Enclave (video game)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Enclave | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | Starbreeze Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Xbox Swing! Deutschland (EUR) Conspiracy Games (US) Windows Vivendi Universal Games |
| Platform(s) | Xbox, PC |
| Release date | Xbox [1] PAL July 19, 2002 USA July 29, 2002 Windows [2] USA March 10, 2003 PAL September 12, 2003 |
| Genre(s) | Action |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Mature (M) ELSPA: 15+ |
| Media | DVD |
Enclave is a third-person 3D action game from Starbreeze Studios, released for both the Windows PC, and Xbox game system.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
In the game, players can choose to take on the role of either a warrior of Light, or a minion of Darkness, complete with separate and unique missions reflecting the nature of that decision. Battle takes place in a medieval fantasy realm.
[edit] Story
Enclave takes place in a world literally torn-apart by magic. A millennia ago, the dark armies of Vatar had battled the people of Celenheim to the brink of destruction. During the final, desperate battle, a lone figure, clad in a wizard's robe, appeared high atop a ridge, staff held upraised in both hands. Defiantly, he slammed the staff hard into the ground, unleashing the terrible fury of nature itself. In that single night, the world erupted. The skies grew black, and the earth turned red with fire, chaos, and blood. The Rift raced forward, tearing the ground apart, and destroying everything in its horrifying path. In the aftermath, the demon Vatar and the mysterious wizard had disappeared, and were both assumed dead. Light had separated from dark, and the world had been been split in twain. The new "island" of Celenheim was protected on all sides by an abyssal rift, and its people safe from the dark twisted forms now struggling for survival on the other side. To the people of Celenheim, these creatures became known as the Outlanders. The inhabitants of the Enclave, as it came to be called, grew strong and prosperous over the centuries, nearly forgetting the bitter hatred harboured for them from those confined to the war-ravaged plains of the Outland. But now, after hundreds of years, the Rift has begun to seal, even becoming crossable in places. The very earth is healing beneath their feet. It's only a matter of time before another full-scale war erupts, threatening the very existence of Celenheim.
[edit] Non-player characters (NPCs)
- Alecto: The leader of the Ancestors who resembles a typical roman emperor. The player must earn an audience with him in order to gain his aid in the upcoming war with the Outlanders.
- Ancestors: The people of Meckelon, ruled by Alecto. They resmeble typical roman warriors and swordsmen.
- Durzu: is the boss of the "Outland wastes" map. It looks like a larger version of the regular Stone Gnomes that also appear in that area. But contrary to its smaller kindred, Durzu has a more Goblin-like head. It is equipped with a relatively normal right hand and a left hand that looks like a monstrously huge sledgehammer. It attacks by creating a huge shockwave (Quakefist) with its left arm that can not only cause severe damage, but also knock the player down in the lava. It is also capable of spawning Stone Gnomes by making a throwing move with its right arm.
- Fyrlakith: Sometimes known as simply "The Dragon", Fyrlakith appears as a boss in the level "The guardian". Like said, it appears to be a large dragon with four legs and two bat-like wings. Fyrlakith was sent by High wizard Zale to guard the "Tome of souls" and is not going to let anyone slip away with it during his (it seems to be a male) watch. He flies around the level and occasionally stops to breathe fire at the player. His name, Fyrlakith, roughly translated into English means "flying fire-breather".
- Hellbone: A large, re-animated skeleton.
- High wizard Zale: The wizard who defeated Vatar.
- Head Councillor Mordessa: The evil sorceress who wishes to revive Vatar and together with him, rule the world. With a ruthless heart and an extraordinary magical skill, she's certainly capable of realizing her goal.
- Scaara Warrior: These strange frog-like humanoids live in The Sanctuary which they fiercely protect. They all wield tridents and are excellent swimmers, although they, like the player, aren't allowed to attack underwater.
- Skeletons: These undead beings are the re-animated remains of long since dead warriors. There are several types of skeletons in the game, but they all act and fight in the same way. Some characters, like the Lich, can spawn skeletons to fight on their side.
- Stone Gnomes: Stone Gnomes are small, magical creatures born out of lava and fire. They appear only in the Outland wastes area as Non-playable character's, but they also appears as playable characters in the Dark campaign.
