The Tale of Bistun

The Tale of Bistun is an action adventure game with an isometric view inspired by a Persian poem about a tragic romance from the early Middle Ages. It was developed by Black Cube Games, a Dutch studio supported by IMGN.PRO, a Polish publisher.

Plot

The plot of The Tale of Bistun is loosely based on the poem Khosrov and Shirin by Nizami Ganjawi - a Persian poet living at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries. It tells a fictional version of the story of the tragic love between the Persian king Khosrov II Parviz and his Christian wife Shirin.

The main character of the game wakes up with amnesia near the title mountain Bistun. After some time he learns his name (Fahrad) and profession (a sculptor), but it's not enough for him to regain all his memories. Before he achieves this goal, he has a long journey through a world inspired by Persian myths and tainted by mysterious corruption, and an ethereal land of lost memories.

The developers of The Tale of Bistun have decided to use a technique that is not often used. In the game, the first fiddle is played by the book's narrator, who tells not only the story, but also describes the character's thoughts. Thanks to him we get to know the story of sacrifice and the hero forced to rediscover himself.

Game mechanics

Combat plays first fiddle in The Tale of Bistun. The action is shown from an isometric view with a static camera, and the gameplay is all about exploring linear locations and fighting off hordes of enemies straight from the Persian myths.

The combat system is quite simple. We have three weapons inspired by sculptors' tools: fast pickaxes, balanced axes and powerful hammers. Each of them also gives access to special abilities, for example, allowing to summon the spirit of a goddess who attacks nearby enemies. The hero can also roll and run a short distance, making it easier to dodge attacks. This is important because there is no automatic health regeneration in the game - wounds are healed only after the battle is over.

During the exploration we encounter not only the next hostile creatures. From time to time we also find stone tablets and monuments symbolizing events from the hero's life. Thanks to them we discover Fahrad's past and learn more about the plot background.

Technical aspects

The Tale of Bistun was developed on Unity engine, used in many indie games. 3D graphics designed by the developer does not impress with details, but interesting use of colors and unusual style give the game an original style.