STORY
Although the Scythian is an original character, the plot of Heroes of Celtica will cover Celtic tales from the Irish Mythological Cycle, the Ulster Cycle, the Fenian Cycle and also the Four Branches of the Welsh Mabinogi. However, if you have no knowledge of any of these ancient Celtic tales, it won’t make any difference, as the game does not assume the player has any prior knowledge. Do not expect any forest pixies or little men with green hats – these are the ancient legends that are filled with duels, cattle raids, feasting, druids, bards and gods. Recorded mainly by Irish monks in the high middle ages, they are based on much older bardic sources dated to at least 700 AD and are set in a fictional Irish golden age from about 100 BC to 300 AD.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay is a visual novel where the main story is progressed solely by making choices. There are no sandbox elements, mini-games or grind mechanics to pad out play time. Choices will direct the hero down different story paths, build relationships with different characters, trigger plot flags and/or tally points for future use. The game offers four independent storyline adventures within the fantasy world of Celtica. Depending on the choices you make in the prologue, you can play the Scythian in the main game as one of four archetypes:
1) Champion – heroic warrior that can romance selected female characters.
2) Bard – rougish anti-hero interested in lewd companions.
3) Druid – a patient schemer seeking to establish a lair with villainous brides.
4) Warlord – principled but ruthless and lustful conqueror that forms a harem.
GRAPHICS
The 3D images in the game are made on an old rendering engine and lean more to an illustrative style than a photo-realistic one. There are occasional looping animations in the game to add a little visual interest to selected scenes, but this is not a central feature. Includes a replay gallery.
SOUND
Fantasy sound effects and music are present. The music has been selected to set the mood and atmosphere of the game and heavily feature instruments such as the harp, flutes, bagpipes and bodhran drums to invoke feelings of the Gaelic culture of Ireland and Scotland.