Blacksmith Features
July 7th, 2012 by panel

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Chrombasia – The Two Relics

By aMa


Few AOK scenario designers can brag about the fact that their scenario was released along with their favorite game. Well, actually only one man can.

aMa, AKA Andreas Marscheider, the winner of the scenario design contest held by Ensemble Studios, whose scenario (Anno 782 – Sachsenaufstand) you have probably already played if you own a Conquerors copy. The man is a living legend in AOK terms. He is, among others, admin of Age Arena, the biggest german-speaking AOK fansite, that has been creating fantastic scenarios for years now, authored by other big names such as Great Emperor, Ingo van Thiel and Gunther Zegerle.

We were lucky enough to have the translated versions of some of these scenarios uploaded here at AOKHeaven, including one of aMa’s more recent works, Chrombasia – The Two Relics. We owe the excellent translation of this game to Stephen Richards, a respected designer himself, who put a lot of work into translating and adapting this gem.

Even though it is surely a departure from aMa’s earlier historical projects, the game is probably one of his best in terms of story, gameplay and map design. The setting is fictional and very mysterious, not too much is known about the world in which it takes place, especially since, unfortunately, the first part of the series is not available in English – but don’t worry, that’s not such a big problem, because the author has included a small sinopsis of the first part in the download.

The player is put at the helm of a mysterious Knight’s Order that embarks in a crusade against equally mysterious enemies (the Jarags), that have made their stand on the island of Chrombasia. Its original inhabitants, such as dwarves, will be eager to help fight their oppressors, but Chrombasia hides many mysteries, and a lot of hardships need to be endured before the Jarags are finally defeated. You will first need to set a foothold on the island, which is itself hardly a walk in the park. And then the real quest will begin…

The game can be very hard at times, but that makes it very rewarding also. The author has implemented some extremely creative gameplay elements which will set it apart from everything you’ve ever played. Most notably the Guards, priests that continuously spawn enemies when you are within their range, and that you can only defeat by deactivating the walls surrounding them.

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A lot of quests and other features, just as original, will await you in your journey through Chrombasia, as you slowly uncover the secrets of the island. Objectives are very diverse and gameplay ranges from fixed force to RPG. Map design is splendid, very few scenarios manage to make such good use of the map editor. You will love every single minute of this game, thanks to the author’s attention to detail, as seen in the inspired use of sound effects in order to enhance the realism of the experience.

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If you haven’t yet played Chrombasia, you need to do so right away. It is considered a classic of the fantasy genre at our Blacksmith, and rightly so.


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