Avernum

Avernum
Genre(s)	Role-playing
Developer(s)	Spiderweb Software
Publisher(s)	Spiderweb Software
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows,Macintosh,iOS
First release	Avernum January 2, 2000
Latest release	Avernum 3: Ruined World January 31, 2018

Avernumis a series ofdemowarerole-playing video gamesby Jeff Vogel ofSpiderweb Softwareavailable forMacintoshandWindows-based computers. Several are available foriPad,and were formerly available forAndroid.

There are sixcanonicalgames in the series. The first three games in the series and the non-canonBlades of Avernumareremakesof theExileseriesbyJeff Vogel,who owns the company, collectively entitledAvernum: First Trilogy.The next three games (Avernum: Second Trilogy), also by Vogel, were released in 2005, 2007 and 2009 respectively. The latter games are entirely original built on a newergame engineand not aremakeof any previous game. TheAvernumgames, like other Spiderweb Software games, are designed withgameplayand storytelling before graphical elements.In December 2011, a newer version of Avernum has been released,Avernum: Escape from the Pit,followed by its sequelsAvernum 2: Crystal Soulsin 2015 andAvernum 3: Ruined Worldin 2018.

Improvements overExile

The originalExilegames used atop-down perspectivetile-basedgraphical system, effectively displayed as an X-Y axis wherein each tile in the grid was filled by a base graphic and perhaps an item or character icon.Avernumfeatures a 45-degreeaxonometricdisplay that appears three-dimensional. The game also adds varying terrain height, allowing for more interesting map layouts.

As the first three games in the series are remakes of theExileseries, the primary plot devices remain relatively unchanged, while many new encounters and side-quests are added. With the design overhaul came improvements to thegraphical user interface(GUI) and to the storyline as well. Also Avernum has a maximum of four party members instead of six (with a minor exception of two NPCs in Blades of Avernum). In-game art byPhil Fogliolends a more humorous feel to the game.

Games

Release timeline

1995	Exile I: Escape from the Pit
1996	Exile II: Crystal Souls
1997	Exile III: Ruined World
	Blades of Exile
1998
1999
2000	Avernum
	Avernum 2
2001
2002	Avernum 3
2003
2004	Blades of Avernum
2005	Avernum IV
2006
2007	Avernum V
2008
2009	Avernum 6
2010
2011	Avernum: Escape from the Pit
2012
2013
2014
2015	Avernum II: Crystal Souls
2016
2017
2018	Avernum III: Ruined World

TheAvernumgames take place largely in a subterranean world known as Avernum. The main clash of the game is between the Avernites and the surface kingdom, known as the Empire.

The game features severalraces.The humans are the dominant race in the series, with the Nephilim and Slithzerikai being two other primary races. Among notable encounters in the game are theVahnatai,a race of highly magical and alien creatures who live in the deeper caves of Avernum.

TheAvernumseries, similarly to theExilebefore it, isdemoware.The user can download the program for free, and play a significant part of the game without restrictions. The demo ends at a certain point in the storyline, at which time the user must purchase a registration key to continue playing.

Avernum: First Trilogy

Avernum

Screenshot of the originalAvernum,showing a party about to enter an inn.

Avernum,the first game of theAvernumseries, features a party of characters thrown from the surface world into the subterranean Avernum. Once here, the player discovers a culture that has formed from the outcasts of the Empire above: a culture beset by constant warfare and monsters galore. In Avernum, adventurers meet with many who wish to get revenge on the Empire for the wrongs it has done to the Avernites.

Besides countless side quests along the way, the game offers three primary quests: killing the demon Grah-Hoth, discovering a route back to the surface, and assassinating Emperor Hawthorne of the surface world.

The game was re-released asAvernum: Escape from the Pitin December 2011 for OS X and April 2012 foriOSandWindows.This re-released version is the second remake ofEscape from the Pitand uses a new game engine.

