Nokia launches Rifts: Promise of power

As the recent surge in N-Gage exclusive software titles continues Nokia has announced the release of Rifts: Promise of Power, the videogame conversion of Palladium's pen-and-paper RPG.

It's first time that the complex Rift universe has been represented in a videogame, having been carefully recreated for the N-Gage platform so that players can experience turn-based battles against more than 50 unique adversaries. The game sets players on a journey through post-apocalyptic Germany, China, North America, Scotland and Quebec, and features more than 100 weapons, spells and combat items to uncover.

The game has been developed exclusively for Nokia's game deck by Backbone Entertainment, which merged with The Collective in March this year to form North America's largest independent developer, Foundation 9 Entertainment.

Gregg Sauter, Nokia's director of games publishing, commented: "We are privileged to be the first video game platform to feature Rifts: Promise of Power as part of our game catalogue. The Rifts pen-and-paper franchise has already brought pleasure to millions of RPG fans and its presence on the N-Gage platform with its endless hours of multiplayer action can only serve to make the Rift brand even more popular."

Nokia promises over 40 hours of gameplay in the single player mode, with additional multiplayer combat available for up to four players using Bluetooth connection or globally via the online N-Gage Arena. The company hopes to encourage both existing and new fans to explore the N-Gage Rift universe, which includes an entirely new character class known as the Elemental Fusionists - a group of individuals who possess the elemental forces of earth, fire, air and water within their bodies.

Those wishing to sample the gameplay before committing to buying the full game can get a taster by downloading the six-hour demo from the N-Gage website. The demo includes character creation, adventuring and party-based combat.

Rifts: Promise of Power, initially announced in May last year, received high praise from the industry at the 2005 E3 Expo. The title is available for purchase now through N-Gage retailers and the company's online store.