Herald is a point and click narrative adventure inspired by Telltale Games, set in the alternative reality of the 19th century. The game is the debut of the independent Dutch studio Wispfire and was created with the support of the Dutch Game Garden program, thanks to which titles such as Reus, Luftrausers and Awesomenauts were released.

The plot of the game was inspired by real events, and its action takes place in 1857 – although the vision of the world presented by the authors is quite different from the image of the era known from historical books. In the universe created by them, all western nations were united under the flag of the empire, known as the Protectorate. Although the superpower’s influence reaches the furthest corners of the world, its power is slowly dying out, and the spread of modern ideas is bringing the colonial population closer and closer to initiating a rebellion.

Players play the role of Devan Rensburg – a man of mixed ethnic origins, who seeks the truth about his origin. In order to carry out his plan, he buys a ticket for a voyage to Eastern Cologne Empire, and this voyage will come on board the title ship HLV Herald, which is the last big sailing ship in use. Passengers and ship’s crew is a true cultural microcosm, represented by people of different races, religions and nationalities and different social status. The hero thrown into the crucible is forced to make a number of important decisions that will affect his future life.

The mechanics of the game draws on classic point-and-click adventures and boils down to exploration and numerous conversations with independent characters. In contrast, however, Herald does not focus on logical puzzles, but on the narrative itself, the evolution of characters and the question of moral choices. The whole was framed in colorful, hand-drawn graphics, combining elements of 2D and 3D technology.

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Herald