14 DAY TRIAL // For younger PC gamers, the name Guido Henkel might mean nothing, but RPG veterans will surely remember Planescape: Torment and Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny.
After working with many leading companies for important titles, such as Fallout 2 and Neverwinter Nights, RPG designer Guido Henkel decided to pull out from the gaming design and pursued other personal interests.
Anyway, the important thing is that he’s back in the gaming industry with a new RPG project called Thorvalla.
According to Henkel, “Thorvalla brings back many of the traits that made classic computer RPGs such memorable experiences. At the same time, it expands the experience and reinvents the way certain game mechanics are being handled.”
The game mixes heavy RPG elements with things that exist in real world in order to offer a more immersive experience. This is one of the reasons the high-fantasy setting in the game is spiced up with Norse mythology, so players can have something to connect with.
Tribal people will also be an important part of the game, being compared by Henkel with Native Americans, but other races resembling Asian cultures will also exist in Thorvalla.
Thorvalla is a single-player party-based RPG, which will allow players to customize their traits and abilities as they advance in the game and gain more experience.
For the time being, the technology that it will be built upon has yet to be decided, but it’s certain that Thorvalla will be a top-down RPG.
It remains to be seen whether developers will choose an isometric view, a mix consisting of pre-rendered 2D backgrounds that interact with 3D objects and characters, or a fully 3D environment with a fixed third-person viewpoint.
The world of Thorvalla is full of magic, so this will be another important part of the game. Players will be able to spend their skill points and attributes in order to gain new spells or master those already learned.
The game will be full of cities, strongholds and dungeons for players to explore and interact with. And last but not least, you’ll be able to tame dragons and fly them in reconnaissance missions or simply to burn everything in your path.
Guido Henkel’s Thorvalla RPG project is now up for funding on Kickstarter and requires $1 million (€780k) to meet its goal. Check it out here.