After posting on the Remastered Thread this has been on my mind.... A LOT.
Summoner
A Game Developed by Volition Studios for the PC and PS2.
Published by THQ and now owned by Nordic Games.
Currently available on GOG and Steam.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summoner_(video_game)
http://gaming.wikia.com/wiki/Summoner_(video_game)
The Game Summoner is one of the best Games out there for Lore and Depth.
Sure the Graphics have not aged well and in all honesty were a bit dated even upon release but the Gameplay and Story.... Fantastic!
The Game is set Primarily in a Country called Medeva and follows a Central Character called Joseph, a humble Farmer/Cottar with dark past and a destiny he is trying to avoid.
His peaceful life in the Village of Massad is torn asunder when the Armies of the Empire of Orenia invade and put the Village to the Sword and Torch.
It seems however that this is no simple conquest and that the Soldiers from another Continent are looking for him specifically while under the Command of Four Demonic Horsemen.
They seek one born witb the Mark of the "Sahugani" also known as the Summoner.
Medeva's Capitol City Lenele is HUGE even for a modern Game.
Very ambitious for the time but it worked and even better was that Buildings were to scale and felt real unlike how some rpg's depict buildings.
The Mythology was a strange but awesome mix of Olympic/Greek Pantheon influences, Amerindian stuff and Medieval Catholicism.
References to the Reconquista were there too.
I would love to see more love for this game as it is a Classic I would highly reccomend.
The Soundtrack is great and the Composer recently released a remastered version of the OST.
The sad thing is the Official Website is only available via the Wayback Machine.
Fansites are really hard to find through Google trawling although strangely despite English Fansites being as Rare as Hens Teeth there are quite a few non English Fansites.
The worst thing is Summoner does not even have it's own Wikia dedicated to it's Characters, Locations, Items and Lore/History/Mythology.
I would make one myself but I wouldn't know where to start.
Tragically although some Minor Mods eg Bug Fixes and Tweaks exist there are no Big Mods out there like Texture Packs to improve Graphics/Visuals, New Quests or Spinoffs or Continuations, AU's etc.
I would love to see Mods arise via both the original Engine or a Remaster on a new Engine in the Vein of Mods like Renegade X or Legacy of Kain: Blood Omnicide.
There is literally Zero Summoner Fanfiction as well which was very surprising to me.
Not even on the Pit!
I would even buy a Remastered or Rebooted version off of Nordic Games if they did one.
If they did there is a whole new Generation of Gamers/Market who I'm sure would love the Game's Rich Story and Epic Quests if it had Modernised and improved Graphics/Visuals etc.
There was a Sequel Called Summoner 2 on PS2 & Gamecube which while a lot better visually with some interesting ideas, really was not as good.
It was much shorter in Playing Time/Length.
Had much smaller locations so felt less realised as a World/Too Small.
Mashed in Sci Fi elements which did not blend in or work, although if they had been more minor could have.
It disrespected the first Games established Lore and made all the effort in the first feel pointless/irrelevant which was depressing.
Shame really as the different cultural perspectives were a really interesting idea til they clubbed us like a baby Seal and said this game/perspective is the right one/Canon.
If they had shown the Medevan Culture/Urath Religion vs the Hallassar Culture/Laharrah Religion Perspectives/Biases/Dogmas but left us to determine what is and is not that would have been better.
Although I loved Ideas and Elements of Summoner 2 I far Prefer Summoner the Original game.
A lot of Fans/Consumers were upset at there being no PC release for the Sequel either which lost THQ Sales also.
There are many now who would Buy Summoner 2 if on PC or as a Collection Bundle with Summoner 1.
I would love a 3rd Summoner Game but I think a Remaster of the first or Reboot may be necessary.
Summoner 2 while not an awful game I do still find jarring and hard to reconcile so to me a Partial Retcon may be needed.
Eithwr that or a Company Statement on Canon that Each Game has Narrative Bias that Favour each Protagonist and their Native Culture so neither Game is Canon in a manner that supercedes the other.
Summoner 1 did have Two endings which I will not spoil here but I will say that a Game focused on Summoner 1's Alternate ending might be a good way to continue the series without needing a Retcon due to AU Status/Paralell Universes etc.
I would love to hear the thoughts & comments of Summoner Veterans and Virgins both.
Does this pique your interest?
Or do you have fond memories of this Game if you have played it before?
Would anyone be interested in....
A Summoner Wikia?
Summoner Fanfiction?
Summoner Quest on BROB or RP?
Summoner Mods?
A Remaster?
A Reboot?
A PC Collection of Both Games?
A Sequel or Spinoff?
A series of Comics or Webcomic?
Books?
