THE ABBEY (PC)
Alcachofa Soft finally brings to Spain The Abbey, its latest creation and one of the most interesting Spanish video games of the year. Fray Leonardo de Toledo and the young brother Bruno investigate in the hand of the player the dark crimes that take place in an abbey with a very old flavor.
Developing quality video games in Spain is possible. Yes. Those who yearn for the golden age of Spanish software can begin to observe with enthusiasm how the national industry is opening little by little on the international scene. He did Mercury Steam with his Jericho, and now it's the turn for Alcachofa Soft, a legendary team of masters in the graphic adventure genre captained by Emilio de Paz, Santiago Lancha and Daniel Iborra who launches The Abbey (The Abbey). This audiovisual work is born from the hands of many other digital artists and professionals who have collaborated with the cause, and has the distribution of Friendware and the edition of the German company Crinsom Cow, which has economically supported the production of the project.
officially presented 2006 and shown at the Games Convention of 2007 , remained in the ideas of Emilio de Paz and his team since ancient times and began its development years ago. The initial proposal sought to respect the foundations of the graphic adventure genre, the point & click, and at the same time pay homage to another national classic: The Abbey of Crime, work of Paco Menéndez's Soft Opera and Juan Delcán. The Abbey is not, therefore, a 'remake' of this myth of the Spanish video game, but a song of praises to this digital work and the words of Umberto Eco in the novel The name of the rose. Always with the seal of the house: humor.
As he has openly recognized Artichoke Soft, these two influences are felt throughout the game. The veneration to the title of cult includes superb references and winks that will not go unnoticed to those users who played the classic released by Opera Soft in 1987. During our walk through the abbey there will be no corner that does not ooze nostalgia and remember the graphic adventure of Menéndez , always respecting the humorist touch of the developer. We will find an example of this when we arrive at the abbey, when the abbot receives us in his ostentatious home and allows us to get rid of mass attendance. What a great nuisance it was to stop the investigations of Guillermo de Occam, name of the protagonist of the original, to witness the religious services!
The Abbey takes us to the Abbey of Our Lady of the Nativity located in medieval times in an undetermined area of Spain. There we will put ourselves in the shoes of Fray Leonardo de Toledo, a perceptive royal adviser, whose character and wisdom make him the perfect investigator. Leonardo will have at all times the company of little Bruno, a relative of an aristocrat of the time, a candidate to be part of the brotherhood and an apprentice of the researcher. The walk of Leonardo and Bruno to the abbey by the rainy cliffs of the valley will be interrupted by an immeasurable rock thrown intentionally by a mysterious hooded individual who tries to end their lives.
It is clear that someone does not want Leonardo and his investigative nose to step on the religious enclave of Our Lady of the Nativity. We discovered the reason as soon as we saw the door of the abbey, where we were received by an apathetic and often monk named Egidio. And it is that days ago, one of the monks, the brother Anselmo, died crushed by a censer in the church of the abbey before the stupor of the abbot and of other of his companions of prayer. This tragic accident was pure chance, according to the religious of the site. However, it is suspicious that the entire abbey is puzzled by what happened, and that each of the brothers has his own opinion on this capricious death.
Before this suspicious death, Leonardo de Toledo will have to sharpen all his wit from the hand of the player, and tour the rooms that make up the abbey of Our Lady of the Nativity to discover the whys of mystery. Some relate it to the forces of evil coming from hell itself; others see human shadows with dark intentions within the congregation itself. Your duty as a researcher is to find out who or what is behind this enigma that intersperses the dark arts and magic with the most earthly perfidy and greed.
On the journey we will be accompanied by the young Bruno, who at the age of 14 is already aspiring to become a renowned copyist. This charming personage represents the role of companion that interpreted the novice of the Abbey of the Crime. However, Bruno's personality is far from him. The goal of Artichoke Soft, as well advanced this magazine in an interview, is not more than to develop the antithesis of that one excessively punctual infant of Spectrum, that is to say, to present a silly, clumsy, naive character and that is not an annoyance for Leonardo. Bruno is that and much more; a naive and innocent character, who will not hesitate to express his opinion about the researcher's actions and to act impulsively. His stupid comments will contrast with the enormous wisdom of the detective dressed in cassock and provoke moments of laughter and humor.
This unlikely and superb couple of researchers will not be alone, because the brothers of the religious congregation of Our Lady of the Nativity will reside in the abbey. The work that Alcachofa Soft has done in the process of character construction and script is admirable and excellent. Each brother will have his own work in the abbey and will scrupulously carry out his tasks. In the same way, the personality of these is exceptionally worked, with perfectly recognizable attitudes, which will quickly make us get an idea about the character that Leonardo has before him, about his character and about his possible involvement in the murders. The conversations with these men of good will approach us and at the same time they will move us away from solving the enigma. And is that with the profile they have, we can hardly discern quickly who or who is to blame for the Anselmo catastrophe. The reactions of each friar will invite us to both suspect and free him from all guilt.
We will carry out our research in the rooms of the abbey, which is recreated with direct references to architectural references from the medieval period. We will visit from the church to the kitchen, passing by the stable, the blacksmith shop and the hospital, not forgetting the library, the cells of the monks, the cemetery and other hidden places in this architectural construction with Baroque and Romanesque influences. Each of the rooms enjoys its own setting, an individual style, what differentiates them from each other and affects the game experience favorably.
