灵魂使者
Soulbringer

Infogrames Studios, 2000
Windows

Infogrames Studios, 2000
Windows

灵魂使者(Soulbringer)的等距视角、即时战斗、简化的角色系统以及老掉牙的天选之人的故事套路让你以为它又是一款《暗黑破坏神(Diablo)》的跟风作的话,那你可就大错特错了。

虽然战斗是即时的,但它并不像你所期待的动作角色扮演游戏那样需要疯狂地点击操作。事实上,《灵魂使者》所追求的恰恰是与之相反更具策略的近身战斗。

每种武器有多达五种攻击招式,它们在速度、攻击范围以及伤害等不同方面表现各有不同。你也可以将这些招式组合成连击,针对不同类型的敌人而进行量身定制。实际上,游戏鼓励你这么做,因为只有在进行连击时,你的角色才能闪避或是招架。

因为游戏考虑到了攻击的轨迹和高度,所以可以针对不同部位,或者更准来说是对不同的水平高度进行攻击。不幸的是攻击高度似乎成了这游戏的“阿喀琉斯之踵[1] ”。游戏的 AI 也是如此,虽然在一些方面表现得很棒,但就是不能对某些事做出正确理解。这种情况体现在方方面面,上至某些诡异的自动寻路,下至敌人与你仅隔两步之远却不会有丝毫察觉,再就是有的敌人会把它们所有的法术全都浪费在挡在玩家前面的障碍物上。

《灵魂使者》所尝试的创新并不仅局限于战斗部分。游戏的魔法系统将法术以五大基础元素划分,每种元素都有相关联的技能,使用可获得熟练度。然而,这些技能并不能给予玩家相应的法术能力,而是提供保护,甚至在被敌人相应法术击中后能获得恢复效果。当然了,之后会削弱对应的元素能力以作平衡,诸如用水会削弱火,火会削弱灵魂等等。

With its isometric perspective, real-time combat, simplistic character system and a cliché story about a Chosen One, it's easy to dismiss Soulbringer as a yet another Diablo-clone. You couldn't be further from the truth, however.

While combat is real-time, it isn't anywhere near the frantic click-fest you'd expect from an Action RPG. It actually strives for the very opposite – to make its melee combat as tactical as it can.

Each weapon has up to five possible attacks, that differ in a variety of areas like speed, reach, damage type, etc. You can also combine those attacks into combos, presumably tailored for different enemy types. In fact, you are encouraged to do so, as it's only while performing a combo that your character can dodge or parry. Attacks are also aimed at different body parts – or, more precisely, different height levels, as the game takes the attacks' trajectory and elevation into account.

Unfortunately, elevation seems to be the game's Achilles heel, as the AI, while quite competent in other areas, just can't understand it properly. This manifests in a variety of ways – from some very weird path-finding, to enemies not noticing you two steps from them, to other enemies wasting all their spells on a bump separating them from you.

Combat isn't the only area where Soulbringer tries to innovate. Its magic system has spells divided into five standard elements which have associated skills that grow with use. However, those skills provide you not with spell power, but with protection from said element – up to the point where enemy spells start to actually heal you. The trade-off is, of course, decreasing the skill with a subsequent element – water takes away from fire; fire from spirit; and so on.

《灵魂使者》在不那么创新的部分上发挥得也是相当稳定。游戏的故事有着精彩的展开而且很大程度上还是非线性的,就是有些老套还夹杂着一点标志性的法式幽默。关卡设计非常的优秀,有着大量的隐藏区域和分支岔路可供探索,还有类似冒险游戏的谜题。画面效果虽然已经落伍,但魄力依旧。所以你若能忽略掉这怪异的 AI,那你将会收获一段有趣且独特的角色扮演游戏体验。

In its less innovative areas Soulbringer is also quite solid. Its story is well-developed and fairly nonlinear, if somewhat cliché and not without a bit of signature French weirdness. Level design is competent, with plenty of nooks and crannies to explore and adventure-style puzzles to solve, and visuals, while obviously dated, are quite atmospheric. So if you're able to turn a blind eye to the AI quirks, you're in for a very enjoyable and unique RPG experience.

你可以在屏幕右边的八个快捷栏分配连击招式,甚至可以把魔法和近战混搭在一起。

At the right of the screen there are eight slots where you can assign combos, even mixing spells and melee attacks.

人物界面有些设计过度至使看起来非常混乱。可你一旦习惯了还是很好用的。

The interface is over-designed and looks very confusing, but it's easy to use once you're used to it.

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1 译者注:阿喀琉斯,古希腊神话中刀枪不入的英雄,却因其一只脚未能浸泡到冥河水,最终成为了让他殒命的关键弱点。英文中经常用于指代看似完美下的致命弱点。

GameDB 相关游戏: 灵魂使者

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