Facing Diablo, Funcom decided to take a lot of the second degree by offering a hack'n'slash very quirky in the world of Conan the Barbarian. We were able to approach him and here is what to expect.
First billed as an April Fool's Day joke, the fake Conan Chop announcement generated such excitement that Funcom scaled back its plans, down to kicking off development on a real, full-fledged game. A few years later, and after many postponements, the title finally seems ready to be released. And that's good, because what we saw makes you want to.
A fun game
As in any good hack'n'slash, Conan Chop Chop does not escape the rules of the genre, namely that it has several character classes. There is Conan, of course, but also Belit, Pallantides and Valeria, each of which corresponds to a particular class, with its own advantages and disadvantages once on the battlefield. This is all the more important since the game is entirely playable in cooperation with up to four players.
Visually, the game has not fundamentally changed from the first trailers dating back two years. There is always this very cartoonish graphic touch and the desire to take the clichés of the genre with a very strong second degree. However, everything has gained in detail and diversity. The sets seem more numerous, the enemies too.
A real hack'n'slash
From the village where each of your runs starts, you will then choose your own path where the challenges are randomly generated. And with its system of experience, leveling, but also weapons modifying your combat attributions and bonus objects to collect, the Funcom title ultimately does everything like the greats, even if it is a small production. The studio seems to take its mission very seriously by sticking as much as possible to the codes of the genre, with a desire to offer a much more diversified experience than you might think. Note that objects falling on the ground are recoverable by all players in the purest tradition of the license. It remains to be seen whether the friends who will accompany you will be generous or not...
Funcom wanted to make each of your runs as unique as possible. Certain "boxes" of the map thus have several branches, with sometimes villagers waiting for your help to sell you better quality items. And you can face a boss as well as a dungeon to explore at the bend of a path.
conan chop chop does not claim to revolutionize the genre, but its very quirky side in the face of the rigor and seriousness of its competitors could well tip the balance in its favor. We will therefore keep a close eye on the title, which is scheduled for release on March 1, with a demo expected from February 21.
