Harbinger (2003)
Genres:Role-playing (RPG)
Themes:Action, Science fiction
Game modes:Single player
Story:A huge ship, known as the Harbinger, enters a solar system destroying planets and civilizations in its path. Survivors are taken aboard the havoc-wreaking ship to work in labor camps, or be unluckily sent off to the laboratories for vicious tests and experiments that often lead to insanity. Few have managed to escape into the deep, forgotten wasteland levels of the ship, where an underground society exists. They search for a means of escape while fighting for their survival with anything they can scavenge as they attempt to ward off the relentless patrols sent for them.Show more
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Very cool Sci-fi hack and slash from the era when we used to call them Diablo Clones. It stood out from it's peers due to the fact that not only did it feature multiple playable characters, all of whom had recorded speaking lines, but their inventory system, their stats and the weapons they can use were all entirely unique to that character and the campaign had an entirely unique progression for each of them.
Fairly simple ARPG in terms of systems, but the story turned out to be better than expected. The setting was also interesting with sci-fi technologies and alien factions. The weirdness is fairly well communicated by story and visuals. Gameplay could become somewhat dull at times, but the environments are well done and somewhat varied and the atmosphere is fairly strong. There are three characters which do follow their own storylines.
Nothing spectacular gameplay-wise. It feels closer to diablo 1 than 2, although released way after the latter. What makes it unique is the story and writing which are actually really good. I'd actually love to revisit this universe.
It's very climatic game full of memorable character and environmental designs. The lore is also quite interestingl because of the hidden stuff - easter eggs and unique dialogs which sometimes uncover unnerving elements of worldbuilding. It's overall very basic gameplay-wise, but the cool thing is that all characters have their own stories with special quests giving each of them an unique flavour. It's a nice game and because of its current scarcity it can be only obtained via piracy.
Well, I remember seeing this. On a shelve somewhere in the supermarcket : "oh this looks nice" But I was still a teen, and couldn't ask my parent to get it for me.
I managed to finish it (with only one character), thanks to abandonware, much later. But getting it 100% legaly would be nice. If I do get it here, maybe I'll try another character ? Emulation is nice, and was a great part of my gaming, a long time ago. Now ? I guess my will is lacking. I either forget the game, lose the files needed to play the game ...lots of stuff...
22 years later, I still have my disc for Harbinger. Sci-fi ARPGs are relatively few and far between, so any entry into the genre is worth noting, but Harbinger succeeded where so many others fail in managing to make a setting that actually felt that perfect blend of alien and futuristic and just on the edge of probable in some far off future. There are definite rough patches and signs of both a tight budget near the end of development as well as ambitious plans for a sequel that never came to fruition, but for all that, I still have fond memories of the characters and the Harbinger itself even as I wish they’d been able to do more with the groundwork laid.
I should also note that I appreciate the way the game plays, as I felt it forced more attention to your loadout for most of the game rather than continually looking for the next item in your build or just another bigger-number-better plug in. You are incentivized early and often to experiment and figure out what kinds of enemies are coming up, what kinds of damage they are vulnerable to, and what kinds of damage you need to resist to better navigate the corridors and systems of the Harbinger.
A final, particular note of appreciation should be noted for the fact that you actually do get more from the story by playing through with all three characters. While they all hit the major story beats, they have different conversations, motivations, and observations, some of which shed light on one another even as they never meet. Think… Eternal Darkness meets Nox.
If you are a fan of older, somewhat slower ARPGs and have a penchant for dystopian far-future sci-fi, I would strongly recommend taking a few hours to play Harbinger if you can lay hands on it.
On that note, one last thought. The intro to the game is a wonderfully grotesque introduction to just how bizarre and twisted this universe is that you’ve stepped into. Wik certainly leaves quite the impression.
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