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The Dark Rites of Arkham Now Available #1360659
02/03/26 05:50 PM
02/03/26 05:50 PM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 84,966
In the Naughty Corner
BrownEyedTigre Offline OP
The Sassy Admin and PR Liaison
BrownEyedTigre  Offline OP
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In the Naughty Corner
A macabre ritual murder puts Arkham PD detectives Jack Foster and Harvey Whitman to the test. As the investigation progresses, they will unveil a disturbing connection between the Salem witch trials of the 17th century and the end of humankind.

Check out the trailer here.

Check out the Demo and game here.

Quote
Detective Jack Foster rejoins the police department after a traumatic incident to take over the investigation of what appears to be mere political blackmail. Soon, however, he's faced with the discovery of a gruesome ritual murder that took place in a sealed room, from which no one could have gotten in or out without being seen. Along with his new partner, Harvey Whitman, an expert on cults, Foster dives deep into the shadows of the city of Arkham.

The case will get even darker when they find out it is related to three witches that escaped the Salem trials in 1693, and a conspiracy that could put an end to the world as we know it.

Pulp & Click adventure based on dialogue and inventory puzzles.

More than 90 detailed pixel art backgrounds to explore.

A story inspired by the works by H.P. Lovecraft, where we will meet well-known characters such as Herbert West, Keziah Mason, Doctor Eric Moreland, and Henry Armitage.

Jazzy ambient music composed by Matías J. Olmedo (An English Haunting).

Visit the Arkham Museum of the Unusual and lose yourself in its chambers, the biggest attraction of which is the artwork of the sensation of the moment: painter Richard Upton Pickman.


Happy Gaming!


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Re: The Dark Rites of Arkham Now Available [Re: BrownEyedTigre] #1360661
02/03/26 06:26 PM
02/03/26 06:26 PM
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 52,510
near Yosemite
Marian Offline
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Marian  Offline
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near Yosemite
Thanks, Ana! wave

Re: The Dark Rites of Arkham Now Available [Re: BrownEyedTigre] #1360664
02/03/26 07:19 PM
02/03/26 07:19 PM
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 22,863
Chicago
oldbroad Online sad
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Thanks Ana!

Re: The Dark Rites of Arkham Now Available [Re: oldbroad] #1360685
02/04/26 10:36 AM
02/04/26 10:36 AM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 36,216
United Kingdom
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Thank you, BrownEyedTigre smile


Time : The Most Precious Commodity
Re: The Dark Rites of Arkham Now Available [Re: BrownEyedTigre] #1360704
02/04/26 02:51 PM
02/04/26 02:51 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,164
Near Walt Disney World
Orion Offline
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Thank you Ana. This game looks very interesting. The video itself has me wanting to give this one a try. I have to get past the pixelation, not a fan of



It's never too late!
Re: The Dark Rites of Arkham Now Available [Re: BrownEyedTigre] #1360761
Yesterday at 09:08 PM
Yesterday at 09:08 PM
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 451
Chicago, IL
rtrooney Online content
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"More than 90 detailed pixel art backgrounds to explore" (Emphasis mine)

This particular line from your description scares me, as it turns an intriguing storyline into a game I probably won't play. FWIW, I have a long standing dislike of retro graphics. (Although not here, of course.)

To be fair, I have not played the demo yet, so the word "probably" above stands until I do. Give me a few days.

To me, there are only three reasons to use 1980s graphics in decade two of the 21st Century, and, IMO, they are all bad ones:

1. You think it looks good. (Nobody thinks that.)
2. It was cheaper/It was a cash issue. (Find more funding, or find a way to produce a better product for the same money.) (See 3 below)
3. The graphic engine limits me to retro graphics. (Find another engine. There are alternatives available.)


For whom the games toll.
They toll for thee.
Re: The Dark Rites of Arkham Now Available [Re: BrownEyedTigre] #1360806
4 hours ago
4 hours ago
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,133
Sweden
Mikael Online content
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I’ve been wondering along the same lines as you, rtrooney. I like to add one more reason:

4. The retro/nostalgic feeling.

But while pixel art certainly does evoke nostalgic vibes among us who’s been around since the Sierra/Lucas Arts days, that probably wouldn’t explain the vast amount of pixel art games that are still being made. So I lean towards your reason #2 (cheaper/less time consuming to produce less detailed graphics). Nothing wrong with that, if you prioritize story/puzzles, but I usually stay away from these games, since it kind of hurts my eyes to stare into pixel graphics these days. Maybe it’s an age thing, since I certainly didn’t mind it in the eighties!

Re: The Dark Rites of Arkham Now Available [Re: BrownEyedTigre] #1360807
2 hours ago
2 hours ago
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 7,413
Long Beach, Australia
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Posts: 7,413
Long Beach, Australia
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I am definitely someone who loves a high-end graphical world, and have been known to update my video card (and even a few more components) so I could play the latest thing that took my fancy (some of the Myst gaes spring to mind).
In that context, a pile of pixels shouldn't ring my bell. But on accasion it does.
As far as the four mentioned factors are concerned, I can accept 2 and 3, although perhaps it isn't as easy to just pivot to a different engine. I doubt though that nostalgia is relevant, and I disagree that no-one likes them. To that end I put myself forward as exhibit number 1 thumbsup
Let's be clear, I don't like all of them, and something being pixel-art will raise a warning flag. But then there are things like Hobs Barrow, a game that uses pixels to their best extent and is an excellent adventure on top of that.
I get we are all different. But if you avoid every pixel game you will miss some very worthy adventure experiences.
wave


Quantity has a quality all of its own
Re: The Dark Rites of Arkham Now Available [Re: Mikael] #1360808
1 hour ago
1 hour ago
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 451
Chicago, IL
rtrooney Online content
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[quote=Mikael]I’ve been wondering along the same lines as you, rtrooney. I like to add one more reason:

4. The retro/nostalgic feeling. [quote/]

I was thinking of that because it is one reason to "occasionally" justify using retro graphics. The use of retro graphics is justified if the purpose is to emulate the style of another game. The developers of Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine intentionally emulated the graphic style (as well as several other styles) of Freddy Pharkus Frontier Pharmasist. I beleive friend Josh Mandel was brought in as a dialog consultant. I can understand why becuase he and Al Lowe were the creators of FPFP.

However, there is a reason why games as varied as Gabriel Knight, Broken Sword and Syberia, among many, many others, update their graphic style when they are "Remastered". I'd hazard a guess it was out of a desire to find a new audience. Not to pay homage to an earlier style.

Last edited by rtrooney; 1 hour ago.

For whom the games toll.
They toll for thee.
Re: The Dark Rites of Arkham Now Available [Re: BrownEyedTigre] #1360809
1 hour ago
1 hour ago
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,133
Sweden
Mikael Online content
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Mikael  Online Content
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,133
Sweden
There’s a difference between liking/preferring pixel art as the graphical presentation and liking/disliking the games themselves. I, for example, I love many low-res games, while there are plenty of games with cutting-edge graphics that I wouldn’t touch.

I also disagree that no one likes pixel art. Of course some people do. You can even put me forward as exhibit number 2 there, it’s just that my eyes don’t agree with it (anymore). But I don’t think that nostalgia is irrelevant. It isn’t for me, and there must at least be some players as old as me still out there!

I don’t think that reason #3 is applicable though. I doubt that there are any active engines today that don’t support higher resolutions. Even AGS (an engine mainly aimed at old school games) does.

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