Levelling up the App Store

Crescent Moon's iPhone RPG Ravensword remains one of the better examples of an Oblivion-style world on the App Store, but its next game Rimelands takes the action into more traditional role-playing territory.

Rimelands: Hammer of Thor is a role-playing iOS game developed by Finnish studio Dicework Games and released by Crescent Moon Games LLC on September 2, 2010. Critical reception. The game has a rating of 89% on Metacritic based on 11 critic reviews. AppSmile said ' With simple controls, an engaging combat system and some great graphics, this game should please both casual iPhone gamers as.

Developed in conjunction with Dicework Games, Rimelands: Hammer of Thor is the first of a planned series of turn-based games set in the same steampunk universe, in which the world has turned icy and people only survived by going underground.

Since creating a new technology called Steam, humans have constructed the Overwinter Vaults, leading to a new ascension of mankind. However, the world has changed with the arrival of the faerie - something that's sparked racial conflict, now only held in uneasy check by The Exalted Chamber, a place where members of both races can meet.

As for the first episode in this gameworld - Hammer of Thor - the background is this peace is starting to unravel, while, more specifically to your character, you're exploring abandoned vaults to appease your grandmother's appetite for riches and trying to find more about your shrouded past. .

In terms of gameplay, Rimelands is a fairly traditional Rogue-style RPG.

Movement through the tile-based environments is controlled using a D-pad. This feeds into the combat system, which is split into melee, ranged, and magic attacks.

All your combat options are managed according to how far you are from your target, with single tile-range melee options being mapped directly to the D-pad, while ranged and magic attacks have their own dedicated touch buttons, which light up when they are available.

Combat is turn-based and uses dice.

The number of dice you throw for each attack depends on how you've levelled up your character in terms of the barbarian (melee), assassin (ranged) and shaman (magic) skill attributes and the respective weapons equipped for each option. Obviously, you can create a specialised character in one class or a well-rounded one, which is average in all areas.

Offensively each dice can either be a hit - double or single skull - or miss - shield or cross. The damage of an attack is your character's melee power plus the weapon damage. However, each character also gets to roll defensive dice. In this case, a shield acts as a block, while the others don't have any effect.

Whether rolling offensively or defensively, you have the option to re-roll any failed dice as well, although this ability is limited by the number of mana points you possess.

It all sounds a little complex, but after a couple of battles you quickly get the hang of it. Basically, you're trying to wear down your opponent(s) hit points to zero, earning experience points to level up - you get to decide how to apply them across the three classes - and gaining items and gold, in the process when you win.

You can also use health and mana potions mid-battle to keep yourself topped up with these attributes, or rest for a turn to gain one mana. Choosing in which order to attack your enemies is another important element.

Additional facets of the game include armour items for you to equip, and there's an engineering option, where you can experiment with, and combine, the items you acquire during your journey.

Pretty pictures

Hammer of Thor looks graphically strong, with decent 3D graphics viewed from a fixed isometric camera angle, and with neat effects such as snow particles and atmospheric lighting.

Levels are split between pre-designed situations - driving the storyline - and randomly created maps relating to sidequests and other less important locations.

Travel around the entire world is carried out using a typical map view where you can select where you want to go, with the main city of Asgard acting as the central hub as well as providing a shop so you can buy and sell items.

Due for release in early August, Rimelands: Hammer of Thor is certainly shaping up to be a game that RPG fans will be spending many hours playing through. It might prove to be a little heavyduty for a more casual audience however.

Even with a detailed tutorial taking you through the first ten minutes of gameplay, you have to have your wits about you. File it under 'epic' rather than 'pick-up-and-play'.

You can check out the Rimelands's website for more details and get some idea about the setting in the following video.

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There are three skills trees corresponding to these type of combat: barbarian, assassin and shaman.The fighting system is based on the roll of dice - each turn you and your enemy roll and power of attack depend on what you draw. Every dice got attack side, double attack, defend and an empty slot. It’s a simple mechanic but also deep with the addition of bonuses from equipment and skills. Features:. adventure in a fantasy world where magic exists next to technology powered by steam. intriguing and unpredictable plot. a turn-based fighting system with simple, but deep mechanics.

three skill trees: barbarian, assassin, and shaman. a crafting system that lets you create powerful equipment. This content may be purchased by users who have registered a Nintendo Account and accepted the respective legal terms. To be able to purchase content for Wii U or Nintendo 3DS family systems, a Nintendo Network ID is also required and your funds usable through the Nintendo Account must be merged with the funds tied to your Nintendo Network ID. If the funds have not yet been merged, you will have the option to do so during the purchase process. To start the purchasing process, it is necessary to sign in with the Nintendo Account and the Nintendo Network ID.

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After you have completed the purchase, the content will be downloaded to the applicable system linked to your Nintendo Account, or your Nintendo Network ID in the case of Wii U or Nintendo 3DS family systems. This system must be updated to the latest system software and connected to the internet with automatic downloads enabled, and it must have enough storage to complete the download. Depending on the system/console/hardware model you own and your use of it, an additional storage device may be required to download software from Nintendo eShop. Please visit our for more information.Please make sure you have enough storage to complete the download.