No Fragments Archive 10: Diskmags/nf_archive_10.iso/MAGS/ST_USER/1990/USERSP90.MSA/TEXT_TORVAK.DOC

Text File | 1990-07-25 | 7KB | 127 lines

                             TORVAK THE WARRIOR


    Core Design presents a brilliant demo of its new mega bash-'em-up game


Core Design is part of the new breed of game designers who are young, lean and
ambitious. Core has spent a year producing a clutch of chart-busting games and
ST User readers have the opportunity of checking out their all-action
beat-'em-up, Torvak the Warrior.

    We go way back in time for our game demo, to the death-throws of the
Tormanian wars, no less. Here you can experience a soupcon of a game which
transcends the centuries. No, Torvak is not one half of a famous figure-skating
partnership. This is a time of ruthlessness and barbarism.

    Torvak is a warrior, built like the proverbial brick privvy, with one
vocation in life; to smash, mame and slaughter his way through an innumerable
enemy. Making Arnie look like a octogenarian philanthropist, Torvak muscles his
way through a furious bastion of foe.

    In the release version of Torvak, the game is divided into levels, each of
which represent different terrains and environments. In the true style of
ancient lore, the game is full of myth and legend with strange mystical beasts
set against our muscle-clad hero. There is no infusion when the enemy begin
their attack as you are immediately subjected to a vigorous and relentless
assault. With joystick control, you must assume the identity of this
much-outnumbered warrior and smite his enemy clean into the next century.

    Cracking bones and smashing heads, the action is never short of frenetic,
but in addition to the gratuitous violence, you've got to do some damage to the
local architecture as well. Throughout the game, from the swamp to the
mountains, strange statues line the pathways and smashing them reveals other
weapons which can be swapped for your existing cudgel.

    All the weaponry is rather crude and designed for bludgeoning; a hammer, an
axe, a ball and chain and heavy sword. But there is a skill in knowing what to
do with the weapon when you've got it, and so you've got to know your enemy. As
Torvak wades into the swampland, he must be on the look-out for flying fish who
leap and play in the volcano laver pits - one bite from these scaly fiends
takes chunks out of Torvak's resolve.

    Meanwhile, dinosaurs lurch into your path, terradactyl dive bomb and all
manner of prehistoric beasts claw out of the ground to confront you. Green,
leathery, armoured beasts maintain a constant threat to Torvak and each adopts
different attack techniques. Armoured rats jump clear over your head and
continue to attack from behind and here you must know how to wield your current
weapon high above. meanwhile, an equally dangerous beast slithers at ground
level and takes chunks out of your feet.

    Of course, there's the obligatory end of level nasties which are some of
the ugliest and fearsome beasts ever to grace a beat-'em-up. A Massive
insectoid bullys one and all in the swamp while dragons, rockmen and a serpent
in a skull are some of the star attractions to expect later on. In between the
end of level guardians goblins, cavemen, eagles scorpions and spiders bite,
peck and bludgeon the living daylights out of Torvak - the lifespan of this
warrior is literally in your hands - go on, give the bloke a hand!


                        *         *         *


COR!! IT'S CORE
----------------
Established two years ago, Core Design has earned itself an enviable street
cred with such successes as the hectic platform game, Rick Dangerous, Action
Fighter, the remarkably accurate coin-op conversion Dynamite Dux and Skids for
Gremlin.

    Also for Gremlin, Core produced Switchblade and Axel's Magic Hammer, both
of which received overwhelming reviews and well deserved market success. Most
recently, the team developed Impossimole, again for Gremlin, and the domino
reaction of success looks set to continue.

    Now Torvak the Warrior leads the next wave of Core games and recently, I
spoke to the Torvak Team, graphic artist Lee Pullen, programmer Andrew Green,
map designer Bob Churchill and game designer Terry d. Andrew explained the set
up:

    "Torvak is our first game as a team and although Terry did most of the
initial design work, we all came up with ideas as the game evolved. Terry loves
Japanese console games and so he decided to base a game on the hack and slash
idea. The press likened it to Shadow of Beast before they even saw it and I
suppose its description does sound similar. But when you play the game there
are so many original features and ideas."

    Torvak's overdeveloped, cartoon-style he-man shape and all the wild and
weird beasts are from the pencil of Lee Pullen. Lee started a training at Core
a year ago and now he's involved in major projects, including the recent Skidz.
He explained:

    "I draw all the graphics on the ST. but I start a project by drawing
sketches of the characters by hand, sometimes from reference such as the
dinosaurs and sometimes from my imagination. Then I re-interpret the ideas on
screen. Lee also drew the fabulous backdrops which make the game so
atmospheric."

    I asked Andrew how he thought Torvak was different to Shadow of the Beast:

    "The games are completely different. There are more weapons in Torvak and a
greater variety of ways that the weapons can be used which depends on how
Torvak is positioned. For example, there are slimy caterpillar beasts which
must be swept from the ground, whereas terradactyls and eagles need overhead
swipes - the warrior has to interact correctly with the right weapon."

    What about those statues?

    "When smashed, the statues yield a variety of attributes which alter the
way your weaponry works. For example, speed up makes your combat reactions
faster and power up gives you greater trouncing power. In fact, there are four
power up stages and there are potions which increase your weapon's power. This
extra power can be called up by pressing down the firebutton and a dot on
screen increases in size, flashes when ready to use and releasing relinquishes
the magic power.

    "When the axe is used with magic power, lightening showers up from the
ground. Also lightening comes from the sword handle and, when the hammer is
smacked into the ground the whole screen inflicts one hit on all enemy in view.
The ball and chain sends out four spikes in four separate directions - need we
go on?"

    Explosive action all the way!