Freeware Game Pick: Tomb of the Aztecs (Iain C)
Tomb of the Aztecs is a roguelike with raytraced graphics and real-time combat, a change from the usual turn-based tile movement employed by other RLs. You play an adventurer who is on a search for the Orb of Popocatepetl, rumored to be hidden somewhere inside the lowest level (sixth floor) of the legendary warrior's tomb.
There are no items, weapons or armor to pick up, other than ammunition for your fireball cannon stored inside treasure chests. You can regain some health by walking over a chest and plundering its contents. The save function is accessible by pressing the escape key and bringing up a pause menu, although players will always resume their journey from the starting position of a level immediately after restoring a save game. (source, forum thread)
Comments
WELL, YOU'RE UP EARLY!
Actually, kind of a fun game. c:
Posted by: Tony | May 25, 2009 8:00 AM
A nice idea, with a bit poorer execution. Am I the only one who thinks the world of the Aztecs does not mix well with anime characters?
Posted by: Phillip "Cesque" | May 25, 2009 2:51 PM
I second Philip, but what really bothers me is how the graphics are done: you can only see anything resembling a random smudge if its close enough to you to harm you.
I can't quite get the idea behind the game, my guess its something along the lines of "let's see how would a FPS playstlye reflect on a rougelike grid".
My problem is the that gameplay is overly simplistic.
Posted by: Adam | May 25, 2009 10:29 PM
I always wonder what it would feel like to have my jaw dislodge and hit the floor.
Now I know.
Posted by: Cymon | May 25, 2009 10:31 PM
i dream of the day we'll be able to inspect our dwarven fortresses in that fashion.
Posted by: cagliostro | May 26, 2009 3:14 AM
If you could raise the resolution for the ray tracing then this game could be really pretty. The walls, fire, and reflections looks more realistic than other games today...if you were looking at them on an 32x32 screen...
Posted by: Shaun | May 26, 2009 6:23 AM
What fascinates me most about the game, isn't the game, but the presentation. Without knowhing this title, i would be the first one to claim, that a roguelike will NEVER "feel" nice, if one adds 3d graphics.
Well, if one were to add "realistic" 3d graphics, that may be true. But if one instead uses a style which doesn't give much details, but more just a general "impression", then it seems that it can work very well.
Posted by: Lyx | May 26, 2009 11:57 PM
timw, many thanks for the post and guys, thanks for the comments :D
A new version with new stuff, higher resolution and performance enhancements is available at the same download location.
Posted by: IainC | June 8, 2009 4:14 PM