Nachtheulen is a short story-focused dungeon crawler (wut) produced for the RPG Maker VX ACE Lite Cook-Off. The competition allowed us to work on any game we felt like, so I chose to reboot a barely-worked on 2k3 experiment project then titled Night Howl. The cast, plot and premise have remained the same.
This game employs the use of a mix of narrative-driven scenes combined with dungeon exploration, similar in a sense to Persona 4. It crafts a somber, serious atmosphere to tell the tale of two wayward vampires, along with a high difficulty curve that rewards you for playing intelligently rather than button mashing. If you enjoy this sort of approach to a game, Nachtheulen is right down your alley.
Additional Info
Story
For as long as people can remember, monsters have roamed the earth they occupy. Although some are passive and can be avoided, they present major challenges and are nigh impossible for ordinary humans to kill.
As a result, humans turn to another monster- a monster born from their own. Certain groups of vampires offer human settlements protection from monsters, promising not to harm any humans so long as they are permitted residence close by.
These situations rarely last very long.
Leander and Fionn are two such vampires. They live a nomadic life style, travelling between towns every few years. They haven't had much luck finding a permanent residence- one or both of them usually succumb to their darker desires and as a result they are chased away. So far their present situation has been ideal, but something new is approaching- something that will reveal secrets from the past and shed light on the future.
Nachtheulen is the direct prequel to Blood Rose, and Leander and Fionn are directly tied to Blood Rose's main cast. Since this game will be released first, it is written to be played first. Time line wise, this game is the first story to take place within the Atrum Somnium Terra universe.
Gameplay
The game is quite short, and most gameplay takes place within dungeons. An indicator will display showing you whether you are in a SAFE/NORMAL/CAUTION/DANGER zone, each have varying enemy types. In danger zones, enemies are likely to kill you.
Fionn and Leander rely on one another in battle, so you must cover each of their weaknesses with the other member or you will fall quite quickly. Learn how each works both in conjunction and separately to conquer Nachtheulen's dungeons.
Outside of dungeons, you are able to explore, finding equipment, selling items and communicating with the townspeople the two come into contact with. Pay attention to what equipment you have and what you are able to sell in order to arm your characters effectively.
Graphics
Nachtheulen employs the use of the RPG Maker DS Resource Pack, along with a number of custom graphics and portraits. As such the game holds a pixel-art based aesthetic while combining such with portraits.
Essentially the current credit list is:
Archeia_Nessiah
EvilEagles
(consistent graphic style woo!)
Music
Nachtheulen has quite a somber, serious mood, and this is dominantly reflected within its music choice. Although the soundtrack is taken from a variety of NewGrounds artists, the overall mood and tone remains essentially the same. The game takes place during the dead of night, given that Leander and Fionn are unable to traverse during the daylight hours, so the music is chosen to reflect the cold stillness of a world only illuminated by the glow of the moon.
Should you play this game?
This game employs the use of a mix of narrative-driven scenes combined with dungeon exploration, similar in a sense to Persona 4. It crafts a somber, serious atmosphere to tell the tale of two wayward vampires, along with a high difficulty curve that rewards you for playing intelligently rather than button mashing. If you enjoy this sort of approach to a game, Nachtheulen is right down your alley.
Additional Info
Story
For as long as people can remember, monsters have roamed the earth they occupy. Although some are passive and can be avoided, they present major challenges and are nigh impossible for ordinary humans to kill.
As a result, humans turn to another monster- a monster born from their own. Certain groups of vampires offer human settlements protection from monsters, promising not to harm any humans so long as they are permitted residence close by.
These situations rarely last very long.
Leander and Fionn are two such vampires. They live a nomadic life style, travelling between towns every few years. They haven't had much luck finding a permanent residence- one or both of them usually succumb to their darker desires and as a result they are chased away. So far their present situation has been ideal, but something new is approaching- something that will reveal secrets from the past and shed light on the future.
Nachtheulen is the direct prequel to Blood Rose, and Leander and Fionn are directly tied to Blood Rose's main cast. Since this game will be released first, it is written to be played first. Time line wise, this game is the first story to take place within the Atrum Somnium Terra universe.
Gameplay
The game is quite short, and most gameplay takes place within dungeons. An indicator will display showing you whether you are in a SAFE/NORMAL/CAUTION/DANGER zone, each have varying enemy types. In danger zones, enemies are likely to kill you.
Fionn and Leander rely on one another in battle, so you must cover each of their weaknesses with the other member or you will fall quite quickly. Learn how each works both in conjunction and separately to conquer Nachtheulen's dungeons.
Outside of dungeons, you are able to explore, finding equipment, selling items and communicating with the townspeople the two come into contact with. Pay attention to what equipment you have and what you are able to sell in order to arm your characters effectively.
Graphics
Nachtheulen employs the use of the RPG Maker DS Resource Pack, along with a number of custom graphics and portraits. As such the game holds a pixel-art based aesthetic while combining such with portraits.
Essentially the current credit list is:
Archeia_Nessiah
EvilEagles
(consistent graphic style woo!)
Music
Nachtheulen has quite a somber, serious mood, and this is dominantly reflected within its music choice. Although the soundtrack is taken from a variety of NewGrounds artists, the overall mood and tone remains essentially the same. The game takes place during the dead of night, given that Leander and Fionn are unable to traverse during the daylight hours, so the music is chosen to reflect the cold stillness of a world only illuminated by the glow of the moon.
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