Graphically, you just have to observe the captures that accompany this text to appreciate the important artistic work carried out by the team of Artichoke Soft. The graphic engine of the game mixes environments in two dimensions as pre-rendered backgrounds of classic style with 3D character modeling. The movements of the characters are perfectly integrated with the environments, which maintain at all times an admirable robustness and appropriate perspectives. And is that this hodgepodge works a thousand wonders thanks, we repeat, to the exalted hand of the artists who are behind the pixels of this project.
From a more technical point of view, The Abbey works properly in teams that are not too current, becoming an accessible title for practically all audiences. Users who have a more current computer can enjoy, however, a higher resolution in the textures of the game and the activation of shadow effects in real time and antialias. Thanks to these effects and the smoothness of the engine, the graphic aspect of the game makes it a true interactive cinematographic experience.
Going through the corridors of the Abbey of Our Lady of the Nativity will be possible thanks to the mouse and the classic point & click style of the graphic adventures. The Abbey does not depart from the classic canons of the genre, and presents an adventure not compatible with the concept of innovation. That is why with the primary and secondary buttons of the mouse we will control the action by clicking on the points of the stage to converse, collect objects or interact. The inventory of objects will be displayed by bringing the pointer to the upper area of the screen and hide it with the opposite movement. Here we can select objects to be used in the environment, combine them and listen to their descriptions.
From the inventory we will also have free access to Fray Leonardo's logbook, where we will find notes and comments about the discoveries made during the investigations and about our most immediate objectives. Similarly, from the main screen of the game, and provided that we are in an area outside the abbey, we can access the map of the site, with which we can travel from one place to another quickly by clicking on the destination.
The mechanics of the game are only based on the main story, which is linear and, unlike its digital inspiration, it will not need us to continually delay the investigation to fulfill our sacrosanct obligations. The storyline is divided into four acts, whose total duration will depend on the player's insight and mental agility when solving puzzles and situations. For this, we will have to converse with the friars and tie up their statements, use artfully the objects we find and even interact with the untimely Bruno.
The visual display is accompanied by a first level soundtrack. The melodic creations of Emilio de Paz and performed by the Prague Symphony Orchestra are perfectly integrated with the rooms of the abbey and the situations that take place there, offering an enviable sound ambiance for the game. The ear of the player will be carried away by the melodies that will sound during the game, and will live every step that he takes with enthusiasm from the majestic introduction of the game.
The sound and orchestral quality of the game is at the same level as its spectacular dubbing. The Abbey has actors of high rank in the art of acting, such as Ramón Langa (Bruce Willis) in the role of Leonardo, Nacho Aldeguer as Bruno (Draco Harry Potter), or Juan Perucho (The Simpsons, Chief Wiggum). The doubling team and Artichoke Soft have worked very closely to print personality with each of the voices chosen to play the friars of the adventure and this virtue is appreciated from the first moment.
Another important aspect of the adventure is the use of humor and wit to provoke the laughter of the player. For the development team it is a historical maxim to make the spectator laugh during the game. So be prepared to hear absurd comments from Bruno, to observe winks at the life of singleness, the situation of the friars and the monarchical system of the time. All the jokes will be measured and inserted at the appropriate moment of the plot, so they will always sound appropriate and will not clash with the most serious moments of the investigation. It is true that in the international scene many of these humorous references elaborated within our culture have gone unnoticed, but this does not mean that at home we can laugh with them. And also great.
One of the aspects most criticized by users in Spain is that the game reaches the national market months later than other countries such as Germany. Knowing this comparative grievance, Alcachofa Soft has prepared for its compatriots a special edition of the unique and exclusive game, which includes multiple extras in the form of contents about the process of creation of the game, as well as corrections of bugs and changes in the puzzles The installation of the Spanish version of The Abbey brings to your hard disk dozens of sketches of the characters and designs of the scenarios (some of them even discarded). But without a doubt, the most notable extras are the one-hour video documentary about the making ofof the game and the playable Leica Strip, which is a complete version of the title developed based on the digitalization of the illustrations made for the storyboard of the game.
conclusion
The Abbey is a classic graphic adventure and made in Spain, which will convince fans of this genre and will make fans of The Abbey of Crime enjoy. Without being a 'remake' to use, the game knows how to respect its influences, but also versionarlas with the characteristic style of Artichoke Soft. Artistically, it is a remarkable proposal, with high resolution pre-rendered backgrounds and 3D characters that, with some exceptions, move correctly around the stage. [image | nid = 1144953 | align = center | preset = inline] The animations maintain the general quality of the title The Abbey of Our Lady of the Nativity becomes the provisional home of the player, of Bruno and of Leonardo of Toledo the time that last the resolution of this enigma. The most savvy of the genre may find The Abbey a title of short duration and too traditional in the field playable. These small problems will not be found in the outstanding dubbing, in the melodic soundtrack and in the ambitious work of characters. Being frank, The Abbey is an audiovisual experience halfway between cinema and digital entertainment, with an artistic approach and a personal treatment that make it a video game worthy of being in any collection, and a clear example of quality audiovisual work built within our borders. Artistically, the work of Alchofa Soft is unquestionable The soundtrack,
The best
- Artistically, the work of Alchofa Soft is unquestionable
- The dubbing is superb
- House humor and a very personal vision of these classics.
- The soundtrack, exceptional
- The additional contents (Very Interesting the Lay Strip)
- A delight for lovers of the genre and fans of The Name of the Rose and The Abbey of Crime
Worst
- The fastest will criticize its duration
- Little innovative
Game of remarkable finish that we will enjoy and remember. A good purchase, highly recommended for lovers of the genre. It is well cared for at all levels.