The Roots

If you talk to gamers about the benefits of real-time battles and turn-based strategy in a role playing game you’ll find proponents of both styles. Fans of turn-based strategy argue that their preferred combat type is the best, allowing players more control and more flexibility. Fans of real-time combat will insist that turn-based strategy is unrealistic and takes away from the overall effect of the game. Fortunately for us the creative minds at Tannhauser Gate have brought us the best of both worlds. The fighting system in their new game, The Roots, is inventive- and its just the beginning of a great gaming experience.

To the developers nothing was more important than bringing the tradition of the classic, Japanese RPG to the PC. There have been few examples of this style of game available to PC gamers for years. With any luck the emergence of The Roots will encourage more developers to bring their products to the PC platform. Tannhauser Gate has taken advantage of the options available to the PC that are not available to consoles. The mouse and keyboard are both used in the interface.

The combat system in The Roots is a mix between real-time strategy and turn-based combat. Characters and enemies rely on their speed and agility to reach a critical level of initiative: the point where they can take an action. Some characters are quick, some are slower, but every character will be able to take turns over the course of the combat. The hybrid combat system allows for real-time animation and action between turns. Once a character reaches that critical point the action pauses. This lets players select the actions they want to take without feeling rushed.

The combat system itself is very diverse. Players can choose between standard attacks, special abilities, and magical spells. Using spells or special attacks will deplete your energy reserves, so spend wisely!  Each character has three status bars in combat. There is the traditional health bar as well as distinct bars for magical power and physical stamina. The last two are spent to perform spells or special attacks. This is a nice change from most games where there is only a single mana or energy bar.

The enjoyable combat system is only one feature of The Roots. The character advancement system is open to a high degree of customization. As characters level they can earn points that can be spent to purchase new skills or add power to existing skills. The skill system is completely free-form. There is no skill tree to force players to waste their skill credits on abilities they will never use.

Over the course of the story the player will be able to interact with a vast and expansive world. Four hundred items, seventy distinct spells, seventy different battle arenas, twenty-four different regions, almost one hundred enemies, and almost one hundred and twenty NPC’s populate the world of The Roots. The game provides twenty to twenty five hours of gameplay with an epic storyline. As the story progresses new characters will join the party and old characters will depart. Choices made by the players will decide which characters are willing to join your party- and which characters will leave.

The graphics are very impressive. The world of The Roots is rendered in fine detail. Characters, NPCs, and monsters are all rendered in high detail. The character profiles that allow the players to keep track of their characters during combat are very well done, especially when you consider that they are capable of movement on their own. You’ll be able to watch the characters shift slightly from side to side like uncomfortable actors waiting for a play about to begin if you spend too much time making a choice on which skill or spell to use against the enemy.

The Roots is still under development. It is due to be released in the third quarter of 2005. If the preview I received was any indication this will definitely be a game that RPG fans should take a look at. The expansive world, stunning graphics, and entertaining fighting system will make The Roots a game to watch.

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