Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches--Update 8-12-08--Lighthouse will Release Rhiannon in Europe

Legends, myths, and magic spill into reality as an ancient battle for revenge envelopes a remote Welsh farmstead in this horror-adventure for the PC





For screenshots from the game, click here.





Click here for more information.

Hi Becky

Thanks for that !!

Sounds like another case of soon being compelled to spend more pennies

Cheers.

Mad

Mystical place, Magic...OHHHH I love it

Thanks, Becky

What a treat

Hmm, what happened to the Mabinogion? I've been tracking this game as Rhiannon: Beyond the Mabinogion by Arberth Studios for some time, suddenly it turns into Four Branches? I'm not nearly as curious about this as I was about the other.

Sierramindy -- I've checked the description of the plot, and this seems to be the same game as Mabinogion, but with a changed subtitle. I think perhaps the North American publisher decided that two difficult-to-spell-and-pronounce Welsh words in one title might be too much for us North Americans.

Thanks Becky

I love a Celtic treat !

Looking forward to this one

love

Hello chaps. Becky's absolutely right, there was a marketing decision in the US about the potential complexity of pronunciation - so a new strapline was arrived at. It is exactly the same game and the 'Four Branches' referred to are specifically the legends we've used from the Mabinogion.

We're on the home straight and it feels fabulous. There'll be a playable demo soon as well.

BTW, thanks to all the beta-testing volunteers. Had a great response from GB.

Cheers

Noel
Game Engineering
Arberth Studios

Woe is me! Beyond the Mabinogion sounded so adventurous and full of possibilities of who-knows-what, so I was really, really intrigued. However, Curse of the Four Branches just sounds like a lot of trouble of the kind that bores me. I am not a fan of horror stories, I don't dig Dracula, with the exception of one chase scene in a movie where someone yelled, "Catch him, that's Dracula" and somebody else shouted, "Dracula who?" Now, that's funny, it always cracks me up!

Never judge a book by it's cover. I believe in this case, it would be better suited to not judge a game by it's name.

Ana

Is this a vampire game? Please tell me isn't a vampire game. I'm a sucker for anything Celtic.

Thanks for the info, Becky!

Those initial screenshots aren't fabulous (or at least don't give me much of a sense of atmosphore, they're just room screenshots). But the story sounds like it could be really cool.

Another one to look forward too, I think!





-------

Thanks Becky...this game is sure looking good to me from the sound of it.

Guys, this is really tricky. I want to say "No, no no, it's not like that it's like ..." but I can't because that would be a spoiler. Be assured that 'Rhiannon' is not a 'vampire' game - nothing so superficial. It's MUCH more involved that that. You will pit your intelligence against the deviousness of a Welsh wizard. He is Llwyd, the sorcerer who appears in each of the Four Branches of the Mabinogion and it is from those four tales that we take our story.

BTW, don't underestimate rooms. It's not just the rooms, it's what happens in them.

I don't do vampires. they scare me. they're the only "monsters" that do. I supposed if it's a vampire with a Celtic accent I might be able to handle it.

Hey Becky thanks, sounds great..
I love this kind of adventures is my fav

Love Maria

I love deep dark stories. Hope Interact will stock it, another game to play on the dark rainy winter nights.
Thanks Becky
EDIT Noel, I adore mysterious rooms . Thank you, can't wait.

Noel, hope I didn't offend! Just meant there's no actual spookiness appearing in those screenshots themselves. (But I probably shouldn't be spoiled anyway!)

I'm still very much looking forward to this game.




-------

Offended? Moi? Nah. Simply can't imagine being offended by anyone here. Anyway, skin like a rhinocerous wearing an anorak while sitting in a titanium battletank buried in concrete, me.

Mind you, there are indeed no traditional-style ghostly apparitions in those pictures though, so I see where you're coming from. The pictures are supposed to demonstrate that our graphics at least conform to the state of the art, I guess. It's the plot and the sounds and the music and the surprises and the way we'll generally mess with your head that'll spook you.

Cheers

Noel

BTW, must get round to sorting out my signature. We'll be in the shops by Halloween.

Hi, noelbruton

I am prepared to be Spooked,Haunted, Scared,Creeped Out Etc Etc


BTW...I am prepared to be kissed by Dracula also

Can't wait for this game

Hi noelbruton,
And readers of this thread:
I am not judging the game or even the name of the game! How shall I put this? My curiosity (strongly built into my DNA) is very keen when I read "Beyond the Mabinogion" which conjures up all sorts of "unknowns" but "Four Branches" is sort of "blah" and all I can think is like, 4 branches of what? a river? a road? a tree? I'm reacting, not judging. Kittens have curiosity, babies have curiosity, but they aren't making judgments and neither am I.
I haven't made up my mind as yet whether I will buy this game or not, depends on what I learn and how I react to it in the future. Curiosity keeps my mind open as to whatever comes next, but why do I get the feeling that if one decides right now at the beginning that this "sounds" like a great game (a reaction) that this is a reasonable statement that is easily accepted.