A Cartoon/Anime?
Summoner
A Game Developed by Volition Studios for the PC and PS2.
Published by THQ and now owned by Nordic Games.
Currently available on GOG and Steam.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summoner_(video_game)
http://gaming.wikia.com/wiki/Summoner_(video_game)
The Game Summoner is one of the best Games out there for Lore and Depth.
Sure the Graphics have not aged well and in all honesty were a bit dated even upon release but the Gameplay and Story.... Fantastic!
The Game is set Primarily in a Country called Medeva and follows a Central Character called Joseph, a humble Farmer/Cottar with dark past and a destiny he is trying to avoid.
His peaceful life in the Village of Massad is torn asunder when the Armies of the Empire of Orenia invade and put the Village to the Sword and Torch.
It seems however that this is no simple conquest and that the Soldiers from another Continent are looking for him specifically while under the Command of Four Demonic Horsemen.
They seek one born witb the Mark of the "Sahugani" also known as the Summoner.
Medeva's Capitol City Lenele is HUGE even for a modern Game.
Very ambitious for the time but it worked and even better was that Buildings were to scale and felt real unlike how some rpg's depict buildings.
The Mythology was a strange but awesome mix of Olympic/Greek Pantheon influences, Amerindian stuff and Medieval Catholicism.
References to the Reconquista were there too.
I would love to see more love for this game as it is a Classic I would highly reccomend.
The Soundtrack is great and the Composer recently released a remastered version of the OST.
The sad thing is the Official Website is only available via the Wayback Machine.
Fansites are really hard to find through Google trawling although strangely despite English Fansites being as Rare as Hens Teeth there are quite a few non English Fansites.
The worst thing is Summoner does not even have it's own Wikia dedicated to it's Characters, Locations, Items and Lore/History/Mythology.
I would make one myself but I wouldn't know where to start.
Tragically although some Minor Mods eg Bug Fixes and Tweaks exist there are no Big Mods out there like Texture Packs to improve Graphics/Visuals, New Quests or Spinoffs or Continuations, AU's etc.
I would love to see Mods arise via both the original Engine or a Remaster on a new Engine in the Vein of Mods like Renegade X or Legacy of Kain: Blood Omnicide.
There is literally Zero Summoner Fanfiction as well which was very surprising to me.
Not even on the Pit!
I would even buy a Remastered or Rebooted version off of Nordic Games if they did one.
If they did there is a whole new Generation of Gamers/Market who I'm sure would love the Game's Rich Story and Epic Quests if it had Modernised and improved Graphics/Visuals etc.
There was a Sequel Called Summoner 2 on PS2 & Gamecube which while a lot better visually with some interesting ideas, really was not as good.
It was much shorter in Playing Time/Length.
Had much smaller locations so felt less realised as a World/Too Small.
Mashed in Sci Fi elements which did not blend in or work, although if they had been more minor could have.
It disrespected the first Games established Lore and made all the effort in the first feel pointless/irrelevant which was depressing.
Shame really as the different cultural perspectives were a really interesting idea til they clubbed us like a baby Seal and said this game/perspective is the right one/Canon.
If they had shown the Medevan Culture/Urath Religion vs the Hallassar Culture/Laharrah Religion Perspectives/Biases/Dogmas but left us to determine what is and is not that would have been better.
Although I loved Ideas and Elements of Summoner 2 I far Prefer Summoner the Original game.
A lot of Fans/Consumers were upset at there being no PC release for the Sequel either which lost THQ Sales also.
There are many now who would Buy Summoner 2 if on PC or as a Collection Bundle with Summoner 1.
I would love a 3rd Summoner Game but I think a Remaster of the first or Reboot may be necessary.
Summoner 2 while not an awful game I do still find jarring and hard to reconcile so to me a Partial Retcon may be needed.
Eithwr that or a Company Statement on Canon that Each Game has Narrative Bias that Favour each Protagonist and their Native Culture so neither Game is Canon in a manner that supercedes the other.
Summoner 1 did have Two endings which I will not spoil here but I will say that a Game focused on Summoner 1's Alternate ending might be a good way to continue the series without needing a Retcon due to AU Status/Paralell Universes etc.
I would love to hear the thoughts & comments of Summoner Veterans and Virgins both.
Does this pique your interest?
Or do you have fond memories of this Game if you have played it before?
Would anyone be interested in....
A Summoner Wikia?
Summoner Fanfiction?
Summoner Quest on BROB or RP?
Summoner Mods?
A Remaster?
A Reboot?
A PC Collection of Both Games?
A Sequel or Spinoff?
A series of Comics or Webcomic?
Books?
A Cartoon/Anime?
