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Rune
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Graphics & Sound:
Although I found the graphics to be dark and jagged, I am very happy with the way that the game looks and sounds. Rune has a Quake or Unreal look to it (as opposed to a Half-life look). Because of the darkness of the game, lighting effects, shadowing, and full texturing really didn't come into play, but the rendering and fluidity of the game made up for it. Unlike some of the older games, Rune is not blocky and unattractive. I also liked the way the game sounded. The eerie music and fully environmental audio really helped to bring the game to life. Although the graphics are dark, there is still plenty of color and depth. All in all, Rune looks and sounds fine. Editor's Note: We experienced some serious graphical issues with Rune when it was tried on a different PC which rendered the game unplayable, and these issues were not corrected with the patch on Gathering of Developers' site or by downloading the latest drivers for the graphics card. The specs for this PC are listed below: AMD K6-III 450 running Windows 98, 256 MB RAM, 6x/24x DVD-ROM, Sound Blaster Live!, Creative Labs TNT2 Ultra w/ 32 MB RAM |
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Gameplay:
So, why the name Rune? Well, throughout the game, you collect these runes that help you out. The gods are on your side. Rune is a first person shooter, set with a third person view. I'm really not too crazy about those, but it's a nice change of pace. In the game, you play a Viking. As a Viking, you have various swords, axes, and missile weapons. For your attacks, you can swing your weapon or throw it. You can also you a shield. Now you see how this is starting to shape up. On the screen, you get to see your health, your shield's health, your bloodlust, your rune power, and your breath (for those underwater experiences). To replenish your health, just eat or drink. Once your shield's health is gone, it shatters. Every time you defeat a foe, your bloodlust goes up. When your bloodlust is climaxed, you go beserk. While beserk, any damage you take comes off of the bloodlust before your health. Once your rune power fills up (by finding runes), you can use your weapon's special attack. Well, that's about the jest of it. There are twenty or so levels and about a dozen different weapons. You can even play a multiplayer deathmatch or team play. Rune runs off of the Unreal Tournament engine, so, surprise, it plays just like Unreal Tournament, except with a third person view. So, how does Rune stack up to games like Unreal Tournament or Quake? The answer is, it doesn't. Rune is only fun if you want to play by yourself or you just have to deathmatch without guns. If you're looking for fast, furious action, Rune is not for you. Now, if you want to get medieval on someone's ... well you get the point. |
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Difficulty:
Once you get the maneuvers down, Rune really isn't that hard. Now, the individual levels, those can get tough, but as a whole, the game is not overbearing. Once you get past the awkwardness of the controls, you should have no problem. And in this game, skill counts for something. It's very hard to snipe someone with a sword. Think of Rune as a more personal way of killing people.
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Game Mechanics:
Don't you just hate those third person games in first person's clothing? I know I do. Rune isn't exactly like that, but it comes dangerously close. It's not like a first person game with a person painted in the middle, but it's not too far. A little more control of the Viking surely would have helped. Aside from that, the game runs fast, smooth, and the control layout is very familiar. Again, Rune uses the Unreal Tournament engine, so you know it's going to play well. If you are looking for a game to replace Unreal Tournament or Quake, sorry; however, if you're looking to break away from the monotony of shooters, and you want to play a ... well ... swinger (and we all love swingers), then maybe Rune is just what you're looking for. |
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-Storm, GameVortex Communications AKA Jeremy Kelso |
Minimum System Requirements:
Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000, Pentium II 300), 64 MB, 88 MB Hard Drive space, 8 MB video card, 4x CD-ROM, Mouse, Keyboard |
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Test System:
P3 800, Windows ME, 256 MB PC133 RAM, 3D Prophet 2 Pro, 5x24 DVD-ROM, Monster Sound MX 400/4 point sound, DirectX 8.0 |
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