Dungeons of the Amber Griffin

Dungeons of the Amber Griffin is a dungeon crawler, made in an old-school style bringing to mind, among others, such classics as Eye of the Beholder, Ultima Underworld and Dungeon Master. It was developed by the indie Polish team Frozengem Studio and was developed under the guidance of the Museum of Kashubian-Pomeranian Literature and Music in Wejherowo, with financial support from the Polish Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sports.

Plot

Dungeons of the Amber Griffin takes us on a journey to the world of Mystic Kashubia, inspired by the beliefs of the ancient Pomeranians. The inhabitants of this land enjoyed a peaceful life for many years, protected by a griffin who was the heavenly guardian of these lands. The idyll came to an end when the opi (wraith) left his tomb, went out to the bell tower located near the cemetery and struck the great bell. Every creature in the area immediately fell dead, horrible mummies began to crawl out of the darkness, and veritable chaos and lawlessness reigned in Kashubia. We take control of a team of heroes, who, dreaming of fame and wealth, roam the land in search of a piece of amber hidden by the griffin, as if by the way helping Kashubians to restore the old order and order in their lands.

Game mechanics

In Dungeons of the Amber Griffin we observe the action from a first-person perspective (FPP). We start the game by creating a team of four players. The developers put at our disposal a variety of character classes, among which we can find a warrior, barbarian, rogue, priest or mage. Further on, there is nothing left for us to do but to throw ourselves into adventures.

We travel through Mystic Kashubia, have conversations with its inhabitants and complete the tasks set before us. The locations we visit are based on real places, and the names of the places we go to come from the Kashubian language. Of course, we don't end up only in settlements; there is a lot of picturesque countryside, ruins and gloomy undergrounds full of traps. In addition, battles with enemies play an important role here. Various demons and monsters stand in our way, and the unique bestiary is based on creatures from Kashubian legends. On the battlefield, the key to success is primarily the skillful use of the abilities of individual characters.

As we progress, we develop the protagonists, unlocking new skills and improving the ones we already have. In addition, the combat potential of the heroes grows thanks to increasingly better equipment; along the way we acquire new weapons, armor, as well as various artifacts and magical scrolls. When traveling in Kashubia, it's also worth looking under your feet, as unique healing plants or poisonous mushrooms grow in these areas, which can also prove useful.

Technical aspects

Dungeons of the Amber Griffin has a good quality graphics. The locations are especially pleasing to the eye, although the enemies or the effects accompanying the casting of spells cannot be faulted much either. The soundtrack is composed by Przemyslaw Ziolkowski and performed by the band Percival Schuttenbach, whose music could be heard earlier in The Witcher 3: Wild Gon.