- Vatar: A mighty demon and the incarnation of evil and fear. He was once destroyed by High Wizard Zale, but later revived by High Councillor Mordessa with the help of the "Tome of Souls". He is forced to obey Mordessa, but ultimately aims to break free from her bound. in doing so, he will be able to assume his former role in order to invade the Enclave and take back the very magic he once lost to.
- Wraiths: Wraiths are small, ghostly creatures that mostly haunts deserted buildings such as the Mansion of Dreams. Wraiths resemble skulls with flowing hair. There are four different types of wraith, but they all act in basically the same way.
- Zurana: is a boss-character. Once an ambitious sorceress, Zurana was consumed by evil forces when she tried to control a demon using the Tome of Souls. She now appears as a large demon-like skeleton. She has made the Underworld her headquarters and the "Underworld Spawn" (which consists of re-animated skeletons) are actually too afraid to protest. She possesses an immense physical strength which she demonstrates after the player has seized the Staff of the Earthspirit. When Zurana faces opponents her own size she usually slashes at them with her long claws. Her left arm is covered in a bony plate that acts as a shield.
[edit] Player character classes
[edit] Light Side classes
Knight
The Knights are strong warriors, revered and feared from their bravery and valor in combat. They are picked out even as young boy, and go through a rigorous training in the Ancient Code of warfare. Among the people of Celenheim, their bravery on the battlefield and skills in melee combat are unmatched. While superior in hand to hand combat, the Knights abilities in ranged combat and magic are very weak, and more often than not they resort to using the sword and shield.
Huntress
The Huntresses of Aylewood are more nimble with the bow than anyone else, perhaps even the Dreg'Atar Assassins. The elves have a natural vision that strongly exceeds that of any other races. They are secretive however, and not even the Queen herself and the Assembly really know where they come from or how they trained.
Wizard
Wizards are powerful wielders of elemental magic and have a wide array of devastating spells at their disposal. Unlike the rogue Sorceress of the Outlands, the Wizards of Celenheim are trained after strict rules and conduct within a guild structure. This is necessary for Enclave, and the wizards themselves. They are one of the strongest assets to Celenheim, and very loyal to the Queen and her cause. On the downside, Wizards are physically very weak, and nearly useless in melee combat.
Druid
The Druids are a secret order, which lives on its own independently of the Enclaves government or the Assembly of Six. Nature itself shapes them as their guardians, with knowledge and memories passed from generation to generation. They are seldom seen outside their own kind, but have a strong affinity to sense disturbances in the balance of nature. And the Outlanders are the worst disturbance of them all.
Engineer
The Gnomes are very important to the people of the Enclave. They are skilled craftsman, workers and engineers of the populace, and unmatched in their dexterous skills in handwork. But just as they are skilled in creation, they are very talented in destroying things as well, having a penchant for experimental explosives and demolitions.
Halfling
The Halfling have always been faithful to the elves in the lands of Celenheim, and often taken into services as spies or scouts. They are very fast, agile and can hit their enemies hard, in spite of their small size. Although the halflings are indeed fast, they are somewhat lacking when it comes to physical strength.
9320 Battle droid
A bonus-character with tremendous strength. This robotic warrior can be unlocked by accumulating 13000 gold pieces in the light campaign. It is equipped with a vastly powerful rocket launcher
[edit] Dark Side classes
Berserker
Every year, the strongest warriors in the Ogre clans battle amongst one another in a duel to the death. The survivor is bestowed the great honor of being sent to Ark Moor, to be enlisted in the services of the Head Councilor Mordessa herself. The Berserkers are the front-line soldiers of the Outland armies. Their size, strength and skill in warfare make them the perfect warrior. War is all Ogre knows. They are not famous for their brains, they have little intelligence. But they are strong, cruel, and brutally efficient in melee combat. Their greatest weakness is their lack of speed.
Assassin
The Assassins of Ark Moor are bred from birth under a very strict and dangerous program of training. Every waking moment since infancy they are molded and shaped into cold and precise assassins. The Assassins don't rely on strength, but on skillful marksmanship and backstabbing.
