Alundra
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| Alundra | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Matrix Software |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Composer(s) | Kōhei Tanaka |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation, PlayStation Network |
| Release date(s) | PlayStation PlayStation Network |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure Action role-playing game Platform-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | |
| Media/distribution | 1 CD-ROM |
Alundra (アランドラ Arandora), released in Europe as The Adventures of Alundra, is an action-adventure role-playing video game developed by Matrix Software for the Sony PlayStation and was released in 1997. It was published by Sony in Japan, Working Designs in North America, and Psygnosis in Europe. It won great critical acclaim for its bizarre story and smooth game mechanics. The game's protagonist is a boy named Alundra, who learns that he has the power to enter people's dreams. He is shipwrecked near the village of Inoa and proceeds to try to help the locals, who have been suffering from a terrible curse. The narrative becomes gradually darker and more twisted as the game progresses. There is an emphasis on puzzle solving.
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[edit] Gameplay
Alundra is considered a spiritual sequel to Climax Entertainment's Landstalker on the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive.[1] In addition to a similar looking main character, the game's development team consisted of former employees of Climax Entertainment. The gameplay includes a combination of top-down platforming, action-adventure and action RPG elements, quite similar to Zelda series. It is known for containing many extremely difficult puzzles, some of which cannot be accessed if the player progresses further in the game, making some items unattainable.[citation needed] It is also known for its dark storyline and music.[citation needed] A range of terrain and surfaces also add variety, from sand, which causes the player to move more slowly, to lava, which damages the player. Upgrades throughout the game can help the player to overcome many of these obstacles, encouraging exploration.
[edit] Plot
[edit] Setting and characters
- Alundra, the protagonist and player character, is an elf from the clan of Elna, the Dreamwalkers. He comes to Inoa because of a recurring dream in which a mysterious figure who calls Alundra "Releaser" tells him that he must save the villagers from the evil of Melzas. His ship is caught in a storm and he is later found washed ashore unconscious. After arriving, he starts being blamed by the townsfolk for all of the terrible happenings that occur. Alundra is a silent protagonist.
- Meia is also part of the clan of Elna. She is also seeking to destroy Melzas. She has a troubled past that is eventually revealed during the course of the game.
- Jess is the blacksmith in Inoa. After Alundra's ship is swept ashore and destroyed in a storm, Jess finds the unconscious Alundra and takes care of him for as long as he remains in Inoa. He is good-natured and always trusts Alundra, even when others do not.
- Septimus is a scholar and a close friend of Alundra. He travelled to Inoa to help lift the curse that has afflicted it, but has met with little success. He helps Alundra discover many ancient and forgotten secrets of the world and his power of dreamwalking.
- Melzas is an ancient and powerful demon. Though he was imprisoned long ago by the Guardians of the Seal, he has returned and is terrorizing the villagers of Inoa. He is the primary villain of the storyline.
- Ronan is the priest of the village's church, the Sanctuary. From Alundra's first arrival in Inoa, Ronan constantly acts to turn the villagers against him due to his hidden agenda.
- Zazan is the leader of a clan of white monkey-like creatures known as the Murgg. He is being commanded by Melzas to destroy Inoa and steal the seven crests.
- Zorgia is a powerful demon and a servant of Melzas. He is vicious, cruel, sadistic, and utterly loyal to his master.
[edit] Story
The game starts with Alundra being on a ship. After walking around and talking to the people, Alundra decides to take a nap. He has a mysterious dream where a strange being named Lars tells him that he is a wizard and one of the guardians of the seal. Suddenly, Alundra sees a vision from the village of Inoa. After that, Lars calls Alundra 'Releaser' and tells him that north of the village there is a dark lake and below it there has lied a demon for over 1000 years and now the demon has awakened once more. After telling this, a creature named Melzas appears and points out that nobody has the power to stop him, especially not a human like Alundra. After talking with Lars about humans and the 'Releaser', Melzas disappears. Lars tells Alundra to travel to Inoa and stop the demon.
Suddenly Alundra wakes up and after getting out of his cabin, he finds out that there is a huge storm above the ship. The captain tells the crew not to worry but they sail into the reef and the ship breaks from the middle. After this Alundra loses consciousness.
Alundra wakes up from a beach and a man named Jess comes and rescues him. Jess takes Alundra to his house and lets him sleep upstairs. In the village of Inoa, Alundra discovers he is a Dreamwalker and undertakes many quests, playing both in people's dreams and the village surroundings.
[edit] Development
It was published in America by the now-defunct Working Designs.
More recently, Alundra has been made available as a downloadable game on the PSOne Classics service for the PlayStation 3[2]
[edit] Reception and legacy
| Reception | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | 85%[3] |
| Metacritic | 86 / 100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 8.6 / 10[5] |
| GamePro |   [3] |
| GameSpot | 8.8 / 10[3] |
| IGN | 8.5 / 10[3] |
| Official PlayStation Magazine (US) | [3] |
| Cheat Code Central | 4.5 / 5[3] |
| Gaming Age | 90 / 100[4] |
| RPGFan | 87%[6] |
| RPGamer | 9 / 10[7] |
| Thunderbolt | 9 / 10[3] |
| Video Gamers First | 9 / 10[3] |
Alundra was generally well-received upon release. It has an average score of 85% at GameRankings based on 10 reviews[3] and an average score of 86 out of 100 at Metacritic based on 9 reviews,[4] making it the 13th highest-ranking PlayStation title of 1997 and the 73rd highest-ranking PlayStation title of all time.
In 2000, IGN described Alundra as "one of the PlayStation's best action/RPG's" and praised the storyline as "one of the darkest storylines of any role-playing games in existence."[8] In 2009, Destructoid's Conrad Zimmerman described it as a "fresh and innovative" game and "one of the finest examples of action/RPG gaming." He particularly praised it for featuring "a plot the likes of which I had never seen before in the genre," the strong "writing and characterizations," and the "clever and challenging puzzles."[9] In regards to the PSN release, Platform Nation's Julian Montoya said the game "is very enjoyable and definitely worth playing" as well as stating it is a "long, fun, hard, mildly mature and full of personality adventure".[10]
A sequel entitled Alundra 2: A New Legend Begins was released in 1999.
[edit] References
- ^ Webber (03/02/1998). "Alundra". RPGFan. http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/alundra/Alundra.html. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
- ^ "アランドラ". PlayStation.com(Japan). Sony. 2007-10-10. http://www.jp.playstation.com/software/title/jp9000npji00044_000000000000000001.html. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Alundra". Game Rankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/ps/196598-alundra/index.html. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
- ^ a b c "Alundra". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation/alundra. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
- ^ John Ricciardi, Crispin Boyer, Kelly Richards, and Sushi-X (February 1998). "Alundra review". Electronic Gaming Monthly (San Francisco, California: Ziff Davis Media) (103).
- ^ Gann, Patrick (11/11/10). "Alundra". RPGFan. http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/Alundra_PSN/index.html. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- ^ Tidwell, Mikel. "Alundra - Staff Review". RPGamer. http://www.rpgamer.com/games/alun/al/reviews/alstrev1.html. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- ^ Zdyrko, David (April 12, 2000). "Alundra 2". IGN. http://uk.psx.ign.com/articles/163/163020p1.html. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- ^ Zimmerman, Conrad (03/20/2009). "An RPG Draws Near! Alundra". Destructoid. http://www.destructoid.com/an-rpg-draws-near-alundra-125565.phtml. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- ^ Platform Nation's Alundra Review
[edit] External links
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