Requital is a 2006 action RPG developed by

Akella Akella () was a Russian software company specialising in the development, publishing and distribution of video games and multimedia products. The founders met in 1993 and decided to start a company together and in 1995 formed Akella. The comp ...

and

Primal Software Primal may refer to: Psychotherapy * Primal (in primal therapy), the core concept, which denotes the full reliving and cathartic release of an early traumatic experience * Primal scene (in psychoanalysis), refers to the fantasizing or witnessing ...

and released by Excalibur Publishing on the Microsoft Windows platform. According to the developers, part of the motivation in making Requital was to create an authentic 6th century Russian world for the player to explore. As such, the game veers away from anachronisms and modern fantastical elements like magic and mythological creatures. Instead, it is more centered on

historical realism Literary realism is a movement and genre of literature that attempts to represent mundane and ordinary subject-matter in a faithful and straightforward way, avoiding grandiose or exotic subject-matter, exaggerated portrayals, and speculative ele ...

mixed with superstitions which existed in that period of Russian history.

Story

The player takes the part of Wolfhound as he attempts to avenge himself on those who destroyed his clan, murdered his parents and enslaved him as a young boy. The setting is based on the fantasy novel ''Wolfhound'' (Волкодав, 1995, by

Maria Semyonova Maria Vasilyevna Semyonova (, also spelled Semenova; born November 1, 1958, in Leningrad, Soviet Union) is a Russian writer of fantasy and historical fiction and a poet. Most of her books are based on Slavic mythology, as well as on Russian and N ...

) somewhat popular in modern Russia.

Gameplay

Gameplay is simple, the player moves by clicking the mouse and can also click on other characters to talk to or attack them. Wolfhound has three main skills, unarmed combat, melee weapons and ranged attacks, and four main characteristics, Constitution, Strength, Dexterity and Speed. The player can upgrade his abilities as he gains experience and choose new special feats such as a special attack to knock an enemy down; skills improve through use. The player must explore the landscape, become more powerful and find better weapons, armour and equipment in order to complete his quest.

Reception

Overall, the game received indifferent but polarized reviews. Most critics agreed that ''Requital'' did not compete with big-budget titles, but it still held its own among lower-budget titles, earning some ratings of 8 out of 10. Criticisms included mediocre graphics, poorly translated dialog, linear gameplay and a lackluster game opening. Good points included a leveling system where skills improved the more they were used, the necessity of tactical strategy as the game progressed and charming environments to explore.

External links

Official Site

References

{{Reflist 2006 video games Akella games Excalibur Publishing games Historical simulation games Role-playing video games Single-player video games Video games about revenge Video games set in Russia Video games set in the Middle Ages Video games with historical settings