Yes, yes, we know this is a British comics blog. But what's wrong with a little bit of a distraction when Merlin, the one BBC show crying out to be a comic is developed as a game? (We're still hoping someone develops a comic although, five seasons in, we suspect the show may reach a natural closure before so long).
Anyway: Merlin: The Game, the work of award-winning London-based Bossa Studios, is now available to play in open beta via Facebook: a fun and beautifully crafted game that introduces casual gamers to a real-time, co-operative, role-playing experience on the world’s most popular social network.
Merlin allows you and six of your best friends to fight off hordes of monsters, complete quests and explore new exciting areas. As you battle across Camelot and gain experience points, level up, you can also customise your character with the skills you want to use.
Progressing through the game allows you to upgrade your equipment from the basic clothing of the medieval age to shimmering suits of armour, or colourful sorcerer’s robes; and be part of the story in the action adventure game that will always have new content for you to explore.
Bossa Studios say they have had a blast developing Merlin: The Game revealing, for lovers of such trivia that the most redesigned part of the game was Merlin's ears, the lyrics for The Knights of the Round Table from Monty Python and the Holy Grail were used as placeholder text during alpha stage; and, during the making of Merlin, the team consumed enough pizza to cover a tennis court.
From the visuals we've seen so far it looks great... so where, British publishers, is the comic?
• To play Merlin: The Game visit the official website: http://merlingame.com
2 comments:
Didn't someone publish a one-shot Merlin magazine a few years ago? Or did I imagine it? (I didn't buy it as I've never followed the show.)
There's a few properties that would lend themselves to being good comics, but publishers seem very cautious these days.
That said, modern kids do seem a tough crowd to please comics-wise, with all their distractions of video games and the Internet.
Yes, Attic Media launched a Merlin comic that aped the Doctor Who Adventures format and the went out of business (http://downthetubescomics.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/new-merlin-magazine-out-today-in-uk.html). Things then get vague but I believe Titan then published Issue 2 as one of its 'Totally' magazine series?
But Attic weren't the first to pitch a comic at the producers: artist Smuzz did art samoles for one try out.
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