I agree with Sierramindy. I don't know why publishers always feel they have to dumb down titles for North America. All it does is make it harder to find information about the game, and the original game names are almost always more interesting.

I think they dumb things down because they think we're dumb.

If they thought we were dumb, I don't think they'd include the difficult puzzles in adventure games. They might think we're impulsive -- they've studied what attracts people when they see a game on the shelf, and they try to make the title, box art, etc. fit what seems to make people buy.

It was a joke!!!

Sierramindy's observations about the nature of curiosity strike a chord with me. It is curiosity itself that *makes* the adventure genre.

One of the reasons why Karen and Richard and I are writing for adventure players rather than those of other genres is because players of that genre in particular want their curiosity challenged; and so are willing to enjoy the effort of working out why things are not what they appear. As writers, that gives us both opportunity for story and challenge, and to pique emotion so as to enrich the experience for both writer and player.

Cheers

Noel

I agree with Sierramindy in a way. The first title does conjure up more mystery than Four Forks. You could be talking about a dinner party. ************
Well don't I feel silly. It's branches not forks.
The main premise remains the same. The first title was more mysterious. I can see why they changed it though. I can't even remember the easy name.

Hi escakacs,
It isn't stupidity at all, it is an easy mistake to make. Roads have branches, also called forks, and that is how your brain remembered it, by making that connection. The brain actually works that way to memorize things by sort of stacking them together. It is actually a very good system.

Hi, noelbruton

As far As I am concerned...I could care less if the game has branches or not..

I see a good game...Screenshots always makes me Happy
As long as the interface is what I like...Then I play...I could care less about any thing else..

I much perfer the original title, but then I lived in a Wales for 10 years. It looks just my type of game, so long as it does not included tightly timed puzzles.

There are no timed puzzles, indeed no tests of reflexes at all. Only "figure-it-out" challenges for which you'll need only reason, intelligence and thoroughness, tinged with a bit of trepidation. And always plot related. In 'Rhiannon', you meet challenges that the story led you to in order to reveal new parts of the story. No daft puzzles. Promise.

Cheers

Noel

BTW - we too were disappointed to lose the 'Beyond the Mabinogion' from the title - but in NO WAY does it lessen the involvement of the Mabinogion in the game.

How long do you suppose it will actually take to get the game in our hot little hands? There have been games that I preordered in March that I just got this week.

As I understand it, the game is scheduled to release in October for your Halloween enjoyment.

Thats good news ,Becky

What a treat alot of Goodies coming out in Oct..

It sounds like a perfect game for an October relase. Another game to add to my ever increasing list.

Well, well, once again we have a game made in the UK and set in the UK but to be released first in the USA. The same thing happened with The Lost Crown. Do the distibuters wait to see if the sales are good in the USA and if they are, then bother to let us Brits buy our own game in our country? Nothing against my American friends but I'm just green with envy.

Old lady -- it's all about which publisher the developer happens to finalize an arrangement with first. Got Game and Tri Synergy (both American publishers) do seem to be more willing to publish games from smaller or Indie studios than are the British publishers -- at least, that's my impression.

I quite agree Becky. What is wrong with British publishers, why can't they have both pride and confedence in UK developers. Are ( conspricy theory coming up ) are they using the USA gamers as guinea pigs?

Well, G2 (a British publisher) did try by publishing Carte Blanche and Limbo of the Lost.

We are lucky to have Dave from Interact!
Let's hope he puts Rhiannon for pre-order soon...

Carla, Dave does not post games for preorder until a few weeks before release.

Ana

Carla,
So glad to see that you are back on the board. I agree with you in the hopes that Dave will put it on pre order soon.

You people are great, trying to help us so much.

Thanks,

Noel.

WINTER! I thought it was going to be fall!

Tsk, I could have sworn I'd sorted that signature out. We're working on an October launch. We call that "Autumn" over here :-)

Cheers

Noel

Po-tay-to; po-tah-to. I could have sworn that the signature said winter. I must be losing it.

That's not you, that's me - I have change my signature but I didn't expect it to change on all my previous posts as well.
Sorry for the confusion.

But that's the publishers too. They suggested, wisely IMHO, that we go earlier; a ghostly-magickal game for Halloween rather than competing for shelf space with every other game on the planet from Thanksgiving to Christmas. So we brought it forward.

No pressure, then.

Cheers

Noel

Sounds like a real good time for it.

Missed the boat to beta test this one so am looking forward to the UK release, it's already on my must-get list. Celtic myths seem to work really well in adventure games, so I'm looking forward to finding out more of the Mabinogion cos I don't know much of that one apart from the story in Atlantis in the Irish bit.

