Gorky 17
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| Gorky 17 | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Metropolis Software |
| Publisher(s) | Monolith Productions Linux Game Publishing (Linux version) e.p.i.c. Interactive (Macintosh version) |
| Platform(s) | AmigaOS, Linux, Macintosh, Windows |
| Release date | 1999 Macintosh version 2002 Linux version 2006 |
| Genre(s) | Tactical RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Mature (M) |
| Media | CD |
| System requirements | •AmigaOS 4 - PowerPC 603 or better; a Picasso96-compatible or Warp3D-supported video card; 64 MB of RAM; AHI-Compatible sound card; 8x or better CD-ROM; approximately 700 MB of free hard disk space
•Linux - 300 MHz x86 CPU (PowerPC supported); 64 MB of RAM, 500 MB of free hard disk space; 4 MB GPU •Mac - 300 MHz G3 CPU; 128 MB of RAM; 8 MB video card; Mac OS 9 or better |
| Input methods | Keyboard and mouse |
Gorky 17 (released as Odium in North America) is a turn-based tactics computer game created by Polish developer Metropolis Software and published by Monolith Productions for Windows in 1999. The game was later ported to Linux by Hyperion Entertainment and published by Linux Game Publishing in 2006. Hyperion Entertainment also ported Gorky 17 to AmigaOS 4.
Contents |
[edit] Story
The player commands a small group of NATO soldiers who must reveal the mystery behind the sudden appearance of hybrid creatures in a small Polish city named Lubin (interestingly, the name "Lubin" is never mentioned in the game). The city is being terrorized, the area is surrounded by NATO troops and media from all over the world, and the first group sent into the city disappears without a trace. The main hero of the story is the 40-year old soldier Cole Sullivan, a commando team member with extensive scientific knowledge. His team's task is to explain the hybrids` presence and to find the missing members of Group One. But that, of course, is just the beginning...
[edit] Characters
- Cole Sullivan: The Canadian leader of NATO Group Two. A no-nonsense professional soldier, who remains focused on completing his mission, despite the increasing bizarre and terrifying phenomena his squad encounters throughout the city. The oldest member of the group.
- Jarek Owicz: Group Two's Polish translator (although he knows also Russian, German and, obviously, English). A sarcastic and hot-tempered character, who frequently makes wisecracks and complaints about the strange events encountered by the group which are considered by him to be Satan's acts.
- Thiery Trantigne: A French commando with a scientific background. Trantigne is rather logical, but also the most easily alarmed member of the group when it comes to the terrifying creatures in the city. The youngest member of the group.
- Wasilij Dobrovsky: A local survivor encountered by Group Two very early in the game. Dobrovsky is a large, strongly-built old Russian. Explaining that he is a Russian conscript who settled in Poland after the end of the war, Dobrovsky fills the Group in on the phenomena that destroyed the city, and gives the soldiers a note informing them that they can solve the crisis by gathering the 4 Matrix Discs. He joins the group and helps them fight against mutants in several encounters. He later disappeares and reunite with the Group at the end of the game and revealing his true motives.
- Joan McFadden: An American medic, and the last surviving member of Group One. She joins up with Group Two and helps them fight their way through the city museum. She is killed in the later part of the game.
- Jan "Medusa" Kurtas: A museum curator who was changed into the mutant but somehow managed to retain his sanity. Medusa joins the group and helps them fight their way through the museum but later can turn against the soldiers.
- Slavsky: A rather unkempt survivor, found hiding in a small shed on the roof of the museum. He can replace Medusa in the group. Almost nothing is known about him.
- Anna Hutchens: A reporter who sneaked into the city for an exclusive scoop, only to be trapped inside with all the homicidal mutants. Hutchens joins the group and follows them all the way to near the end of the game, where the group leaves her outside the secret facility because the interior is classified against everyone except NATO personnel.
- General Kozov: The Russian General in charge of the experiments that ultimately produced the mutants. He is mentioned many times during the game and dies at its end.
- General Lamarr: The American NATO general in charge of the investigation, and Cole Sullivan's commanding officer.
[edit] Gameplay
Gorky 17 is a turn-based, tactical RPG. The gameplay was loosely inspired by the Vandal Hearts console RPG series, and other similar games such as Final Fantasy Tactics and Kartia [1].
The game features two modes: In the real-time 'exploration' mode, the player controls game characters using a mouse in a point-and-click manner to navigate the player characters through the city as well as interacting with various objects in the game world.
Combat takes place in pre-set encounters located in specific areas of each level map (there are no "random" encounters like in many other RPGs).
In the 'combat' mode, the screen is divided into squares with player and computer-controlled characters taking turns trying to eliminate the opposing party. In one turn each game character can move by a certain number of squares and use a weapon once, or decide to take cover instead. Weapons have different tactical effects, for example the pistol can only be fired in a straight line, while the rifle can be fired diagonally.
The game ends if any player-controlled character dies.
[edit] Sequels
Gorky 17 was popular enough that it started its own game franchise, spawning two additional games; Gorky Zero: Beyond Honor (published in 2003) and Gorky 02: Aurora Watching (published in 2005). All of the games in the Gorky series feature Cole Sullivan as the main character.
Gorky Zero: Beyond Honor is a Metal Gear Solid-style 3rd person isometric stealth action game. The story serves as a prequel to Gorky 17. The game was never published in the English-language market.
Gorky 02: Aurora Watching is a Splinter Cell-style 3rd person stealth action game, and a sequel to Gorky 17. The game was published in the English-language market by Dreamcatcher Interactive as Soldier Elite, although the English translation ignores all ties to the previous Gorky titles, for example changing the protagonist's name from Cole Sullivan to White Fox. The English-language story concerns the protagonist infiltrating a secret Russian base where scientists are developing enhanced human soldiers called "Crazy Ivans".
