Let's Play Nehrim - Part 1.

I've been wanting to try the Oblivion total conversion mod Nehrim - At Fate's Edge since it released earlier this year, but as a non German speaker I've had to wait for the English text translation, which finally released last month. It now features full English text with professional German voice work, a combination I think will work in the favour of Nehrim, as voice work is often the bane of Mods, so with the language barrier smoothing over any poor performances and professional German actors to start with it should mean that listening to the characters in Nehrim should be a joy.

But as I was installing the mod the thought hit me that while well known is certain circles, Nehrim is the type of experience that could pass the majority of people by, even passionate Oblivion fans, which I thought was a huge shame. So I decided I'd blog either my whole playthrough or just snapshots of it in an effort to help spread word of the game in some small way. Which approach I take depends on how much fun these are to write and if there's any real desire to see that much of the game.

Anyway, on with the first hour of the game.

As the game loads we're greeted with some back story and the familiar Oblivion character creation options.

I randomise a couple of times to get a decent looking face, or as decent a looking as Oblivion's models will let you get, and give myself a ballin name. Props to anyone who gets the name without Googling.

So with my guy looking like a caveman dressed as a 50's gangster, I begin.

And I'm greeted by this.

Confused, I walk forward, when suddenly the floor gives out and I fall down into even more pitch blackness, which the game kindly explains to me.

I equip a torch and as soon as it lights up I see a troll and some guy come out of no where and start throwing down. It's not a long fight as the man kills the troll in 2 swings, but he then looks straight at me.

Thankfully he is friendly. His name is Celebro, which I decide is a terrible name, so as this is a German game I decide to call him Karl, with a K, as that must be the most German way to spell it.

So me and Karl come to an agreement to help each other get out of this place, I'll provide the light and he'll do the fighting. I only realise after we agree to this I am effectively his bitch, but needs must, so we move deeper into the mine.

The cave is really atmospheric and the lack of light makes the journey tense. We creep through the disused mines till I see an opening and foolishly run towards it.

I bravely run away, back to Karl, and manfully hide behind him while he kills the nasty monsters for me.

We continue on through mine, and find a broken elevator. Wanting to be more use to this partnership other than a mobile torch holder, I jump into action and fix the broken mechanism.

The elevator takes us up a few levels and we reach a loading area, we go through here and find a door.

I quicksave, just in case, and go through the door.

I tried to figure out the cause of death here, and considering the dangers in mining maybe it was a gas leak, or maybe a particularly creative troll propped him up for a laugh, we'll never know. I sensitively pick around the room for useful items, and put my years of practice at pulling tablecloths from tables without disturbing the plates to good use.

It's all in the wrists.

At this point the first indication that this is a proper European style RPG arrives in the form of the messages you get informing you what the items you've just picked up now allow you to do. Within 20 seconds I have a spade, a pickaxe, a pair of tongs and a hammer which I'm told now means I can mine, dig for treasure, smelt metal and repair items. I'm 20 minutes into the game.

Karl and I continue to explore the mines, we face cave ins.

And walls that I can punch to death.

We keep moving through the mine, Karl slaying Trolls and me cheering him on from a safe distance.

As we enter a room with a glimmer of daylight, I utter a little thanks that I have Karl by my side for this arduous journey, with him protecting me the chances of seeing the surface again seem certain. I don't know what I'd do without him.

Shit.

The frantic running for my life didn't allow much time for screen shots, but fortunately there was a troll crushing trap only a short manic sprint away.

Who needs a sword when you've got cave-in traps.

Now starting to calm down, I start to move forward, alone, through the new section of the mine.

I spot what looks like a moving platform and head towards it. As I get close I hear a noise and turn around, thankfully there is nothing there.

I then turn back to go to the moving platform.

I then promptly shit myself. 

Some how in the blind panic in the seconds after this I manage to throw the lever on the moving platform, which mercifully carries me away to safety.

The journey over this underground lake is eerily quiet, till I hear a voice calling out.

I want to help the man, but I'm stuck on my moving platform with no way of reaching him. I'm sure he'll be fine.

Or maybe not.

As I come closer to the other side, a roar suddenly fills the cavern, and I see on the other side of the lake, the huge black troll climbing on top of the ropes carrying my platform. It's waiting for me to dock, my only chance is to run as fast as I can the moment the platform hits the other side.

I manage to slip by, with no time for screenshots I simply run for open space, as soon as I find time, I turn around.

More frantic running and I spot a door! My salvation, if RPG's have taught me anything they've taught me enemies will not follow you through a loading door. Thank god. I take a screenshot of the loading screen in relief.

As I finish loading I stand there soaking in my safe surroundings, trying to calm my nerves and gather my composure. Then.

As I was being torn apart by the smartest, door operating Troll in the world, I think my exact thoughts were the amazingly childish "That's not fair". 

On my reload I don't make the same mistake of hanging by the door.

I run down the hallway and take a left, I see a metal door and pray it's not locked.

The door miraculously locks behind me. I stand looking at the Troll, flipping the bird and calling it a wanker. It wanders off, I'm not sure if it understood my insults.

Rooting round the room I come across a letter explaining that the miners have set up a trap to exploit the Black Troll's weakness, which is apparently fire. I have to collect 4 torches and plant them in posts to kill the beast, which will then let me get the key for the door that is blocking my progress. It's time to go MacGyver on this Troll's ass.

Victorious over the troll, I'm rewarded with a level up and get my first introduction into the leveling system.

This is another area where Nehrim shows it's European RPG roots. It's leveling system is akin to the Gothic/Risen series of games from Piranha Bytes . Unlike most RPGs you can not just assign your stats as you please, to assign the stats you need to visit the appropriate trainer where you can spend learning points you receive as you gains levels. Some people dislike the system, but I personally enjoy it as it adds another level of consideration to your leveling up.

A level higher and with the key I need in hand, I head back to the boat room and unlock the door, the mine is now going up noticeably quicker, and I hope I'm nearing the surface.

I continue on up, going through caverns filled with glowing red mushrooms, stopping off at an abandoned underground pub and punching several smaller Trolls to death.

I reach and area with several dead ends, and what looks like an spill way. I head down to find another corpse

I pay him the proper respect.

I look past him to see that my way forward, is down. I stand over the edge.

And jump.

This new area has new surprises, as what looks like a corpse comes running at me.

Fighting off a couple more I keep going through the caves, till I find yet another corpse. I move closer to investigate/grave rob.

When out of the fire jumps a burning corpse, running and flailing at me.

It's a long fight, but by now I'm more confident and more equipped for a battle like this and I put the monster down. I travel through several more mushroom filled caverns, with more corpses and trolls along the way, till I eventually come out at the bottom of a truly huge cavern.

I start to walk across the bridge, when the room starts to tremble.

A huge cave in reveals my first glimpse of sunlight.  

I move up the cavern, toward the surface.

The caves are now filled with daylight, I move quicker through these, desperate to get to the surface and out of these horrible mines.

At last I come to what looks like an exit. I move forward and there is another tremor.

Suddenly a man appears out of thin air, and summons a wall of fire.

The man is Merzul, he is from the Order, a secret organisation that is dedicated to the study and teaching of magic. It finds people with magical talent and recruits them in complete secrecy because practising magic is a crime. He explains that it was the Order who sent me and the other people the letter asking us to come to the mine, but they were unaware how dangerous the mine was. I'm not sure I believe him, but he doesn't give me much choice.

So with that he gives me instructions on how to leave my current position without raising suspicion and directions to the Order's sanctum. He then teleports away, leaving me alone.

I head to the other side of the cave. And I can see daylight.

I open the door.

And I finally see the sun.