Monomyth

Monomyth is an action-packed first-person dungeon crawler RPG with a dark fantasy atmosphere. The game was developed and published by one person - Michael Alexander Tröl, also known as "rattower". While working on the game, the developer was inspired by such classics as ARX Fatalis, Ultima Underworld or King's Field.

Plot

Events presented in the game take place in a fantastic, apocalyptic world of Ariath. As the sun sets and storms begin to ravage the land, the people retreat to the underworld. King Ferodin the Third searches for a way to prevent further destruction. To this end he decides to send an expedition to the fallen fortress of Lysandria. It is said that hidden in its ruins is the primordial seed - a divine gift that can soothe the wrath of the gods and put an end to the thunders from the heaven.

However, the expedition, led by the king's son himself, was lost without a trace. The main character of the story - the second son of King Ferodin - goes to the fortress against his father's will. His goal is both to recover a valuable object and to find his brother. However, he must be careful, as the seemingly abandoned fortress hides many secrets and dangers.

Mechanics

Lysandria is a vast, interconnected environment (like in the Dark Souls series), consisting of a total of five underground zones full of secrets and treasures. The player explores an open, interactive area without invisible barriers, scripted sequences or grid-based movement mechanics. The journey takes you from the tallest towers to deep underground caverns, and if you're careful, you may come across one of the secret chambers or passageways in the wall. As you explore the dark recesses of the fortress, however, you must not only watch out for traps scattered throughout the locations, but also for the monsters that inhabit them.

The game is played in real time. The player has over 30 types of weapons at his disposal. Confronting the monsters wandering through the dungeons, he can both inflict attacks with a sword or dagger, and use a bow and arrows to fight from a distance. The protagonist can also block attacks and dodge. Moreover, he has an equally extensive range of spells. The game is also enriched with a stealth system based on light and sound. Without wanting to engage in combat, it is enough to deceive the enemy by staying hidden for some time and avoiding unnecessary noise.

The game also allows you to interact with the inhabitants of the underworld. Dialogues with NPCs are based on keywords. Making contact with individual characters also allows for trade. The player also has the opportunity to apply pressure in order to extract additional valuable information from their interlocutor, but must be careful not to go too far.

The player's character can be developed in any way. By investing in the character's eight attributes, the player unlocks dozens of different gameplay styles. Whether the protagonist becomes a powerful mage, a nimble assassin or something completely different depends on him.

During the journey through the underground worlds, the character uses various items to facilitate his expedition: speed potions, water arrows, lockpicks and so on. If he wants to go through a dark corridor, he prepares a torch to light his way; when he comes across a closed door again, he can try to undermine the lock or even blow it up. The game also offers other micro functions, such as the opportunity to bake bread or play one of the available instruments. Furthermore, if the player so desires, he can even get his character drunk.

Technical aspects

The game Monomyth features 3D graphics, and the interactive environment allows for free use of various elements of the environment. The game is also enriched with a soundtrack composed by Isaac Vail.