Otherland PC

Otherland is an unusual and very original online RPG game for multiple users, developed by Drago Entertainment and German publisher DTP Entertainment.

Story

The title of this production surely rings a bell among the fans of fantasy literature. It is based on a series of novels written by Tad Williams. One has to admit that the content of the books is ideal for an online game. The story created by Williams presents a vision of the future world in which people have access to a virtual reality (called simply "the Net") via modern computers. The developers decided to transfer the idea of multiple virtual worlds into one game; the writer himself reportedly participated in the process.

In Otherland, the narrative is completely different than in most cases – the player doesn’t simply receive a proposed linear adventure, but rather creates it individually. What happens is that we start the game in Lambda Mall (an entertainment and social hub containing shops, mini-games and bars, which also shows results). From there, we can teleport to one of the many available worlds, which gives us a lot of flexibility. Interestingly, this solution makes it possible to use a multitude of different styles and conventions – each of the universes is original and different from the rest, also features different rules and laws. We certainly can’t complain about the lack of diversity.

Gameplay

We get the freedom to choose the place where we play. But that's not all. Each of the worlds has a distinct type of gameplay and its own characteristics – some of them resemble the Middle Ages with a touch of magic while others present a distant future (in one we fight with a sword while in the other we shoot with futuristic weapons). The worlds are virtual (and therefore a program code) which means that they can change rapidly, according to the will of their creators (programmers) – we should therefore expect many surprises on a regular basis throughout the game. Each world has several levels – we get access to the higher ones as we progress in a particular universe.

The game is based on a standard exploration of individual locations and performing tasks received from computer-controlled characters. The authors present an interesting approach to some mechanisms known from typical online productions. For example, instead of forging new weapons by playing the craftsman, we must create them by writing new code. Of course, as hackers visiting virtual realms, we can develop viruses or even use them to attack other players. There is also an option of cheating, reserved, however, for those who enjoy risk, as the detection of scams is severely punished.

Technology

The title is also advanced when it comes to technical matters. The famous Unreal Engine 3.0 is behind the graphics; of course, it was properly modified by proprietary amendments and modifications, thanks to which the game looks really good. We can explore very large, interesting and, above all, stylistically varied locations.

Last updated on 10 October 2008