Avencast: Rise of the Mage Preview
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While the game is clearly an action RPG, your time will not be spent exclusively mashing the mouse buttons and casting spells, as Clockstone has added in some lighthearted puzzles to mix things up. They aren't intricate contraptions or cryptic riddles like you'll find in most adventure games, but they offer a nice break from the frantic action. You'll have to put on your thinking cap for a few minutes in order to, for instance, figure out how to adjust the mirrors in a room so that a beam of light can unlock the next clue or pathway.
A game like this can often fall back on looking pretty as a way to set itself apart from the crowd, and Avencast holds up pretty well on this front. Character models can look a little plastic at times, but Avencast makes up for it with clear animations, fairly detailed lighting effects and particle handling and some clearly developed backdrops. Avencast Academy is well designed, with light shimmers in just the right places to give an otherworldly feel without unnecessarily disorienting the player. Things are mixed up just enough to feel at least somewhat organic in design, and new textures come in regularly enough to keep things feeling fresh. Menu designs and load time artwork have a slightly gothic theme common among most fantasy games these days, keeping the title squarely in the traditional path established by its plot. In between quests, the story is being told through a series of artwork slides instead of the usual pre-rendered cut scenes, which fit quite well with the overall atmosphere of the game.
