Ingenious Indie Innovators, Part #41 - Krater (2012) (PC) (Fatshark)
6Indie developer Fatshark's new Dungeon Siege-inspired action RPG Krater is probably the most blatantly *Swedish* game I've played since an obscure text adventure called Stugan (The Cottage) was released in 1986. Krater takes place in a post-apocalyptic future version of my country and starts out in the shady bordertown of Norrmalm (the name is a realworld reference to a particular part of Stockholm), where the player gets to control a custom-made three character-party and engage in hack'n slash quests, craft new gear and explore the surrounding wilderness. The full game is not out until next week, but upon launch there will be co-operative play and other additional features and story content. A noteworthy detail is that the default difficulty mode includes permadeath for individual recruited characters, although it is possible to opt out by choosing the "Casual" setting instead.
While the gameplay mechanics themselves seem interesting and the Fallout/Borderlands-inspired art design is cute, from my brief time with Krater so far it's the sheer amount of in-game references to Swedish culture and society that really sets it apart. Although none of that stuff will be particularly easy to decipher for a non-Scandinavian audience, there's a specific ambiance to this Swedified game world which hopefully translates into a universally quirky experience.
Game's official website:
http://www.kratergame.com/
Steam page:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/42170/