Written by: Alex

 

 

 

Taking the many classic fantasy tales and blending them into a single world, much of "Faery: Legends of Avalon" is an instantly familiar.

 

From character names to plot lines everything seems to have found its roots in classic magic lore, but the Paris based developer Spiders have done a good job drawing the disparate threads of each of the myths together in their new downloadable RPG.

 

Blending Western visual and lore with Japanese menu based combat Faery offers something a little different, but in such a well trod genre Spiders RPG does struggle to avoid some predictable traps.

 

 

Faery: Legends of Avalon doesn't win any prizes for originality. The lead protagonist begins the game asleep in a crystal. Awaking from the long slumber they find they have amnesia, but before finding out anything further they are lead to meet Oberon, the king of the fairies. He explains that their world is collapsing and the only person who can save it is the memory less hero (or in my case heroine) and so the adventure begins.

 

 

Beginning on the small hub island of Avalon the first task given to the hero is to build a team of three before travelling to each of the different worlds that feed magic to the fairy kingdom of Avalon to find out why their power is fading. This opening area serves as a tutorial, and each of the two new partners from the island work as teachers. By demanding help or the completion of quests the two new characters explain the games system insisting of a least basic competence before agreeing to join. One the party has its full compliment of members the real journey begins, travelling to the three magic world in an attempt to heal them and restore power to Avalon. 

 

 

Faery sets a really nice first impression allowing the player character to be edited quite substantially. Sliders control a number of face options and while the body remains a chiselled example of the perfect human form (all be it six inches tall with wings) there is enough on offer to allow the player a good degree of individuality.

 

After the character is formed they are set off into the world, and it doesn't take long for one of Faery’s other more charming features to emerge. As the player upgrades and new items are equipped the character model also undergoes changes. Rather than altering muscles and build (as may be seen in a game like Fable) Faery forces the character through metamorphoses.

 

Through these changes the body shape remains the same, but wing shape changes, animalistic features are added, along with tattoos and other new distinguishing features that accompany new powers. Both functional and cosmetic decisions about what to change can be lead by a wish to achieve a certain power or a desire for a specific aesthetic, sometimes shunning upgrades like scorpion tails to avoid throwing off an otherwise elegant form. It may not be the most inventive mechanic, but it works incredibly well and stands as one of the games best features.

 

 

Avalon and its surrounding worlds are fairly stereotypical fantasy fair, indeed Faery’s credits list many of the inspirations for its creation, but he derivative nature of the game’s aesthetic is not to its detriment. Each of the three worlds the heroes travel to is varied in both style and tone, all wonderful in their own way. Travelling from an enchanted tree, to the Flying Dutchman before finally arriving at a giant desert inhabiting scarab beetle, the quest to restore magic to Avalon is always visually appealing, with its varied inhabitants also affecting tone and quest type.

 

 

Between loads the quality of the design that feed into both the world and characters become evident as their original sketched designs accompany the spinning load icon. Among these designs sits my favourite, the figurehead of the Flying Dutchman. This whaling banshee sits as a wonderful creation of character while retaining the feel that she is animated from wood. Her design, and the care that was obvious lavished on it, speaks to the commitment of Spiders team. While the world may not always live up technically to the vision the visual experience hangs together very well, especially considering the leaps that are made between each different environment.