It's been a long time since we've heard anything from the ambitious, lore-rich Elveon or news of its adaptation to Windows, Microsoft's Xbox 360, and (surprise!) Sony's PlayStation 3. Has the action RPG of Elven influence been shelved? That's a negatory, bub. The project apparently changed hands, and Elveon now has hopes of entering the gaming fray in 2009 thanks to the independent game company, Climax Group. Learn more about the switcheroo at the full story.

Some of you guys must be asking, "Elveon? What in blazes is that?" Not much is known of the game so far, and frankly, the hype isn't as great as any of the other current next-gen games out there. We decided to do some prodding of our own once again and managed to squeeze out all the new juicy info from 10tacles Studios about their upcoming action RPG for the 360 and PC.

If you thought that this title wasn't worth a second glance, then you better own up. After reading the transcript of this interview with Managing Director Slavo Hazucha from Studio Slovakia, you might actually start to think that Elveon could potentially be one of the biggest games of next year.

  

We're thanking our good man Slavo and the whole of 10tacle Studios for allowing us to have this interview. And if we had to some it up in one word, it'd have to be "epic." We got to talk about Tolkien, the Unreal Engine 3, martial artists, prophecies, gods, the world of Naon, and some hints of a possible sequel in the future...

Click the "Full Article" link to see the full interview!

QJ visited 10Tacle studios to squeeze a great amount of detail out of them about Elveon. We peeked over at GameSpy to have a small taste, a teaser, if you will, of this RPG/beat'em-up hybrid. And CVG nailed down the mastermind behind the game, Slavo Hazucha, to shake down more details of this upcoming title.

CVG learns that the gods of Naon, whom we first learned of in the full backstory lowdown from 10Tacle, will be integrated, somewhat, into the gameplay, sort of like the Olympian gods in Greek mythology. Story-wise, the Elvish hero makes a pact with the gods so that he can kick a**, liberate an ancient city, and fulfill a long-destined prophecy.

Gameplay-wise, these gods and godlike powers will not manifest themselves like magical powers like firebolts and such. Instead, there are some points where a god will intervene to grant the hero a temporary power. Sometimes the hero can call down the wrath of the gods on his enemies. Sometimes he's have to get down on his knees and beg the gods' mercy - or try the challenge out on his own. To us, it's all a deus ex machina thing (or more properly, dei ex machina: gods out of the machine).

Hazucha tells CVG that players can expect many optional quests along with the main storyline. Action-only players can invest about 15-20 hours into the game, whereas the more thorough RPG player can burn up to 25-30 hours. The game itself will be somewhat linear, taking place in levels, but the storyline that runs alongside the game is not. You'll be jumping between real-time and flashbacks between levels, "so that the player will feel like he is really walking in an ancient heroic legend."

And there will be multiple endings available, says Hazucha. There goes the initial 30-hour estimate.

Running off the Unreal 3 engine, expect to see the mythical world of Elveon play out in both the Xbox 360 and PC.

It's still a year to its scheduled release in summer 2007, but GameSpy was given a small preview of  Elveon's current progress. They got their hands on the combat system, they had a taste of the game modes currently planned for the game, and they were given a tour of the rich Elven history of the game world.

Elveon is set against a rich, deep, and intricate history of legends and lore, with a backstory that could almost rival Tolkien. Okay, honestly it's hard for anything in fantasy to rival Tolkien, but 10tacle pays the same attention to detail with Elveon as Tolkien did with Middle-Earth. We've talked about this before in a previous feature. Even better, part of the backstory is actually playable.

Besides the main hero's campaign, the game also features three distinct gameplay sequences or modes. "Legend" mode is what we meant when we said "the backstory is playable." Players will control the legendary heroes of Elveon's past, fighting in epic and momentous adventures that shaped the history of the game world, and in doing so can gain important clues to completing the main campaign.

There's also a Griffon-riding mode (which sounds like a rail shooter, but nothing confirmed on it yet). Last is the Dragon Room mode, which features four "paths" or challenges. Completing each path will unlock a new attack for one of the hero's four weapons: sword, spear, bow, and knives.