Avernum 2

Avernum 2takes place five years after the events in the originalAvernum.Upon assassination of Emperor Hawthorne, the Empire of the surface recognizes the threat the Avernites pose and begins sending huge military forces down to Avernum. To make matters worse, unknown barriers of energy are sprouting up around the Avernum, which divides Avernum's forces, making them weaker.

The player controls a party of characters that meets one of theVahnataicreatures responsible for the barriers in Avernum, and travels to meet with their leaders to negotiate. The party finds out that the reason of the hostility is the theft of the crystal souls by the Empire. The party retrieves the crystal souls, and in turn the Vahnatai join the Avernites in opposition against the Empire. With their support, the Avernites turn the tables on the Empire and successfully repel the invasion.

StartingAvernum 2player may choose to have Nephilim and Slithzerikai characters in the party, in contrast to the originalAvernumthat allowed only human characters.

Avernum 3

Screenshot ofAvernum 3,showing a party about to leave for the surface.

Avernum 3takes place ten years after the events ofAvernum 2.Avernites have done a lot of preparation and are ready to send a selected few back into the light of the surface. After those selected few vanish, they send a selected few more. While those who emerge are at first stunned by the sheer beauty of the land around them, they also begin to notice that things are not as perfect as they seem. The slimes encountered are only the first part of what becomes a series of monsters and terrible occurrences that are blighting the Empire and laying it to waste. When scouting the land, as per orders from the Avernite government, the player is asked by the Empire to help save the surface from its blight. Adventurers must bring the Avernites and the Empire together to find the cause of the destruction.

Blades of Avernum

Blades of Avernumis a non-canoninstallment in theAvernumseries, released in June 2004. It comes with four pre-installed scenarios, three of which are only available after game purchase. Its most notable feature is a free scenario creation kit that can be downloaded and used to make scenarios that can be distributed to other players. It has come under fire for being "too complex"in comparison toBlades of Exile,its predecessor, which used a very simple instruction list instead of a script system. On the other hand, it has also been praised for allowing many new possibilities using said script system, which couldn't be achieved with theBlades of Exilesystem.

Spiderweb Software has released thesource codefor the editor and allows others to make enhanced versions and add-ons, which a number of players have done. The most notable adaptation of the editor is a 3D editor, which allows the user to view and edit a project using axonometric in-game view.

Avernum: Second Trilogy

Avernum 4

Avernum 4was released for Macintosh in late 2005 and released for Windows on March 2, 2006. It makes use of the Geneforgeengineand merges it with theAvernumengine;essentially this means that the gameplay is entirely turn-based, but uses theGeneforgepoint-and-click navigation and user interfaces. In addition, there is a large amount of new art in order to bring the world of Avernum to life within the reworkedGeneforgeengine.

Avernum 4takes place long after the other games – one of the dialogue options remarks that the events of the third game happened "before we were even born". Weird monsters have been appearing in the underworld, and three powerful shades have been attacking people in the cities. A group of assassins also appears and targets all travellers and especially player characters. The player takes charge of a group of heroes which will, in the end, determine the fate of all of Avernum.

Avernum 5

Gameplay fromAvernum 5showing a party preparing to leave a city.

On November 12, 2007 Spiderweb Software releasedAvernum 5for Macintosh, followed by the Windows version on February 16, 2008. The game utilizes the same game engine as its predecessor, but differs greatly in its plot element. Instead of being hired by Avernum (as with all other chapters in the series), the party of adventurers in the story fulfill the bidding of the Empire. The player controlling the party must hunt down the assassin Dorikas while dealing with numerous other obstacles such as spies and betrayal. Meanwhile, characters in the party are trained in over fifty spells and battle disciplines. Battle disciplines are applied on an axonometric game grid sharing an interface withAvernum 4.

Avernum 6

Avernum 6was released late 2009 for the Macintosh and early March 2010 for Windows and was developed on a low budget. In the time since the last game, Avernum has been struck by several disasters. The mushrooms which provide most of Avernum's food have been infected with a disease causing them to become poisonous and die, and the Slithzerikai horde has attacked. The player controls a group of Avernite soldiers whose job is to save Avernum.

Rebooted Series

Avernum: Escape from the Pit

In 2011, the series was rebooted withAvernum: Escape from the Pit,which follows the same plot (and whose title is a portmanteau of)AvernumandExile: Escape from the Pit,but features a greatly enhanced game engine and an expanded storyline.

Avernum 2: Crystal Souls

In 2015, following the reboot of the first game, the second game was rebooted, based on the same plot and title ofAvernum 2andExile II: Crystal Souls.Once again it consists of game engine enhancements and additional plot elements.

Avernum 3: Ruined World

The third rebooted game, based on the same plot and title ofAvernum 3andExile III: Ruined Worldwas released on January 31, 2018.

Reception

Reception

Review scores

Publication	Score
GameZone	5.0/10onAvernum 1 7.4/10onAvernum 4 5.9/10onAvernum 5
PC Gamer(US)	17%onAvernum 1 73%onAvernum 6
Just RPG	88%onAvernum 3
GameTunnel	7/10onAvernum 4 9/10onBlades of Avernum
RPGWatch	onAvernum 5
ApertureGames	7/10onAvernum 1
Applelinks	4/5onAvernum 5
Inside Mac Games	6/10onBlades of Avernum 8/10onAvernum: Escape from the Pit
Macworld	4/5onAvernum 4
Impulse Gamer	8/10onAvernum: Escape from the Pit
Giochi per il mio computer	5/10onAvernum 4

The original titles in theAvernumseries have frequently been met with praise for the depth of their storytellingand gameplay,while simultaneously receiving criticism for the use of crude graphicsand game enginesand lack of better sound effects.

AlthoughAvernumis anindie game,it is nevertheless compared to games released by publishers.A review of the originalAvernumin July 2000 noted that it was "not even in the same league as current RPG/RTS products [in] the market". Newer games in the series, however, were praised for having much higher production values.

Several years later, in August 2002, the Just RPG review of sequelAvernum 3reached a completely different conclusion. Scoring the game as an 88%, the review concluded, "Bottom line? Graphics don't make the game. Despite lack of animation and 32-bit graphics, this is a top-notch RPG that I would love to see more of in today's market."

The latter games in the series received more positive reviews. A June 2006 review at Game Tunnel forAvernum 4commented that "lots of thought [was] given to the environment and background story, and the game itself seems very solid."

Reaction to the final game of the original series,Avernum 6,was reasonably positive and praised the storyline. IndieRPGs.com said it was "a game that lives and dies by the strength of its writing, and the writing is pretty good", while noting that "it lacks a certain level of polish".IT Reviews commented, "As long as you can get past the aesthetics, Avernum 6 is a compelling slice of old school role-playing, which is well designed on the character development and combat fronts."It was also nominated and became the runner-up on "Independent RPG of the Year" byGameBanshee.

The games have received very varying scores throughout the series, often the tipping point being the "inadequate" graphics. However, most reviews admitted to good storytelling and well-presented RPG gameplay elements, noting that the game is recognisable for its gameplay value.

The Avernum series was rebooted in early 2010s, and the ground-up rewritesAvernum: Escape from the PitandAvernum 2: Crystal Soulshave received a largely positive critical reception.For example, GameBanshee wrote, "Fans looking to get into the Avernum series will do very well withEscape from the Pit,and while the improvements beyond the game engine and visuals are relatively modest, there's still a lot to enjoy even if you've played through the game once before already. "

External links

• Avernum seriesatMobyGames
• Spiderweb Software,homepage of Spiderweb Software.
• Encyclopedia Ermariana,a fan-based encyclopedia of Exile and Avernum world.
• Blades of Avernum Wrap Reportat RPGVault.