Rifts: Promise of Power

This is a traditional RPG game with turn-based tactical combat based on the pen and paper role-playing system called Rifts. The system is quite eclectic and is somewhat similar to Shadowrun, though it also deals with post-apocalyptic, horror and western elements. Due to the massive nuclear war at the end of the XXI century and deaths of the millions and subsequent disasters result in a huge release of the magical energy that happens to activate a system of mythical ley lines. Usually hidden from the eyes of humanity, now they’ve become visible and powerful and created a number of “rifts” leading to parallel worlds and other dimensions. Many alien beings from different worlds got sucked in and transported to Earth, forcing them to co-exist with humans – from fantasy races to vampires, demons, mutants and many others. The story of the game starts several hundred years after the beginning of those events: you are a prisoner on the run from the group called Dead Boys, and first thing you have to do is remove the ugly tattoo from your face that marks you as someone’s escaped property.

The game begins with a character creation – you can choose from the three proto classes, that later could be evolved into a more sophisticated and narrowed versions. The classes are mercenary – a specialist in technology, psychic that deals with power of the mind, and mage that feeds from the magic-filled world. The roleplaying system uses a set of primary stats like in DnD, Shadowrun or GURPS and a set of dependable skills spread into categories like technical, personal, military, magical and so on.

The game goes in real-time, but when a fight is bound to happen it goes into turn-based mode governed by action points and character’s initiative. During the combat both skills and weapons of your party could be used, terrain also plays a role and various objects like propane tanks could be used as well.

The visual style is a mix of 3D maps and sprite characters, and as an uncommon feature you can rotate the view by the 90 degrees to get a better look at the surroundings. Rifts also boasts online functionality – there are several multiplayer modes such as King of the Hill and Capture the Flag that could be played both locally via Bluetooth or through N-Gage Arena service, which was closed after Nokia ceased supporting the platform.