Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusaderis anaction role-playing gamedeveloped byReflexive Entertainmentand published byInterplay EntertainmentsubsidiaryBlack Isle StudiosforWindows,released in August 2003. The game is viewed from a 3/4isometric camera angle.It focuses on a protagonist, controlled by the player, as he travels on a quest that constitutes the central focus of the game. The plot stipulates a rift in reality that drastically alteredmedievalhistory by allowing demons and other similar beings to enter the mortal realm. During the game, the protagonist encounters and interacts with numerous historical figures such asJoan of Arc,Leonardo da VinciandGalileo Galileiwho are represented asnon-player characters.
| Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Reflexive Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Black Isle Studios |
| Producer(s) | Lars Brubaker |
| Designer(s) | Ion Hardie |
| Programmer(s) | James C. Smith |
| Artist(s) | Jeff McAteer |
| Writer(s) | Eric Dallaire |
| Composer(s) | Inon Zur |
| Platform(s) | Windows |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Action role-playing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player,multiplayer |
Lionheartutilizes theSPECIALrole-playing system, which was first used in theFalloutseries,and in this game functions primarily in adding points to specific skills in separate trees to strengthen a character's "Spiritkind", which has a personality and nature chosen by the player at the start of the game.
Gameplay
editAsLionheartimplements theSPECIAL system,the character creation is similar to that of theFalloutseries. Players begin by setting the values of their characters' strength, perception, endurance, charisma, intelligence, agility and luck, and selecting "traits", which alter a character's inherent abilities for either better or worse, for the duration of the game. In addition, the player must distribute points to "skills" – abilities which a character uses to achieve various effects. One skill, "diplomacy," allows the player to talk their way out of situations gone awry, while another, "sneak", allows the player to move undetected by enemies. Unlike theFalloutseries,Lionheartalso allows the player to selectmagicalskills – an example being "discord", which turns hostile enemies against one another.
Players also select "perks" during the course of the game – abilities similar to traits, which affect a character's abilities in some form. For example, the ability "Superior Senses" grants the player character a +1 bonus to his or her perception and +15 skill points in the "find traps/secret doors" skill.
Another element newly introduced byLionheartis the player's selection of a "Spiritkind" for their character, which is done during character generation at the game's start. A Spiritkind is a spirit, which is either demonic, elemental or bestial, that resides in the player character and occasionally rouses to explain happenings or gameplay mechanics, or advance the plot.
The character generated by the player is the only character a player has direct control over, and though characters will occasionally join a player'sadventuring party,they areAI-controlled without exception.
Plot
editThe setting ofLionheartis analternate historycreated by the occurrence of the Disjunction, a rip in the fabric of time that introducesmagicinto the world. This event occurred whenRichard the Lionheartmassacredprisoners at theSiege of Acreduring theThird Crusade,a decision exploited by a mysterious source to fuel a ritual that tore the fabric of reality and caused magic to enter the world from other dimensions.[1]
The game takes place in 1588 and initially set in analternate historyversion ofBarcelona.In this time, theSpanish Armadais almost set to invade England, and theInquisitionis rampant.Lionheartfeatures severalRenaissancefigures who make ahistorical appearances in the game, includingMiguel de Cervantes,William Shakespeare,Galileo Galilei,Niccolò Machiavelli,andLeonardo da Vinci.
The plot ofLionheartsees the player character, discovered to be a descendent ofRichard the Lionheart,inherit the powers obtained during the Disjunction. Players follow the story through aligning with one of the four main factions in the game – the Knights Templar, the Inquisition, the Knights of Saladin and the Wielders – and are tasked with stopping an attempt to permanently open the dimensional rift, and alter the course of European history.[2]
Development
editReflexive Entertainmentwas approached byBlack Isle Studiosto develop a game after playing their previous titleZax: The Alien Hunter,anisometricgame using the same engine.[3]Ion Hardie statesBlack Isleoriginally wantedReflexive Entertainmentto develop a game in the vein ofFalloutusing theSPECIALsystem.[4]Chris Avellonerecalls the decision to useSPECIALwas an attempt to "try and help boost sales by leveragingFalloutfan interest ".[5]
Production ofLionheartwas strained, with both developer and publisher in financial stress. Ion Hardie notesReflexive Entertainmentwas "literally one day away from making hard choices that might have shut us down for good when we got the contract (forLionheart) ".Interplayalso bore significant financial issues that prevented them from providing the developer withmilestone payments,with Hardie stating "(Interplay) had issues getting us the initial payment.[5]
Release
editLionheartwent gold on 16 July 2003. As with other Interplay titles at the time,Vivendi Universal Gameshandled North American distribution whileAvalon Interactivehandled European distribution.[6]The game was released in 2003 in North America on 12 August,[7]Australia on 26 August,[8]and the United Kingdom on 12 September.[9]
Reception
edit| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 57/100[10] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Computer Gaming World |    [11] |
| Game Informer | 8.5/10[12] |
| GameRevolution | D[13] |
| GameSpot | 6.5/10[14] |
| GameSpy | [15] |
| GameZone | 7.2/10[16] |
| IGN | 6.8/10[17] |
| PC Gamer(UK) | 72%[18] |
| PC Gamer(US) | 61%[19] |
| X-Play | [20] |
Lionheartreceived "mixed" reviews according to thereview aggregationwebsiteMetacritic.[10]GameSpot'sGreg Kasavinnoted that althoughLionheartseems to promote diverse character creation, the significant focus on monster-infested areas "all but forces you to play as some sort of combat-oriented character."[14]The game was also criticised for its attempts at promoting "Diablo-style, "hack-and-slashgameplay after a more dialogue-driven approach in the earlier stages of the game.IGN's Barry Brenesal wrote, "the problem of deciding what kind of game it really wants to be, RPG orDiabloclone, is probably the most serious problem it's got. "He continued thatLionheart"feels like a good game got lost somewhere en route, and ended up being pushed out the door with some basic features missing."[17]RPGamer's Steven Bellotti assessed that the game "starts out so promising," but "once you get out of Barcelona and into the wider world, [it] falls flat on its face."[21]
Conversely the game was praised for both its musical score, which was described as "excellent," and voice-acting, which was exclaimed to be "top-notch."[17]TheSPECIAL system-fueled character creation was called "great."[21]
References
edit- ^"Lionheart: An interview with Ion Hardie – The stories".The Gamers' Temple.2003.Archivedfrom the original on 14 September 2022.Retrieved14 September2022.
- ^"Lionheart: An interview with Ion Hardie – The game world".The Gamers' Temple.2003.Archivedfrom the original on 14 September 2022.Retrieved14 September2022.
- ^Knudsen, Kurt (12 August 2003)."Lionheart Interview".Gamers Hell.Archived fromthe originalon 19 August 2003.
- ^"Ion Hardie of Reflexive Entertinament".Eurogamer.5 August 2002.Archivedfrom the original on 14 September 2022.Retrieved14 September2022.
- ^ab"Ion Hardie on Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader".RPG Codex.18 January 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 14 September 2022.Retrieved14 September2022.
- ^Calvert, Justin (16 July 2003)."Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusadergoes gold ".GameSpot.Retrieved20 June2024.
- ^"LionheartDelayed to August ".IGN.27 March 2003.Retrieved20 June2024.
- ^"Recent Releases".Gameplanet.Archived fromthe originalon 2 October 2003.Retrieved20 June2024.
Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader-- 26/08
- ^Bramwell, Tom (12 September 2003)."What's New?".Eurogamer.Retrieved20 June2024.
- ^ab"Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader for PC Reviews".Metacritic.Archivedfrom the original on 27 December 2012.Retrieved8 September2010.
- ^Coffey, Robert (November 2003)."Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader"(PDF).Computer Gaming World.No. 232. pp.134–35.Retrieved22 April2017.
- ^"Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader".Game Informer.No. 126. October 2003. p. 141.
- ^Dodson, Joe (September 2003)."Lionheart [Legacy of the Crusader] Review".Game Revolution.Archivedfrom the original on 17 August 2016.Retrieved22 April2017.
- ^abKasavin, Greg (18 August 2003)."Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader Review".GameSpot.Archivedfrom the original on 17 May 2014.Retrieved22 April2017.
- ^Abner, William (2 September 2003)."GameSpy: Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader".GameSpy.Archivedfrom the original on 12 February 2010.Retrieved22 April2017.
- ^Lafferty, Michael (25 August 2003)."Lionheart [Legacy of the Crusader] – PC – Review".GameZone.Archivedfrom the original on 31 March 2009.Retrieved22 April2017.
- ^abcBrenesal, Barry (26 August 2003)."Lionheart [Legacy of the Crusader]".IGN.Archivedfrom the original on 9 November 2012.Retrieved22 April2017.
- ^"Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader".PC Gamer UK.October 2003.
- ^Peckham, Matthew (November 2003)."Lionheart [Legacy of the Crusader]".PC Gamer:132. Archived fromthe originalon 15 March 2006.Retrieved22 April2017.
- ^Bemis, Greg (24 September 2003)."'Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader' (PC) Review ".X-Play.Archived fromthe originalon 21 September 2003.Retrieved22 April2017.
- ^abBellotti, Steven (2003)."Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader – Review".RPGamer. Archived fromthe originalon 3 March 2016.Retrieved24 July2006.