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Throne of Darkness
Sierra/ Click Entertainment/ PC


Doing that Samurai Thang.

The vast majority of RPGs focus their attention on the gamer entering a fantasy world and undergoing an extended quest in order to save this world from an ever-growing presence of evil. The game systems, number of characters, graphics and linearity of these games vary but the underlying premise is generally the same. This repeated focus is not necessarily bad and has delivered some incredible games such as Baldur's Gate. On the other hand, some companies have decided to take a bit of a risk and develop RPGs based on concepts that stray from the standard formula, resulting in such hits as Fallout and Planescape: Torment. This year, E3 provided both traditional and more innovative RPGs such as Baldur's Gate II: The Shadows of Amn and Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura. The highlight of the show, however, has taken a different approach altogether and mixes images from the non-fantasy historical setting of ancient Japan with the mythos of that same period.

As interesting a concept as is using the ancient Japanese mythos in a game, nothing made a bigger impression on me about Throne of Darkness than the uncontrollable excitement the developers at Click Entertainment feel for their game. As Ben Haas and Doron Gartner talked about their first product they continuously interrupted one other as they tried to explain all of the great features they have packed into their company's first game.

First it was Ben explaining the games premise: four opposing Daimyos each leading seven samurai, surround a huge mountain that acts as the seat of power for the Dark Warlord, an ominous force that you are set upon destroying.

Doron jumps in to ensure that I understand that the seven samurai are not generic but represent seven unique characters: the Leader, Brick, Berserker, Swordsman, Archer, Wizard and Ninja. Not only will each samurai have their own specific powers, skills and equipment, but each will have a personal quest to complete within the game.

A clarification to ensure I get it is added by Ben: each of the 4 castles has seven samurai and each of these samurai has a personal quest. Some quick addition in my head tells me that is a total of 28 character specific quests and a great deal of replay value.

As I speedily jot down this information the discussion turns to the weapons and equipment within the game and I begin to realize I am never going to succeed in getting everything on paper. You will not only be able to find equipment and magical equipment in the game, you will also be able to hire the services of a blacksmith to craft customized weapons from raw materials, gems and monster parts that you will have to seek out. Sound interesting? Wait, there's more. You can also get your blacksmith to smelt magical weapons you find and re-craft them into something new or sacrifice magical items to one of the game's four elemental gods in order to receive new abilities and spells.

There is a lull in the torrent of information at which point I ask if there will be a multiplayer option. I am faced with two broad grins and the deluge of information continues. Multiplayer will allow 2-35 players to compete against each other in an attempt to become the Dark Warlord. Once a player achieves Dark Warlord status the player and his Dark Samurai gain the ability to control the monster spawn points within the game in an attempt to prevent other players from unseating him or her from their newly acquired throne. Not only will the Dark Warlord have control over monsters, there are plans to give the monsters inventories so they can utilize the different equipment they accumulate, enhancing their powers. Multiplayer will include online rankings and ladder systems in an attempt to further build the online community of Throne of Darkness.

Both Ben and Doron stop there, mentally shift gears, and return to the Daimyos that rule each of the four castles. The Daimyo is not just a figurative presence representing the gamer, he is another character within the world. Daimyos will have the ability to teleport samurai to different areas of the game world and resurrect samurai that have fallen in battle.

As things begin to slow down and time grows short, Doran slides in one last intriguing comment to increase my excitement over the game. There will be an "Easter Egg" within the game that will allow a gamer to play the "perfect" game and defeat the Dark Warlord without becoming evil themselves. This will not be an easy task but will be possible and something for avid fans to strive for.

Throne of Darkness will be released this winter, sometime before the holidays, definitely not soon enough.

-Sean Miller

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