Depths of Peril
Preview
Classic gaming in an innovative little package
by Rook
previewed on PC
Quests and dangers
Another interesting and unique characteristic of depth of Peril is that the quest system is very dynamic. Various quests are available from different NPCs around the city and completing them will provide you with cash, experience and influence. The quests can can range from simply killing 'X' number of creatures to finding and rescuing another faction's warrior who has been missing. Quests will be available right from the start, but as you progress through the game, more quests will become available and they can also be accepted by the warriors of the opposing factions. This will result in a staggering level of possibility as opposing warriors succeed or fail their missions, which may result in more or lost opportunities for the player.
As gameplay continues, the player will receive notifications of quest availability, local diplomatic shifts and important news from the wilderness. Aside from establishing a diplomatic relationship with the surrounding factions, you do also have the wilderness outside the front gates to worry about. Those orcs do in fact still need to be bashed over their heads to keep them in check. If there is a report of orcs surging from a certain location, that surge must be dealt with, otherwise Jorvik may be forced to defend it very gates against an orc assault.
Developing the character
As your main character develops, he or she will earn skill points. These points can then be spent on talents which are based on the character's class. The talent system is very reminiscent of another popular Action/RPG hack-n-slash title, but it does provide character individuality during development. Along with skill points, ability points are earned and spent in the same manner, except that they are spent on the primary ability score instead of talents. It will be important to mold your character around a basic model and not load heavily on one score, otherwise he may not meet the ability score requirements attached to higher level equipment.
Overall
Currently, Depths of Peril is still in its beta stages of development. There are a few things that the title may still lack that would enhance the gameplay dramatically, but overall it is turning out to be a solid and very playable title. The world of Depths of Peril is both seamless and random. The graphics may appear a little rough, but it is more than adequate for the purpose. It has been proven several times that a title does not need groundbreaking graphics in order to be fun, and there is definitely a focus on fun and replay value in this title. With random dungeons and terrain and the dynamic quest system, it will not be likely to have the exact same playing experience twice. In addition, even when the game does end due to an opposing faction destroying your Lifestone, you can simply begin a new game almost exactly where you left off with the same character and items you have already got to know.
