Enclave HD, the third particular person motion sport which initially graced Xbox and PC, has been ported and remastered for contemporary consoles. Now out there with trophies, and a brand new, remastered soundtrack, you’ll be able to leap into the Gentle or Darkish marketing campaign and begin hacking and slashing. If that sounds enjoyable, you are in luck; you’ll be able to seize a replica of the Nintendo Swap model proper now as a part of IGN Plus.
Plus members – get your Nintendo Swap key for Enclave HD right here on its IGN Rewards Web page. Not a Plus member? You’ll be able to simply grow to be one by testing the IGN Rewards web page.
What’s Enclave HD?
Enclave was initially developed by Starbreeze Studios (the makers of The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay, The Darkness, Payday 2, Brothers: A Story Of Two Sons, & others) and got here to the unique Xbox within the early 2000s with twin campaigns; Gentle and Darkish, which pit gamers on reverse sides of the battle. It went to PC the next 12 months, however that is the primary time this floppy, old-school 3D (or first-person) slash-em-up is accessible on Nintendo or PlayStation consoles in any respect.
Set on the planet of Celenheim, Enclave HD is remastered with up-rezzed textures and FMVs, but it surely’s nonetheless completely the identical sport. Swing your sword wildly at little goblins, snotlings (sure, you learn that proper), orcs, and extra as you combat to defend your self towards the armies of the Dreg’Atar within the Gentle marketing campaign, and combat to overcome Celenheim within the Darkish marketing campaign. Sadly you’ll be able to’t leap into the Darkish marketing campaign with out beating the Gentle one first, however you may collect gold and select between completely different unlocked characters earlier than every brief degree, equipping weapons, armor, and even potions by utilizing that gold.
It is a real throwback to make certain, so beware in case you have no urge for food for bugs or sixth-generation design selections, however in case you have an affection for gaming historical past or retro experiences, give it a spin.
Enclave HD Developer Interview
Q: How did the event workforce get entangled with Enclave, & what fueled the choice to deliver again this Xbox sport?
A: The thought to deliver an upgraded model of the unique Enclave to trendy consoles happened by way of Ziggurat’s conversations with licensor TopWare Interactive. It was mutually agreed that Enclave can be a fantastic match for Ziggurat’s targets of preserving and enhancing timeless video games from the previous, because it has continued to have an energetic neighborhood of gamers on PC however has been absent from consoles for a number of generations. Ziggurat reached out to the trusted and skilled porting builders at Sickhead Video games, who had beforehand labored with Ziggurat to deliver the definitive variations of Actual Heroes: Firefighter to PC and Xbox as Actual Heroes: Firefighter HD.
Q: Video games like this are a uncommon breed these days. What does the workforce take into consideration what Enclave brings to the desk, in comparison with extra trendy sport construction & mechanics?
A: Enclave is a 3D third-person motion RPG, with a lot emphasis on the motion that it will possibly even be thought-about a hack-and-slash sport. It was a uncommon breed in its personal time, as most different motion RPGs from this period have been both top-down isometric video games within the vein of Diablo, or first-person video games within the vein of Ultima Underworld, Darkish Messiah of Would possibly and Magic, and the Elder Scrolls sequence. It was not widespread to see a 3D RPG with a third-person perspective with ranges designed to permit for positioning, crouching, and leaping as helpful instruments in traversal and fight. There are additionally few motion RPGs from that period which increment gameplay in a stage-based slightly than quest-based construction (Odin Sphere on PS2 involves thoughts, which was launched 5 years later than Enclave on Xbox).
Enclave got here out practically a decade earlier than third-person 3D motion RPGs like Demon’s Souls, Kingdom of Amalur, and Dragon’s Dogma. FromSoftware video games within the vein of Demon’s Souls might be seen to have extra in widespread with Enclave than different Motion RPG video games from the time of Enclave’s launch, since Enclave locations higher emphasis on degree design, 3D house (brief and long-range fight, verticality, platforming, and so on.), set items, and brutal problem than most early 2000s Western RPGs. The fight in Enclave has rather more of a hack-and-slash really feel than Darkish Souls, but it surely nonetheless provides a satisfying expertise to these seeking to make their means by way of menacing however lovely environments with a darkish medieval fantasy theme.
