ans of Icewind Dale and Fallout have been anxiously awaiting the latest release from Black Isle, the studio that produced those two RPG classics. Their newest game, Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusaders, holds true to many 2-D RPG conventions and features new fantasy-meets-Renaissance-history elements.
The backstory of Lionheart covers over 500 years, beginning with the first Crusades. The game itself takes place in 1588, and real-life historical figures (like Machiavelli and Galileo) have been mixing it up with fantastical elements ever since Richard the Lionheart's folly released demonic forces into the world. Players choose which side to join (if any): the Inquisition (insert "nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition" joke here), the Knights Templar (monastic warriors trying to keep the peace) or the Wielders (magical renegades living on the outskirts of society).
Players can select from a premade hero or heroine or customize their own, choosing one of four human races: Demokin, with fiendish spirits and magical powers; Feralkin, with animalistic traits and features; Sylvant, possessors of magic and superior spell-casting abilities; or "pureblood human." Using a system nearly identical to Fallout's, players choose which traits to add to their characters, including options for fighters such as finesse and evasion. Magic comes in three forms: tribal (earth-based spells), divine (warlike spells such as "righteous fury") and thought magic (traditional protection and lightning-based spells).
Initially, players keep busy wandering the streets of Barcelona, with three districts to explore. To gain experience and gold, players keep an eye on the street, looking for hidden treasure or worthy adversaries. As in Diablo and other RPGs, survival and success depend on a player's skill points, armor and character configuration. After leveling up on missions and side quests, the character leaves the city to search for relics and battle the pagan English in other European lands.
A fantasy Europe well worth exploring
Lionheart certainly has a sense of humor. After being dropped in a jail cell and warned of imminent death, players escape with the help of a friendly chap called Leo. Leo is an older fellow, prone to distraction, wandering away to comment on a pretty little bird he wants to draw or a gadget he's trying to improve. Later, players can accept quests from Mr. Da Vinci, or a little-known playwright named Will who has recently relocated from England but has unfortunately lost his muse. (His latest work, "The Merchant of Barcelona," isn't going as well as he'd like.)
The early parts of this game are smart and witty, and the magical elements will please fans who eagerly waited for "Fallout Fantasy." But this is a game where players will want to save ... constantly. Fights are tricky, and can come up within a second, with no warning. Players will also want to spend a lot of time side-questing in Barcelona, before the real action begins. Once characters leave that sparkling city, the storyline descends into boring hack-and-slash tunnels. Characters should be beefed up before entering these later fighting realms. Otherwise, only slaughter awaits—a source of frustration for many who expect an endgame as strong and sophisticated as the beginning.
Nevertheless, a rich plot well devised makes up for many sins, and Lionheart has it in spades. Its multicultural message—tolerance for all kinds, including devilish imps—resonates. No race or group is completely good or evil. An open-ended RPG with plenty of fine details—Lionheart may disappoint anyone expecting Diablo meets Da Vinci—but it's worth a look for everyone else, if only to play the beginning sections in Barcelona.
I like to play as a fighter, not a talker, so Lionheart is great fun in my book. Sure, sometimes things got a little herky-jerky on my computer (a common complaint), but I was willing to put up with it , just for the pleasure of harassing Inquisitors on my way to the pub.
— Jennifer
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