Here's my two cents. The name Rhiannon caught my eye some time back. I don't remember there being any other name with it. The reason it caught my eye is because I don't know what it is or what it means. I also don't know what (or how to pronounce) Mabinogion is or means, but it doesn't catch my eye in the same way. I think it is too much together. Curse of the Four Branches gives me a better feel of what the game MIGHT be about. I like it better, but then, I'm just a simple North American.

I am looking forward to this game! I will probably pre-order.

Sounds like my kind of game. Look forward to October!

I've been looking forward to this game ever since it was first posted here, and Carla and others worked so hard to uncover information about it. Curious too about what choices were made in music.
Whatever the title, it's great that it's coming soon!

I am incredibly excited for this game!! Halloween this year is going to rock.

Hello all,

'Mabinogion' pronunciation: MABBY - NOGGY - YON

It also helps if you mimic Tom Jones' accent while you're saying it :-)

There are some soundclips for pronouncing the key Welsh words in 'Rhiannon' on our Website. Go to www.arberthstudios.com and click on "Mabinogion" on the Ogam menu on the left. Turn your speakers up and click on one of the green Welsh words - and your world will fill with my voice trying to do my Tom Jones accent :-)

Cheers

Noel
Game Engineering
Arberth Studios

MABBY - NOGGY - YON ... I like that. I've been pronouncing it in my head as MAB -IN - O - GI (GEE) - ON ... which does make it easier to remember the spelling.

I was pronouncing it all wrong in my head. I clicked on the words you voiced in that link -- err, is it my imagination, or does Pwyll when voiced have nothing to do with the "wyll?" (I can hear the "P").

Before the Welsh invade, I think they should think about spelling.

Nice voice!

Hi chaps

Quick lesson on Welsh pronunciation. In Welsh, the letter 'w' is a vowel, pronounced 'oo' as in 'cool'.
The letter 'y' can have a number of pronunciations, but most often it is the obscure 'uh' sound.
Then we get to the double 'LL' which in Welsh is a single sound. If you know Spanish, you'll know 'LL' is pronounced 'Lyuh'. Similar in Welsh, except you start with 'H' sound, so you get 'HLyuh', but as short a sound as you can get it.

All of which goes to explain why 'Pwyll' is pronounced 'Poo-uh-HL' and not 'Pwil'. Don't worry. Our house name contains a 'LL' and Karen still can't pronouce it after 13 years here...:-)

And you just want to hear what they do with 'ch'...

EDIT: PS - there's a village near us called 'Eglwyswrw'. Features regularly in European newspapers as an amusing example of vowel-less spelling. Any takers for a pronunciation? :-)

Cheers

Noel

I think I'll stay here in Chicago...I'd be lost there.

Ana

Igloo-uh-soo-roo?

Gesundheit Becky!

Ana :Lol:

I was singing, actually -- to the tune of Tu Ra Lura Lura.

Igloo-uh-soo-roo Lura.

Wait -- that's Irish, not Welsh.

This is so funny. I recall when I was young and perspective (seems like ages ago) our teacher at conservatory tried us to pronunce the name of the ancient welsh musical instrument CRWTH. She was making fun of us while we were trying, but I was a couple of years afterwards really surprised that it was HER who terribly mispronunced it.

So my advice - steer clear of welsh words.

In on-topic mode - good luck. We're looking forward the game!

Dashed close, Becky - 'Egloo', but otherwise perfect!

Duw, there's lovely for you. We'll have you all on lavabread(1) and Felinfoel(2) next!

1) no, it's not bread it's seaweed and it's a breakfast staple in Swansea

2) Pronounced Vel-in-voyl, a brand of beer, often known by the locals as "Feelin' vile"

Cheers

Noel

It'll be interesting to hear the voice actors trying to pronounce some of these words.

Hi Becky,

We don't use visible 'characters' as such in 'Rhiannon', so there's not much voice-acting. But there are a number of voice-overs for voicemail messages and ghostly whispers and exclamations. There's no more than a few words of the Welsh language, but you will hear Welsh accents. We've used local thespians for those. So our 'Tommy Harris' sounds authentically Welsh because he's the real thing.

Cheers

Noel

I like the sound of that authentic Welshman.

What metamorphium said -- we're looking forward to the game.

Now in Europe too thanks to Lighthouse!

That's great news for European gamers! Thanks Carla!

woohoo great news. Thanks Carla!

Ug-loo-uh-soo-roo?

Noel - Does the first bit mean "church" in Welsh like it is in Cornish?

Eglwys: 'Eg-loo-uhss'. Yes, it translates as 'church'. Don't know any Cornish I'm afraid, but I guess it's similar to the French 'eglise' and Spanish 'iglesia' - in other words, probably places where the Celts made landfall.