Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches
Encyclopedia
Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches is an adventure game developed by Arberth Studios. It was originally published in English by Got Game Entertainment
and Lighthouse Interactive
. However, following the financial collapse of Lighthouse Interactive early in 2009, all European rights reverted to Arberth Studios. The developer then converted itself into a publisher and began selling the English game directly.
In May 2009, Arberth dispensed with the services of Got Game Entertainment following months of declining stock availability in Got Game's North American Territory and a failure of Got Game to pay expected royalties. At August 2010, Arberth is still pursuing Got Game Entertainment for unpaid royalties.
Arberth has since released a German version of the game. A Russian version appeared in 2009, translated and distributed by Logrus. In mid 2009, a group of French and Belgian enthusiasts known as Les Rhemystes completed the French translation and a download-only release followed in the Autumn, again published by Arberth Studios. Italian gaming site Puntaeclicca.com enabled the Italian download-only release in 2010.
The game is set on the Celtic fringes of Britain; a place where myth and magic spill into reality, threatening the sanity of a teenage girl named Rhiannon Sullivan. An ancient battle for revenge engulfs Ty Pryderi, the remote Welsh farmstead Rhiannon now calls home. She begins to hear unexplained noises, see disturbing visions, and experience other chilling paranormal phenomena. There is an ancient evil lurking in the walls of Ty Pryderi that holds a terrible connection to a timeless struggle between man and magic fabled in the Mabinogion
Legends. Her parents take Rhiannon away, leaving Ty Pryderi to your watch and exploration, but their absence can only postpone the inevitability of revenge and death.
In August 2009 the developers appealed for volunteers to translate the game into the Welsh language.
The adventure is based on a non linear structure, that gives the player a lot of freedom in exploring the environment and collecting clues, letting them solve the game at their own pace.
Got Game Entertainment
Got Game Entertainment, LLC is an American publisher of videogames, based in Weston, Connecticut.- Games published :*Alida*The Lost Crown: A Ghost-Hunting Adventure*A Quiet Weekend in Capri*Anacapri: The Dream*ARMA 2...
and Lighthouse Interactive
Lighthouse Interactive
SilverBirch, Inc. was a video game publisher located in the Netherlands and was Acquired by Lighthouse Interactive in 2008. The company "Lighthouse interactive" had offices in Toronto and Montreal, Canada, Haarlem, The Netherlands and London, England....
. However, following the financial collapse of Lighthouse Interactive early in 2009, all European rights reverted to Arberth Studios. The developer then converted itself into a publisher and began selling the English game directly.
In May 2009, Arberth dispensed with the services of Got Game Entertainment following months of declining stock availability in Got Game's North American Territory and a failure of Got Game to pay expected royalties. At August 2010, Arberth is still pursuing Got Game Entertainment for unpaid royalties.
Arberth has since released a German version of the game. A Russian version appeared in 2009, translated and distributed by Logrus. In mid 2009, a group of French and Belgian enthusiasts known as Les Rhemystes completed the French translation and a download-only release followed in the Autumn, again published by Arberth Studios. Italian gaming site Puntaeclicca.com enabled the Italian download-only release in 2010.
The game is set on the Celtic fringes of Britain; a place where myth and magic spill into reality, threatening the sanity of a teenage girl named Rhiannon Sullivan. An ancient battle for revenge engulfs Ty Pryderi, the remote Welsh farmstead Rhiannon now calls home. She begins to hear unexplained noises, see disturbing visions, and experience other chilling paranormal phenomena. There is an ancient evil lurking in the walls of Ty Pryderi that holds a terrible connection to a timeless struggle between man and magic fabled in the Mabinogion
Mabinogion
The Mabinogion is the title given to a collection of eleven prose stories collated from medieval Welsh manuscripts. The tales draw on pre-Christian Celtic mythology, international folktale motifs, and early medieval historical traditions...
Legends. Her parents take Rhiannon away, leaving Ty Pryderi to your watch and exploration, but their absence can only postpone the inevitability of revenge and death.
In August 2009 the developers appealed for volunteers to translate the game into the Welsh language.
Structure
It is played as a classic first person "point and click" adventure, with the world being represented by pre-rendered, animated screens.The adventure is based on a non linear structure, that gives the player a lot of freedom in exploring the environment and collecting clues, letting them solve the game at their own pace.
Developers
The game is created by Karen Bruton, her husband Noel Bruton, and her brother Richard Lee, who all cofounded Arberth Studios. They live in West Wales, which they admitted to use heavily as a model for Ty Pryderi. The symbolisms associated with Earth, Water, Fire and Air that are referenced in the game are also taken from a study of putative practical magic that Karen and Noel Bruton undertook a few years ago.Reviews
Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches has received mixed or average reviews from general gaming critics, and currently has an aggregate score of 70 on metacritic. Reviewers specialising in adventure tend to be more positive (Gameboomers A-, Just Adventure B, Adventure Classic Gaming 4/5). While the storytelling and puzzles were praised, some criticism was leveled at the graphics and sound, which were said to detract from the experience due to their low quality. The most positive reviews at non-specialist sites came from Gamespot as well as IGN, which stated that "In spite of a few missteps, Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches is a good-looking, entertaining and well-made game, especially considering the size of the dev team."External links
- Arberth Studios (Official/Developer site)
- Lighthouse Interactive (European publisher)
- Got Game Entertainment (US publisher)
- Puntaeclicca.com(IT Translator)