AltEarth Impressions

At this year's CTIA conference in San Francisco, we got our first look at Blue Lava's upcoming action role-playing game, AltEarth. The game takes place on the planet Earth, but in an alternate history where humans, Neanderthals (abbreviated as "Thals" in the game), and dinosaurs all coexist in the same time period. Unfortunately, the arrangement isn't a very peaceful one. The game's story begins with your character being held hostage by a band of Thals. You begin the game by escaping and trying to make your way back to your own village, while fighting off hostile Thals and hungry dinosaurs.

AltEarth will offer four different character classes to choose from: warrior, rogue, huntress, and enchantress. As you make your way through the game's 20-hour campaign, you'll explore six different environment types, including forests and mountains. Along the way, you'll interact with NPC merchants and quest givers, and equip your character with tons of different equipment, ranging from weapons and armor to different types of potions.

The game's 2D graphics don't appear to be cutting-edge, as they're reminiscent of the Dragon Warrior games on the classic 8-bit NES home console. But while the graphics may not seem impressive, AltEarth does seem to offer some advanced interface options, such as a quick-keyed inventory slot for critical items like health potions. Another interface feature makes it possible to maximize the damage you do with each swing of your weapon. As in standard turn-based role-playing games, the damage you inflict with your weapon is usually randomized with each strike. But if you time a button press correctly on a hit, you can increase the chance of a critical hit, and maximize your damage potential as you engage in combat.

From what we saw at CTIA, AltEarth looks like a promising game. Its alternate-history setting and unusual interface features should help distinguish it from similar games on the market.