The domestic video game industry never knew particularly bright times, and in recent years it seemed to have hidden. Nevertheless, there are many both worthy and outstanding Russian games, including published and beloved in the West. We decided that it was time to refresh our golden gaming fund again, and conceived a cycle of articles about such games. If at least one of these projects you, dear readers, missed, we advise you to make up quickly: they will probably not leave you indifferent, although it is sometimes not easy to understand them. But the more exciting the process.
So, in front of you is the first ..
Vananers
That in the ninety -eighth, that now the world of Univang ⅜ is a mystery to a mystery. It doesn’t matter how many pages of the notebook you wrote to the language of its inhabitants, guesses about the nature of Wangers and endless repetitions of the phrase “What is happening here?!". Even the developers did not give us all the keys – and those that have, know if they are not false? The creators will become! When it comes to " Wangers "Cannot be trusted decisively to anyone, and this is the whole charm.
► The most amazing in this crazy world is that it is quite alive. Say, if the other Wanger spent supplies to you, but will still survive a skirmish, in the future you risk meeting him with a fairly fraction of authority and combat power. And if there is not enough money, then it is completely unarmed.
What are vanners in Softi?
Yes, the devil knows them, but the game was dedicated to them noble! Driving on four -wheeled fur, they freely plow worlds, developing luck and authority. Moreover, the latter is worn in real time, and in order not to become Raffa, you will have to actively and mercilessly survive other vangers and take tabutask, hoping not to stretch out the overwhelming task, and even for cheap. Other ways to find out grains of truth about the acid world of unwvang ⅜ no one has yet come up with. You can only play the prequel " Perimeter ", But this is a completely different story.
Undoubtedly, " Vananers "Became not only one of the most cunning, but also the most mysterious games of the post -Soviet space. The player that from the first seconds will not be asked to answer the main question of all the unwvang (yes, “what is happening here at all?!"), It will not dare to drive around this world for a long time.
All others are waiting for an incredibly attractive simulator of a free wanderer on an iron horse, with role -playing elements, complete freedom of action, impressive soundtrack and the insane of all universes in our memory.
Corsair
"Yo-hoo-ho, and a bottle of Roma!" – this is how in one sentence you can express the whole gamut of emotions that fell upon players in 2000 through the efforts of Akella.
" Corsair "Have become the main simulator of pirate non -casual everyday life since Sid Meier’s Pirates!, which became the main source of inspiration for the creators – with the only difference being that in " Corsair »To the formula Pirates! the third dimension and full -fledged role iWild Casino elements were added.
The game placed us in the skin of Captain Nicholas Sharp, who, after Spanish captivity, followed the shoot, had to choose his fate: serve one of the three powers or become a pirate. The choice of the party significantly influenced the plot, but in any situation, Sharp plunged into the Caribbean Sea of Opportunities: Trade, Search for Treasures, Passing, Dushy Sea Battles and Duel, Capture Fords – And all this in twenty islands and, of course, sharing their water waters.
" Corsair »Steel, without exaggeration, a world -class game, damn beautiful and fascinating.
But, as happens with domestic games, they failed to become the same successful series. Long -awaited " Korsarov 2 "Bought out" Evil Corporation "Disney and renamed" Pirates of the Caribbean ", And the release was timed to the continuation of the film of the same name. This affected the game itself: although it was made at a decent level, but from the heady sense of freedom, so expressively transmitted in the original, there was no trace in it.
Hopes for the return of legends were assigned to Seaward's shoulders.ru Team, distinguished by excellent modifications for completely shameful " Korsarov 3 ", And" Akella "instructed the team to develop a fourth part. However, soon the crisis of 2008 happened with everyone, and it turned out as it turned out.
IL-2: Sturmovik
Air systems never claimed popularity among the masses, but for a real masterpiece this is not an obstacle. In 2001, 1C: Maddox Games released the legendary aircraft system " IL-2: Sturmovik ", All game publications of the world unanimously recognized by the best representative of the genre.
And there was.
The developers with titanic labor ensured the maximum possible reliability of what is happening. Not only modern pilots were connected to the development, but even veterans of the Second World and Great Patriotic War – our German and American. Maddox did not be too lazy to get acquainted with historical documents and planes.
The output turned out the most reliable flight simulation for its time – and one of the best to this day. Of course, manic scrupulousness made special requirements for the player, and in order to master " IL-2 »In all its glory, it was necessary to harden your skills well.
► There were 32 types of aircraft alone in the game (and if we consider modifications, then all 77).
Not wanting to scare the players more lady, the developers realized a flexible setting as much as eighteen parameters, from “invulnerability” to “accounting for the gyroscopic moment of the screw”. At the request of the player " IL-2 "Turned almost into an arcade. Excellent adaptation of control under the keyboard contributed to popularity: to feel like a pilot, the player did not need a joystick so much.
But the Maddox policy was even more important in relation to the game: the additions came out until 2007, and many of them not only added new content, but also “pulled up” the original – but even at the exit ” IL-2 »Could boast of excellent graphics! Moreover, the game allowed lovers of fashion building to create entire campaigns and to sort things out in a multiplayer for 80 people, and a set of available equipment was by no means limited to airplanes.
