Conarium
| Conarium | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Zoetrope Interactive |
| Publisher(s) | Iceberg Interactive |
| Designer(s) | |
| Programmer(s) | Galip Kartoğlu |
| Writer(s) |
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| Composer(s) | |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 4 |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release |
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| Genre(s) | Adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Conarium is a Lovecraftian horror adventure video game, inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's novella At The Mountains of Madness.[1][2] The game was developed by Turkish game development studio Zoetrope Interactive, published by Dutch indie game publisher Iceberg Interactive, and was released in June 2017.
Premise[edit]
Conarium follows four scientists in their endeavor to challenge what we normally consider to be the absolute limits of nature. The scientist sought to transcend human consciousness with the use of a so-called Conarium device.
The player controls Frank Gilman, one of the four scientists of the Antarctic expedition. At the beginning of the game Gilman wakes up alone at Upuaut, a research base located in Antarctica. The room where he wakes up has a strange device on the table emitting odd noises and with pulsating lights. Gilman has no idea what the device is, nor has he any recollection of what happened prior to him passing out.
He discovers the research base abandoned, with no trace of the other scientists. Gilman must uncover what happened to the others of his expedition by exploring the Antarctic base and its surroundings. During his search he experiences strange visions and dreams, which feel like memories that he cannot place.
Gameplay[edit]
The pineal gland, conarium, or epiphysis cerebri, is a small endocrine gland in the brain of most vertebrates. The pineal gland produces melatonin, a serotonin-derived hormone which modulates sleep patterns in both circadian and seasonal cycles. The shape of the gland resembles a pine cone from which it derived its name.
Playing from a first-person perspective, players must explore the Antarctic base to solve the mystery of what happened to the other expedition members. This objective is achieved by exploring the environment and solving puzzles. Players can find and look at notes, journals, and other documents.
The Skylander Dino-Rang is often mistaken for a dragon, which makes him angry. The Cloudbreather Dragon is currently the largest Dragon specimen in the series. With the exception of Spyro, Cynder is the only dragon Skylander to appear at the dragon gathering in the Dragon Temple. Jade Flashwing is a green and gold version of the Earth Skylander, Flashwing. Jade Flashwing can launch crystal shards from her tail spike at enemies, like a scorpion shooting poison spikes. She can also twirl around, hitting enemies with her crystalline wings, and summon a large crystal from the ground to allow light to beam through it and streak enemies surrounding it. See and discover other items: water crystal, xbox exclusive games, rare xbox 360 games, skylanders characters, skylanders imaginators characters, skylanders video game There's a problem loading this menu right now. Return of the Dragon King. Flashwing was one of the forty Skylanders that were summoned to stop Malefor from attacking the Skylanders Academy. Under Blades' command, she and the other aerial dragons charged towards Malefor to attack his eyes, but were all swiftly shot down by the evil dragon's powerful flamethrower. Flashwing's powers were then absorbed by Malefor when he defeated the other Skylanders with a single strike of his tail.
Development[edit]
Conarium was developed by Zoetrope Interactive, a Turkish indie developer consisting of three members: Galip Kartoğlu, Onur Şamlı, Oral Şamlı. They previously worked on Darkness Within: In Pursuit of Loath Nolder and Darkness Within 2: The Dark Lineage, also published by Iceberg Interactive. Conarium was originally announced as “Mountains of Madness” in 2015.[3] Iceberg Interactive signed the game in July 2016.[4] The game was released on June 6, 2017 for Microsoft Windows.[5]
Versions for Linux and MacOS were released on February 5, 2018.[6]
Conarium was made using the Unreal Engine 4.[7] Having been favourably received by PC gamers; on February 12, 2019 the game found its way onto consoles (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One).[8]
Reception[edit]
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Conarium currently holds a weighted average score of 71/100 on Metacritic based on 23 critic reviews.[9]The Telegraph praised the game for its Lovecraftian atmosphere: 'It's rare to find a jaunt into the world of the Cthulhu Mythos that stays so true to the feel without retreading old ground, and for that alone, Conarium is a must-play for fans of the tentacled one and his many eldritch buddies', and awarded it four out of five stars.[12]Polygon's Philip Kollar noted that the game 'Conarium could have pushed deeper, but it stays true to the spirit of Lovecraft's work.' and scored the game a 7.5 out of 10.[13] Chris Shive of Hardcore Gamer gave the game a positive review and called attention to its soundtrack, noting that 'Conarium's soundtrack sets an ominous mood of dread and is effective in creating this Lovecraftian waking nightmare Frank has to navigate.'[14]
Conarium was chosen to showcase at IndieCade Festival 2017.[15]Conarium won “The Game of the Year” and “Best PC Game” at the Kristal Piksel (Crystal Pixel) Video Game Awards 2017 ceremony, an annual awards ceremony for the Turkish game industry.[16][17]
References[edit]
- ^''At the Mountains of Madness'-Inspired CONARIUM Emerges - Rely on Horror'. Rely on Horror. 2017-05-09. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ^'Conarium is lore-heavy Lovecraft'. ZAM. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ^http://zoetrope-interactive.com/2015/08/10/some-small-history/
- ^'Iceberg Interactive Announces Conarium'.
- ^'Delve Into Lovecraftian Horror With 'Conarium' - Bloody Disgusting'. bloody-disgusting.com. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ^'Conarium to haunt Mac and Linux users'. Retrieved 2018-10-11.
- ^'Making it in Unreal: conveying the creeping horror of Lovecraft in Conarium'. PCGamesN. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ^C, Steve (2019-02-12). 'Conarium Review - TheSixthAxis'. The Sixth Axis. Retrieved 2019-02-12.
- ^ ab'Conarium for PC Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2019-09-09.
- ^'Conarium for PlayStation 4 Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2019-09-09.
- ^'Conarium for Xbox One Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2019-09-09.
- ^White, Olivia (4 August 2017). 'Conarium review – A creepy and exciting Lovecraftian jaunt' – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- ^Kollar, Philip (2017-06-06). 'Conarium review'. Polygon. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ^'Conarium is a Desolate Lovecraft-Inspired Adventure Hardcore Gamer'. www.hardcoregamer.com. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ^'2017 Games IndieCade – International Festival of Independent Games'. www.indiecade.com. Retrieved 2017-10-17.
- ^'Turkey's best games are awarded - GoodGamers.biz'. GoodGamers.biz. 2017-12-11. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ^'Kristal Piksel 2017 finalists have been announced - GoodGamers.biz'. GoodGamers.biz. 2017-12-05. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
External links[edit]
You, as Frank Gilman, open your eyes inside a room filled with strange, pulsating noises. Patterns of lights executing a Danse Macabre on the walls is presented by a queer device on the table. Having recalled nothing other than that you’re in Upuaut, an Antarctic base located near the South Pole, you find the place deserted and have a distinct feeling of something being terribly wrong. Somehow knowing that your memories cannot guide you enforces a strange feeling of vulnerability, a familiar yet alien sensation of being a part of a peculiar whole. Soon you will discover that having used the device during the expedition, you have died but then returned subtly changed, speaking of strange memories and of strange places. You have lost something important or gained something sinister.