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Groundbreaking
Arguably the most innovative game to be released on the PC this year, Dwarf Fortress is a game of discovery and survival, trade and diplomacy, adventure and intrigue, dwarves... and elephants. Yes indeed. They'd get upset if I didn't mention them, and believe me, that would not be a pretty sight.
Dwarf Fortress attracted very little attention to itself during its long development over the past two years, yet since being released it has created its very own tornado of hype that has seen it reach cult status in a matter of weeks. All very well, I can hear you saying, but what is the game actually about? That's not a straightforward question to answer, but I shall do my best to try. Imagine, if you will, a cross between Dungeon Keeper, Rogue, Civilisation and Settlers. Now throw in a hint of The Sims and add a dash of Lemmings (minus the purple jumpsuits and with beards instead). Hmm... yes, I think that just about covers most of it.
On second thoughts, you may want to forget that rather unlikely combination and instead play the game to make your own comparisons. Quite honestly, Dwarf Fortress is a mix - and a rather excellent one, at that - of so many different gaming styles that it can be a bit overwhelming at first.
The aim of the game, as you may expect, is to build a successful underground city for your dwarves. You will work your way up from a humble outpost that barely scratches the mountainside to a sprawling network of rooms and tunnels in whatever design takes your fancy. As you expand deeper into the mountain you will uncover more valuable treasures, but at the same time you will have to fight off increasingly dangerous monsters. A rather apt quote from the lead coder during development: "You're going to have to learn to embrace inevitable death." And if you can see past the ASCII graphics, you'll have fantastic fun doing just that!
There's still more to it, too, for the world you generate to build these fortresses in is persistent, and can also be explored in the "Adventurer Mode". This is a more clear-cut Roguelike variation of the game universe where you take your hero out on quests and engage in brutal combat against terrible monsters - but the locations you visit could be towns your dwarves were trading with earlier, or even the dusty and danger-infested remains of past fortresses that succumbed to the (many) evils of the universe.
In short, I defy anyone to play Dwarf Fortress and not, at least, admire the dedication and level of detail that has been put into it. Whether you love ASCII or hate it, it's safe to say you won't find it used to better effect in any other game available today.
And by the way, I'm deadly serious about the elephants...