" IL-2: Sturmovik »He became the perfect game for anyone who at least once imagined themselves at the helm of an airplane. It was worth it a little to get comfortable, and everything, the person disappeared completely: the game was so immersed in himself and pulled it that I wanted to hide into the sky again and again – at night and day, in the rain and in the snowstorm.
Well, girls … and the girls then!
Space rangers
" Space rangers "At one time, all records were beaten on the justification of expectations: they can safely attribute at least a thousand percent of the rating – and not be mistaken. The developers from Elemental Games did not advertise the game in any way, so no one knew about it, and at the end of December 2002, players received a fabulous New Year's surprise – a revolutionary Simulator of Liberty as it is.
At its core " Space rangers "Were a cosmic simulator in traditions Elite, But in fact, their genre is defined as "epic game". Here you have a role system, and text quests, a step -by -step strategy, and arcade action. In continuation – "" Space rangers 2: Dominators " – RTS was added to this set. What is especially impressive, the developers managed to realize all the facets of their compound brainchild at a decent level, preserving the balance between the genres.
Uncomplicated tie " Space rangers " – the invasion of a new form of life (Klisana) into the territory of the famous Galaxy – was more than justified by the abundance of parody humor and exciting text quests.
But it turned out to be much more important: the star spaces available to the player were really populated. Other ships went about their business in parallel with us: they traded, stole, robbed – in general, the world lived, and lived convincingly. Up to the point that at low levels of complexity the coalition troops could well defeat the invaders and without the participation of the player. And on the highest – to quickly sink into oblivion.
► After the departure of the team Alexei Dubovovoi, the probability of seeing the third part disappeared. But the studio gave us an excellent remake renamed Katauri Interactive King’s Bounty, Yes, and with the ability to choose a logo " Space rangers »On the coat of arms.
The organic combination of genres, the dynamic environment and the complete freedom of the player provided " Space rangers »Inexhaustible potential for rehed: each new party was unique and dragged on, as if for the first time. It is not surprising that and " Space rangers ", And their exemplary continuation" Dominators "were among the greatest cosmic strategies in the world.
Mor. Utopia
Now the independent studio of Nikolai Dybovsky Ice-Pick Lodge is hardly needed to be presented even outside the homeland, but ten years ago their debut project " Mor. Utopia "Was the same dark horse, the fate of which cannot be predicted to the last. Already at the development stage it was clear: people do differently. And what such a non -standard approach would result, it only remained to guess. And also make bets and observe.
" Mor. Utopia "Categorically refused to reveal to the connoisseurs of the components – she built too many complaints and barriers to them. A useless combat system, overdue graphics and cheapness of many game elements prevented other players and even reporters to evaluate it. Completely metaphors of the ornate dialogs, and the importance of context, and the oppressive feeling that you are left to yourself did not contribute to rapprochement.
And yet " Mor. Utopia »Found her audience, capable of seeing those properties that do not reduce the set of" gears ". Her soul, if you want.
The concept of the game was built around the abstract steppe city, torn from our spatio-temporal continuum-but still not able to avoid death. Death was embodied in an epidemic of mysterious sandy ulcer, rapidly destroying both the city and its inhabitants. A play for three heroes is played on this scene, whose fates closely intertwined in a fight with an inevitable.
However, the performance does not impose any hard framework – after all, the director here you are. Twelve intra -game days flow in real time, bringing the finale. The main task of the player is to live to him, and how to spend measured days, a purely individual question.
► In terms of quantity and quality of text " Mor. Utopia »Give a hundred points ahead for many modern novels.
To bring the performance closer to reality, heroes were endowed with parameters that determine health and well -being. Technically, this turned the game into a hybrid of a detective quest, role -playing game and Survival Horror – with the only difference being that it does not scare us in the usual sense. Its task is not to intimidate the player, but to cause him discomfort.
" Mor. Utopia "Simultaneously provokes dialogue with its metaphoricality and understatement and tries to push out of itself, which makes its atmosphere only more attractive. The waywardness has become one of its main trump cards in the struggle for the player, and now, despite all the economic ups and downs, we are looking forward to and hope for a remake: no matter what the team of Dybovsky does, it will be one of the brightest impressions of the year.
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The slogan of the future Blitzkrieg 3 reads "We have something to be proud of". He is also fair for domestic games: Russian developers gave us more than one masterpiece, sometimes boldly experimenting with genres and focusing on a sense of real freedom – on earth, in heaven and at sea. And even if recently from outstanding Russian games you can only remember the golden puzzle Cut The Rope , Keep in mind that in the future you may be pleasantly surprised!
However, here we have just begun to recall the games that the domestic industry can be proud of. There are many of them, and in one or even two materials all will not fit. Stay in touch, soon the second part of the cycle awaits you; We have already figured out the full list for, but we will not refuse to hear from you in the comments what other Russian games you consider the best – it is quite possible that we will expand it.
