14 DAY TRIAL // Tilted Mill, the company known for the not so great Children of Nile game, but also for the successful SimCity Societies and Caesar IV, has just announced a brand new title which promises to be way better than its predecessor and comes with interesting, innovative features. The game will be called Hinterland and, if we are to judge it only by its motto ("Loot, Level and Build"), we can see it's different from what the market is offering now.
In Hinterland, the player's goal will be that of establishing and developing a small city in a fantasy kingdom. You will also have to convince members of your village to leave their homes and join you on expeditions and explorations of the surrounding lands - which means that the classic city building sim will turn into a RPG title, to the delight of hardcore fans. You'll meet characters and creatures said to be inspired by general myths and folklore, dangerous creatures guarding precious items you need. You'll have to successfully manage your cities and make your armies grow (or, better said, parties) and assure your quest will end in glory. It won't be an easy job, though!
"Our goal here is to focus on the gameplay, and not chase the 'killer screenshot', so graphically it [Hinterland] will be more modest and also play smoother on lower end machines which, given our history, is important for users to understand," said Tilted Mill founder Chris Beatrice. "I think this is what makes the PC special as a gaming platform, allowing innovation, quick turnaround, close collaboration between the audience and the people making games (really unlike any other type of entertainment) and judging by the responses we're getting, others agree."
So, we can say that Tilted Mill are on the verge of creating a brand new genre: RPCBG (role playing city building game), but that just sounds awful. On the other hand, Hinterland sounds great and I'm sure every city building sim fan enjoys some Diablo-like fights every now and then. We'll keep an eye on more details about Hinterland.