Introduction

Publisher: UbiSoft
Hype official page: http://www.ubisoft.com/usa/hype/
Expected Release: October/November 1999

These guys look like toys?!?

Well that's because they're supposed to look like toys. Ubisoft's Hype: The Time Quest is a role playing game, but not in the same sense as a Baldur's Gate or a Final Fantasy 8. Hype's style is much more light hearted and more comparable to the console RPGs aimed at children and the young at heart, like Nintendo's Legend of Zelda series. Aside from that, there is the obvious look of the characters, which are based on the familiar Playmobil toys. Gamers will be adventuring through a vibrant, colorful 3D world that looks and feels like the Playmobil characters. It's as if a child's toy box has sprung up to life on your computer!

Aww, what cute ghosts!

Spells make use of colored lighting

So what's the story?

Hype is set in a magical, medieval time, a setting which was picked because of its immense popularity among children and children's fairy tales. Players take control of Hype, a knight who has been banished back in time four generations by the evil "Black Knight." The objective is to find your way back to your own time, defeat the evil knight, and reunite yourself with your fiancé and the king you swore to protect. Sounds just like any good bedtime story or fairy tale! Along the way you'll be battling the usual assortment of rogues, thieves, wolves, wild bats, and other monsters that you would usually expect to appear in such a setting. You'll also be interacting with non player characters (NPCs) to get information on your quest and equip yourself with new items, weapons, and powerful magic spells.

You can ride a dragon in this game

Here's another shot