Sorceress
The sorceress are powerful wielders of magic, having at their finger-tips the strongest offensive magic of the Outlands. Their training goes only from one Sorceress to her disciple, and they tend to be loners. Therefore the High Council of Ark Moor has to search the lands for them, and convince them to join their ranks with the promise of powers as the sorceress tend to be very ambitious and keen on power. While being powerful magic casters, the Sorceress is fairly inferior when it comes to melee combat, and may only wear light armor.
Lich
Who could possible know more about life than those returning from the dead? Many beings in the Outland are denied the luxury of a peaceful death. The High Councilors of Ark Moor use Liches, undead magic wielders among their ranks. With theirs souls trapped, and an existence in constant agony, they have no choice but to obey the commands of their creators.
Bombardier
The bombardiers consist of the most crazy deranged fanatics on the entire continent. Their task is probably the most dangerous of all: sabotage and blow up enemy installations including the enemy themselves. In addition, they work to keep their own siege weapons and installations intact, in the midst of the most furious battles. The Bombardiers are of average strength in melee combat. Their true strength lies in their ability to create bombs and set deadly traps.
Goblin
These small creatures are the standard cannonfodder in the Dreg'Atar armies. They are fast and vicious but lack physical strength. A Goblin is nevertheless more cunning than a Berserker and even a Bombardier and sometimes offer an intelligent conversation. They are known for inventing the "Grease bomb" that works like a Molotov Cocktail. They prefer using axes in battle and like to sneak up on their foes. They speak with a re-mixed grammar of Swedish.
Fetica
This is a bonus character unlocked when you find all the gold (13000 gold pieces in all) in the dark campaign. The Fetica is equipped with a rocket launcher. The game indicates that Fetica is featured from "Enclave classic".
[edit] Locations in and around the Enclave
Ark Amar
A harbour located in the south-west parts of the Outlands. The harbour of Ark Amar is known for its cold, shark-infested waters. This is where the ships used to stop before sailing on over the vast seas. Most of this harbour is now under control of the Dreg'Atar.
Ark Moor Citadel
Mordessa's base of operations, located in the northern Outlands. This fortress is located on a small mountain placed in the very middle of a deep, lava-filled canyon. Ark Moor Citadel is heavily protected by Mordessa's most powerful warriors.
Aylewoods
A prosperous and mysterious forest located near the southern parts of the Enclave. Aylewoods is a magnificent forest consisting of healthy trees, clear lakes and steep hills. This forest is protected mostly by Druids and Huntresses and serves both as a training ground for Huntresses and an available refuge for the queen and the assembly of six.
Celadia Village
A small village located near the northern parts of the Enclave. This village was deserted after a raid and is now under the control of the Dreg'Atar.
Iellon Outpost
This fortress is squeezed in between two cliffs near a very narrow portion of the rift. Iellon Outpost was built in order to keep the Outlanders from building a bridge across the rift. The outpost is also used for storing dangerous criminals, both Outlanders and Enclave members.
The Sanctuary
The Sanctuary is located deep below a lake located in the north-west parts of the Outlands. This is where Zale is said to be held prisoner. The base is partly underwater and is protected by the frog-like Scaara Warriors.
The Howiling Chambers
After finding Zale a secret door is opened leading to the Howiling chambers. The Howiling Chambers are full of traps. This was built to test goblins skills.
Ungard Mines
These mines are very old, even older than the rift. The Ungard bridge located deep in the mines is one of the few places where it's still possible to walk across the rift.
Ur Annon Island
This island is Mordessa's personal lair and is located in the southern parts of the Sea of Sorrow. The island itself is barren and life-less. The only sign of inhabitance is a small fortress protected by the most powerful Dreg'Atar warriors.
 |
This article or section is incomplete and may require expansion and/or cleanup. Please improve the article, or discuss the issue on the talk page. |
[edit] Critical reaction
Edge reviewed Enclave in issue 114, awarding only 3 out of 10. Despite being impressed with the intricate textures and outstanding environments, every aspect of the gameplay was criticised. Close combat was described as an 'awful comedic mess' and multiple assailants too often lead to player death. There was deemed to be no difficulty curve and it was felt that the game did not give a player the chance to employ skill or enjoy themselves[1]
Other magazines were less critical, Gamestar for example gave 84%, calling it "motivating fantasy action with great graphics".
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Edge magazine, issue E114, September 2002
