The Story-Intensive RPG: Grotesque - Heroes Hunted
Deidesheim / Germany
11th May 2007
Schanz International Consultants and their partner Developer Silent Dreams are gearing up to present the very special atmospheric fantasy RPG: Grotesque - Heroes Hunted, to publishers.
There has been a lull for some time and over the last half an year the team was busy improving Grotesque, both technically and design-wise based on publisher feedback. It will now be proudly unveiled again in it's improved form.
Grotesque - Heroes Hunted is a deep fantasy RPG and is considered in direct competition with Oblivion, Gothic and Two Worlds. As opposed to the modern classic RPGs, or all action RPGs, Grotesque focuses on a very intensive and atmospherically dense story line, which, through its elements of black humour, party battles and striking characters reminds one of the cult classic in RPGs, Planescape Torment.
Rayk "DeadPoet" Kerstan, Creative Director of Silent Dreams says, "Whilst we were revising the graphics and technology, we set ourselves another big target. We want to release the most story-intensive game that has appeared over the last few years. For many years it is exactly the story and interesting characters that have been totally neglected, because the focus has been on a massive world and optimal freedom - this has been generally related to coincidence-based actions and generated characters, but a thread leading the gamer throughout the game has been missing, and that is exactly what we are now putting back into place."
Just imagine, you wake up one day and find yourself suddenly transported into a totally different world.
The story of Grotesque concerns Roger Sun, an everyday hero from the present, who is neither particularly strong nor particularly honourable. He is the guitarist in a heavy metal band, loves animals and is a huge fan of RPG and adventures. Through a mysterious artefact, a richly decorated antique mirror, he is sucked into another world and lands, complete with his lounge furnishings, right in the midst of a conflict between the alliance of humans and elves and grass-like creatures.
It seems as though the eternal battle between light and dark of this game that has been going on for years suddenly becomes serious and turns to become his reality. But Roger had never realised that a hero's life, as a prospective chosen one, would be anything like this.
The forces of the light that Roger urgently needs as co-combatants and friends, emerge mostly as arrogant, egotistical and to some extent even engage in inter-fighting. When the vampires, Dawnclaude & Solithaire, appear and with sadistic fiendishness hunt down anything human, it becomes quite clear that they are merely the forerunners of a very angry and murky power, a power that would not remain unaware of the sudden appearance of Roger Sun...
Gerhard Schanz, the Managing Director of Schanz International Consultants says, "Over the next few months we will disclose further material from Grotesque - Heroes Hunted from Silent Dreams, where it will become obvious how Grotesque can be distinguished from the monotony of Action RPGs. Indeed, Grotesque will be a treat to the RPG community and also encourage and attract new players to join this unusual saga with the hero of Grotesque"!
In order to be able to implement this also from the technological point of view, Silent Dreams works together with some famous Gothic graphic artists. This includes the Lead Artist of the Gothic series, Horst Dworczak.
Players and RPG fans are encouraged to actively contribute to the Grotesque forum, where the developers are always available for contact.
Grotesque - Heroes Hunted is announced for release in 2008. The publisher for the Russian territory is Akella. Licensing partners for Europe and world-wide are under consideration.
More on Grotesque and Developers at www.grotesque-game.com
More on Schanz International Consultants at www.schanzgames.com