The sequencing of the sport into dozens of missions permits the story to unfold in a compelling means for first-time gamers and for handy revisiting of particular person missions to replay them with a distinct playable character (or for the completionist seeking to decide up each bag of gold they may have missed on their first playthrough). Reasonably than the participant controlling a single character with a ability tree that unfolds over time, you’ll be able to change at will between six completely different playable characters with distinct skills and equip them with the gear of your alternative between missions. Development comes within the type of incomes extra gold that unlocks higher gear for every character, slightly than within the type of leveling character attribute factors or expertise on a ability tree.
Q: What are among the workforce’s favourite sport parts?
A: The sport encompasses a gentle marketing campaign and a darkish marketing campaign which overlap in methods which can be enjoyable to find. There’s a large number of playable characters, not solely permitting for a number of playstyles but in addition for replay of missions with a distinct set of skills. Starbreeze clearly put lots of love and energy into the lore and backdrop of the sport. The artwork path, detailed environments, and general environment are even richer for it.
There may be all kinds of challenges current within the sport’s enemies and environments, in addition to bonus missions with distinctive challenges that recall sieges on castles such as you’d see in a Lord of the Rings movie. There are easter eggs all through the sport to find, plus overpowered unlockable characters to earn while you beat the sport that allow you to bulldoze your means by way of the sport’s missions while you replay them.
Q: What are among the workforce’s favourite tales from improvement?
A: Probably the most memorable and rewarding elements of engaged on this sport have been in collaborating with passionate people searching for to make the very best model of the sport attainable a actuality. TopWare Interactive supplied a wealth of assets to assist us result in the very best bodily launch in collaboration with Restricted Run Video games.
The builders at Sickhead have been diligent in making customized extensions to the sport’s unique lighting instruments to render greater decision gentle maps and did a number of passes to search out the very best methodology for up-resing the textures and consumer interface for constancy and readability. Speedrunner Landon Rivers consulted with us to repair among the legacy bugs which had been recognized by the neighborhood for years, and gave his insights to assist guarantee all the very best elements of the unique come by way of in Enclave HD.
Q: Did the workforce embody something distinctive to this remaster?
A: All of the textures – together with consumer interface – are upscaled for a greater look on trendy shows in Enclave HD. The unique sport made heavy use of full movement video not just for story cinematics, but in addition in its attractive menus. These full-motion movies have been upscaled as nicely, retaining their eerie really feel at a constancy appropriate for at this time’s screens.
Up to now we’ve added voice performing to a sport that didn’t initially have it (in BloodRayne Betrayal: Contemporary Bites, wherein Laura Bailey reprised the function of Rayne, and in American Hero wherein Timothy Bottoms reprised his function as Jack), however that is the primary sport Ziggurat has up to date the place a completely new soundtrack (not only a remake or enhancement of the unique OST) was added. You’ll be able to play Enclave HD with the sport’s epic unique rating, however you even have the choice to play with fully new music all through the sport. We’ve additionally added a “Blended” mode which performs a hand-picked monitor from the unique or new soundtrack, relying on which mission you might be taking part in.
An enormous quantity of Trophies and Achievements are included on supporting consoles. When you’re a trophy hunter, there will likely be loads so that you can do in unlocking all of them.
Q: What would you inform potential gamers, who’re fascinated with leaping in?
A: Whereas Enclave might appear to be a linear sport, it does reward exploring its facet paths, nooks, and crannies as a result of choosing up the gold you’ll discover there’s what permits for equipping higher gear on future ranges. When you get caught on a selected degree, attempt utilizing a distinct character or revisiting older ranges to choose up extra gold so you need to use higher gear.
Though it could appear to be a contemporary motion RPG at first look, as a result of there is no such thing as a roll and the defend isn’t a assured block from the entrance, in melee fight it’s greatest to bodily keep away from assaults by transferring your character again. Crossbows have a partial aim-assist mechanic with the massive circle that seems over targets. Firing whereas aiming in that circle will routinely purpose bolts on the goal straight. Bows haven’t any aim-assist however many arrow varieties assist you to nock a number of arrows, or have an space of impact, to make them simpler to make use of in shut vary.
We hope that longtime followers of Enclave take pleasure in this new model and we hope that new gamers get to dive into the very best model of a real gaming traditional.
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Brian Barnett writes evaluations, guides, options, & extra for IGN & GameSpot. You will get your repair of his antics on YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Bluesky, & Backloggd, & take a look at his improbable online game discuss present, The Platformers, on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.
