Check Out The cRPG Player’s Handbook (And Contribute To It!)

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Felipe Pepe, a regular at the RPG Codex, has undertaken a massive project to compile a digital tome that reviews nearly 300 computer RPGs, providing a comprehensive snapshot at the genre in all of its history:

This guy is compiling a digital book that will review over 280 computer RPGs—and when it’s done, you can get it for free. Developers like Obsidian’s Chris Avellone have already agreed to participate. “The book is going well, but I need some spotlight to travel into the far reaches of the internet and reach fans with stories to tell,” curator Felipe Pepe tells Kotaku. You can see some sample reviews here, and keep track of his progress on Google Docs.

You’ll note the mention of Chris Avellone, above. That’s certainly a significant glimpse into the…quality of game reviewers that Felipe has been attempting to bring on board to the project. I’ve no idea which game — or games — Obsidian’s creative director will be reviewing, but I do know that Felipe has found very worthy reviewers for Ultima 2, Ultima 4 and Ultima 5 (I won’t say who; wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise.) But it’s probably safe to tell you that I’ll be reviewing Ultima 6, and that Sergorn Dragon and myself will be splitting the task of reviewing Ultima 9.

And if you check out Felipe’s list of titles the book will cover, you’ll see that a number of games have yet to be assigned. In particular, Savage Empire and Ultima 8 don’t yet have reviewers assigned. He’s accepting volunteers; you can find his email address in the spreadsheet.

As well, you can find some sample images of review layouts here and here. Here’s a couple such samples, including the Ultima 4 review; this is a pretty high-quality production:

Felipe is also maintaining progress report threads at both RPGWatch and the RPG Codex; you can follow either or both of them for details about his progress on compiling the book.

1 Response

  1. Infinitron says:

    Chris Avellone is reviewing (has already reviewed, in fact) Wasteland.