Speaking of weapons, combat in Elveon will not be a button mash-fest. True to its Elven heritage, combat in the game will be based on elegant button presses, precise timing, and not a little risk-taking on the player's part. To simply throw blow after blow will drain your character's stamina, and that's no good. To learn how to block, parry, and chain your strikes together into a vicious attack is the key to victory.

There are key differences between the Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game. Given the control mechanics of each, the 360 will be more action-oriented, while the PC will be more RPG-oriented. Weirdly enough, the GameSpy preview was previewing the PC version, but their verdict was that it pretty much "fell squarely in the action category." If that's the PC version, how much more action can the 360 Elveon pack?

At the recently-concluded Games Convention in Germany, a trailer for the epic fantasy game Elveon was shown to the attendees. Set for release in 2007, Elveon is based on a comprehensive fantasy saga which goes back to the times of the rise of the advanced Elvish civilization. The gods have left the world of Naon in a rush; it is the place they had wanted to transform into their paradise.

Boasting of graphics that are supported by the Unreal 3 engine, Elveon, or "The book of elves", promises to be an exciting game to look forward to on the Xbox 360.

Download: [Elveon Trailer]

Even though there have been speculations of Elveon flat lining, since everything about the game has been taken off 10tacle Studio's website, the fantasy action epos is still battling it out. Coincidentally, the new trailer released features Elveon's highly developed combat system. The video is closer to an instructional demo really. Rather than showing you what moves your character can do, it actually teaches you how to do it. In the process, you are also learning strategy. Two birds with one stone.

Dynamic motion capturing and weapon collisions calculated in real-time is key to the realistic look that these sequences have. Creating the spectacular moves is no easy feat. Asian and Middle-Age martial arts have been combined and developed to create a unique Elvish fighting style.

A playable version of the game will be available at the Games Convention 2006 in Leipzig (Hall 3, Booth B20). But, if you're not in the area, just check out this featured article titled "Exploring Elveon" to get to know more about the game.

Download: [Combat System Video]

We cover the length and breadth of Naon, and submit to you our findings

Elveon is a title that gamers have kind of ignored, for whatever reason, maybe because it's not Gears of War, or Mass Effect, or Lost Planet, however, having seen the game in action behind closed doors at E3, we can tell you here and now that Elveon could very well be something quite special when it hits next year.

We've pooled our resources here at QJ to come up with every scrap of info we have on the game in order to present this glimpse into 10tacle Studios Epic Elvish action RPG.

Read the full article right after the jump!

This action adventure game set in the medieval times, Elveon, was announced last year for the Xbox 360 by game developer 10Tacle Studios.

As an experienced elite warrior in the game, your ultimate goal is to liberate the city of Nimathar (a portal to the realm of the gods). This will help keep the peace in the Elven realm of Naon where descendants of the gods are causing trouble that might eventually lead to an all-out war.

We've come across several screenshots of 10Tacle Studios' Elveon for the PC and for the next-gen consoles. This game will also be using the Unreal engine 3.

Remember when Rambo and Commando were big event movies? Hot damn, it used to be so easy to impress people! Stick a muscular guy in a Cambodian village and give him a big black gun and you've got top class entertainment for the whole family. But as with everything else these days the stakes have gotten higher, much higher. The big event games are coming, the epics of our time, games that will leave you breathless, eyes wide in wonder and mouths agape. What's your fancy?

       

Venture on dear reader, and find out what tasty morsels lie in store after the jump!

Elveon is coming to the PC and next-gen consoles utilizing the Unreal 3 engine. In the title, the elven Neamas live in Naon, a place that was supposed to be a utopia, but was mysteriously abandoned by gods. The gods threaten the peace and safety of the inhabitants as envy, malevolence, and relentlessness lead to a war. As the hero of the nation, you must fight and liberate the city of Nimathar. It may be a while before we get our hands on the actual game, for now let's dig in to these screens: