Ripe for the plucking

It’s finally springtime after a not-so-white winter that has been going on for too long. And apparently the general flora is not the only thing that’s blossoming: It’s also the blossoming season for several long-running independent productions, all high quality adventure games that are ripe for the plucking.

I’ve mentioned the Zak McKracken 2 project a while ago, and the last weekend saw the kick-off party for its release. Seven years of development have not diminished the fans’ interest in the game, and the party seems to have been a smashing success. The whole thing is available as a 2 gigabyte download, so everyone who didn’t have the time to attend the party (like me, regrettably) can enjoy the game now, too. Once again, kudos to everyone involved. Outstanding work :o)

A few weeks ago, Martin Lassahn released his game Timanfaya, very unexpectedly and without much fuss. The release marks the end of a long time of work for Martin, and it stands as a great example of an independent game. In addition to creating all the graphical content for the game (backgrounds from photos, hand-drawn animations, 3D scenes) Martin also developed his very own proprietary engine in Delphi, along with all the tools and editors required for the development framework. It’s a mammoth effort for a single person, but one that seems to have paid out for him, as the game was released to rave reviews and a wealth of positive feedback from the gaming community. Great job there, too.

And at last, another notable project has received a definitive release date: Broken Sword 2.5. After an equally long development period as Zak McKracken 2, Broken Sword 2.5 will be available for download in August 2008. So there’s something to get you through the summer :o)