HARDCORE DUNGEON RPG BAROQUE EMERGES FROM DARKNESS, CREEPS INTO STORES
Enter the Dreaded Neuro Tower in Search of Absolution
IRVINE, CA - April 8, 2008 - Atlus U.S.A., Inc., today announced that Baroque, the new dungeon-crawling action RPG for Wii™ and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, is now in stores across North America. Dark, addictively challenging, and totally immersive, Baroque is a pure RPG experience, highly regarded by Japanese gamers and now finally available for Western audiences to enjoy.
For more on Baroque, please visit the official website: http://www.atlus.com/baroque
About Baroque You awaken to find the world in ruin, your heart beset with unexplained guilt. A cataclysm has destroyed the cities and empires of men and disfigured the spirit of humanity. In this nightmare, it falls to you to descend a mysterious tower in search of absolution. Battle merciless foes through treacherous dungeons, scour for new items to aid you in your travels, and unlock the secrets of a devastated land. You will find death in the depths, yet learn that death is not the end of the story; in the twisted world of Baroque, it is only the beginning.
Key Features
- Hardcore dungeon-crawling RPG action! With its many ever-changing levels, each teeming with perverse monsters and tormented souls, the world of Baroque is a frightening and unforgiving realm.
- Death is not the end - Take part in a unique story progression system in which the end of your life only serves to drive the adventure forward. Each time your character dies, more secrets about the forsaken world are revealed!
- Deep customization options - The player has full control over how they shape their character and how they play the game. Find and equip a vast assortment of weapons and items, some with a variety of uses. Acquire powerful stat-boosting parasites and combine them to multiply their potency. Only the resourceful will survive!
I am digging Baroque. A lot. To be fair, it's really difficult to grade it, though. It succeeds splendidly at what it sets out to do, but the more it succeeds, the more people it's going to alienate with its oddball gameplay. I can only think of two legitimate flaws: 1) It's sometimes difficult to tell if you're making progress, and 2) sometimes you'll either accidentally use an item or have it stolen from you, and it'll ruin your entire dungeon run. Essentially, Baroque is all about grinding through the same (randomly generated) dungeon over and over, but ironically grinding doesn't really do you any good, because you're forced to start all over from square one numerous times, no matter how well you do. And yet somehow, it works, partially because it's just so darn interesting, and you want to see what new dialogue and intereractions the dungeon is going to throw at you next time. If you enjoyed the movie Jacob's Ladder, you'll likewise enjoy Baroque's complicated storyline.
