Beowulf: The Game
Preview
Beowulf faces off Grendel and Grendel's mother
by Marko Susimetsä
previewed on PC
From a poem into a game
Lo! Of the Spear-Danes, in days of yore,
we have heard; of the glory of the people's kings,
how the noble ones did deeds of valour.
The journey of an Old English poem to the big screen and into a game should not be surprising in the modern day, especially when the fantasy genre has recently gained unprecedented popularity even amongst film studios. But still, knowing that the story of Beowulf has been filmed quite a few times, mostly with below average results, it takes for a brave studio to give the story another go. Of course, the risk of another failure is diminished when you invest in a big name as a director (Robert Zemeckis) and some additional big names as actors (e.g. Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Angelina Jolie).
And, when such big names get involved in a movie, it is no surprise that we will also get a game based on the movie, released as close as possible to the release of the movie. This usually results in an average gaming experience, at best, but, well, it is Ubisoft we are speaking of, so perhaps the game is worth a closer look, eh?
The story of Beowulf
Set in the 5th or 6th century, Beowulf is a two (or three) part story that tells the tale of Beowulf fighting against two (or three) monsters. The story begins with Grendel attacking and killing the warriors of King Hroðgar in their slumber after a long night of singing and celebrating. King Hroðgar and his remaining people abandon their lands, powerless against the rage of the fearsome monster.
Beowulf, our hero from another kingdom, hears of these troubles and, with his own king's permission, he gathers some of his friends and sets out to find and kill Grendel. After this deed is done and Beowulf and his men enjoy a feast set up by thankful King Hroðgar, they are attacked by another monster, Grendel's mother, and another adventure ensues as Grendel finds and kills this monster as well (in some versions of the poem, Grendel's mother is skipped).
The second (or third) monster is a dragon whom Beowulf faces a lot later in his life, when he has become the king. It appears that this later story will not be related in the movie, but it may be included in the game, because it will reputedly offer the chance to explore 30 more years of Beowulf's life than the movie presents.
Hack and Slash to the glory
You don't see too many games described as hack and slash these days. At some point, the term apparently became derogative and was replaced with a more generic descriptive, action adventure. But when a game comes along that doesn't even pretend to be anything else than a hack and slash, why not use the best term available?
In Beowulf, you will control the title character as he wades through hordes of mutants and enemies (obviously a hack and slash game could not work with only the two or three monsters that the poems have) with his thane warriors. Beowulf starts with a small force, but can have up to 12 thanes with him after he has unlocked them through heroic deeds, such as by killing monsters and saving fellow thanes on the field. These thanes can be used to more effectively kill the next hordes of enemies that come along by giving them orders and assigning their positions and equipping them with the best weapons possible. Alongside Beowulf, the entire group gains experience as the adventure progresses and their skills and abilities increase accordingly.
Beowulf also develops so-called legacy experience points that he can use to gain new thane warriors, weapons and so-called Carnal Abilities. These Carnal Abilities, in turn, will allow Beowulf to use special weapons and very strong attacks, and they will also allow Beowulf to enter into Carnal Fury – making him more or less an unstoppable force. The combat system is dynamic and includes combos and parries that develop as Beowulf gains experience. Likewise, Beowulf is able to grab objects and creatures in order to climb up walls or enter into very close hand-to-hand combat with his enemies.
Next-Gen graphics ice the cake
Beowulf would not be a modern hack and slash game, or an Ubisoft game, if it didn't also offer the best graphics possible. Coming only to the next-gen consoles and PC, the graphics are powered by the YETI technology, which more or less ensures that they will be astounding. Also, the game developers have access to the digital effects used by the movie producers, allowing them to tie the game in with the movie more closely than before – the same special effects and locations are easy to transfer into the game and will make the transition from the movie theatre to the game screen almost indiscernible.
Final thoughts
It is clear that action and hack and slash games are the only kinds of games that you have any hope of developing and publishing if you want to be on the market when the movie, hopefully a hit movie, enters the theatres. Thus, it is understandable that Ubisoft is turning Beowulf into one. For those looking for more content than hack and slash fighting, Beowulf will probably not be the game to buy. But for those who enjoy an occasional bout of visceral, mindless action, with astounding graphics and no poetry, Beowulf may well be worth the cash.
