one button to swing, one to block, and... That's about it. Ok, technically, there is also a button to throw your currently equipped weapon, and one to activate your weapons powerup, but that's it. That might sound weird, but it is a third-person melee-based game that essentially runs like a first-person shooter. It runs on FPS sensibilities; weapons and powerups are placed around the maps, you spawn with one, not very good, weapon, and have to run around picking stuff up to increase your arsenal. For those that might have played it, it essentially plays like Quake III Arena in the multiplayer. At a higher level, map-awareness is key, but individual combat-skill wins the day. The combat is visceral, fast-paced, and feels excellently "heavy". Various weapons have various properties; e.g., mace-type weapons are excellent for smashing shields, whereas swords, not so much. Every weapon has it's own, unique, powerup mode, as well; this can be activated by way of finding "rune power-stones" that are scattered about the map (this is essentially "mana"). A fun little detail, is that you can also dismember players, specifically, chop off their arms and head; you can then pick up these body-parts and use them as weapons. They are not particularly good as weapons go, and doesn't have any special powerups, but it's a nice little touch. It is still possible to play multiplayer online; there are a few small communities dedicated to the MP part of this game, and it's easy to why; it is still, to this day, quite unique as far as third-person hack-and-slashers go, at least from an engine/"feel"-perspective, and the MP is excellently realized, with several interesting modes (one interesting mode in particular is essentially football, except that you have to chop off body-parts from members of the opposing team, pick them up, and throw them into the goal). Now, you might be asking yourself, "well, this sounds fun, but this isn't a multiplayer-only game, it's got a singleplayer campaign as well, what about that?". Well, that's the thing - it's mediocre. Not incredibly bad, mind; some of the environments are quite immersive and well-crafted, and there are a few nice moments here and there, but by and large, the SP campaign is nothing special. It's very much a child of it's time, with a Viking aesthetic thrown over it; nothing particularly bad, but nothing particularly gripping, either. The expansion, Halls of Valhalla, actually only adds weapons and maps to the MP-component of the game, and does nothing to the SP. So, do try the SP-campaign, as it might be a fun few hours for you, but chances are, if you stay, you stay for the MP. *And a general tip; out on the net, you'll be able to find loads of new renderers for it; DX9, DX10, a Vulkan one wouldn't surprise me, updated OpenGL ones, everything (and they can add everything from true AA to new lightning-subsystems); the old UnrealEngines have a rather heavy developer-community based around them, and so, you can find a lot of stuff related to them.

I ALWAYS Enjoy this *FUN* Game from Way Back When!! NEVER Disappoints!! VERY EXCITING!! Full Of Clever Features, Weapons, Runes And Enemies that Will keep you Very Busy with Multiple Battles from Beginning To End with some of the Gnarliest Creatures you'll Ever See with Glowing Eyes, Nasty Growls, Snarls And Screams from them ALL!! Use Strategy When You Travel And Fight and You WILL SURVIVE!! HIGHLY Recommend!!