Pathfinder: Kingmaker
Name in global market: Pathfinder: Kingmaker
Release: 2018
Platforms: Computer, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Developers: Owlcat Games (Moscow/Cyprus)
metacritical score: 74 points out of 100
Pathfinder: Kingmaker is a classic role-playing game based on the board game series of the same name, in the style of Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights. The project was developed by the Moscow-based Owlcat studio and published by the Austrian company Deep Silver. Pathfinder is perhaps the newest aside from Atomic Heart, the triumph of the Russian “igroprom”. The project received positive reviews from the press and was warmly received by the players. Basically, the game is praised for its exciting story and very volatile gameplay. Pathfinder’s harsh nature is often criticized – for convenience, extensive knowledge of the original resource, the board game, is required. Pathfinder: Kingmaker was a moderate commercial success, so the game received a subtitled sequel to Wrath of the Righteous in 2021, which turned out to be well above Kingmaker according to critics and was also a hit.
“King’s Bounty: Legend of the Knight”
Name in global market: King’s Prize: Legend
Release: 2008
Platforms: computer
Developers: Katauri Interactive (Kaliningrad)
Metacritical score: 79 points out of 100
King’s Bounty is the oldest turn-based strategy series of the early 90s, which predicted the emergence of the much more famous Heroes of Might and Magic series in Russia and the CIS. King’s Bounty was born in the USA, but in the early 2000s, the rights to the series were transferred to the Russian company 1C, with money from Katauri Interactive the developers of Kaliningrad relaunched the franchise in the form of King’s Bounty: Legend of the Knight. The approach of the Russian developers benefited King’s Bounty: the game received mostly positive reviews from journalists and sold in a fairly high circulation. Therefore, 1C spent money on the development of four add-ons. By the way, the first with the subtitle “The Princess in the Armor” was even more successful than the original – on Metacritic the game has a score of 82 out of 100.
Heroes of Might and Magic V
Name in global market: Heroes of Might and Magic V
Release: 2007
Platforms: computer
Developer: Nival Interactive (Moscow/St. Petersburg/Cyprus)
Metacritical score: 77 points out of 100
Speaking of the Heroes of Might and Magic series, which in Russia is often simply called “Heroes”, the Russians also managed to take part in its rebirth. We are talking about the fifth licensed part, for which Russian studio Nival Interactive and French publisher Ubisoft are responsible. Heroes of Might and Magic V was the first game in the series to bring the game world to full 3D. Classic games don’t usually make the most of these transformations, but Nival Interactive has managed to take the game to a new dimension without losing its value. Heroes of Might and Magic V received critical acclaim and sold millions of copies, which contributed to the release of two expansions: “Lords of the North” and “Lords of the Horde”. Gamers were completely satisfied with the new game – Russian “Heroes” on Steam has a user rating of 9 out of 10. Also, reviews for the game keep appearing. Isn’t that a confession?
“Space Rangers 2: Raids”
Name in global market: Space Rangers 2: Rise of Raids
Release: 2004
Platforms: PC, iOS, Android
Developer: Elemental Games (MoscowVladivostok)
Metacritical score: 84 points out of 100
“Space Rangers 2: Dominators” is a unique game in a sci-fi setting, featuring several genres at once. The player will control a Space Rangers Academy graduate who is destined to save the world from robots who have gone mad and have decided to destroy all intelligent life forms in the galaxy. But before the trainee takes this job, he will have to catch space reckless drivers, solve the riddle of the ruler of an ancient civilization called Serim Tut, sit in prison, explore dozens of planets, build bases on them and more. tasks. “Space Rangers 2: Dominators” is a massive game with a large set of mechanics, an interesting plot and very witty jokes. The author of this project, by the way, was the Elemental Games studio, from which the already mentioned Katauri Interactive later left. Of course, Space Rangers 2 has a front section in the form of Space Rangers 1. However, only the second part was broadcast abroad, and there it enjoyed success, at least among fans of role-playing games. The series did not receive a sequel, but was reprinted twice: in 2009 and 2012.
“IL-2 Sturmovik”
Name in global market: IL-2 Sturmovik
Release: year 2001
Platforms: computer
Developer: 1C: Maddox Games
Metacritical score: 91 points out of 100
IL-2 Sturmovik is a flight simulator with story missions set during the Great Patriotic War. In them, the player will take on the role of an IL-2 pilot and participate in air battles over Lvov, Smolensk, Moscow, Stalingrad and other cities of the USSR affected by the war. Initially, the game was created as an independent project of programmer Oleg Maddox. Later, the development was taken up by the 1C company, which released the IL-2 Sturmovik abroad, where the game enjoyed great success and turned into a series of sequels. IL-2 Sturmovik is one of the top 25 PC games of all time according to IGN and is often cited as one of the best flight simulators and is on par with blockbusters like Microsoft Flight Simulator.
“Pirates”
Name in global market: Sea Dogs / Age of Pirates
Release: year 2000
Platforms: computer
Developer: Akella (Moscow)
Metacritical score: 71 points out of 100
Corsairs is an adventure game in which the player controls the captain of a ship and, depending on the plot, can play the role of both an independent pirate and a special attendant for one of the European maritime powers. The creator of the project was the Russian studio Akella, known primarily for its involvement in the production and sale of “pirated” copies of games in the 90s and early 2000s. Despite not moderate press reviews, Corsairs was a commercial success and received several sequels. Also, one of the Corsairs sequels was bought by Disney itself and sold under the name “Pirates of the Caribbean” as a companion material to the movie of the same name with Johnny Depp. Many say, looking back today, “Pirates” is definitely one of them, if not the best game series about pirates.
“Truckers: The Road to Victory”
Name in global market: Hard Truck: The Road to Victory
Release: 1998
Platforms: computer
Developer: SoftLab-NSK (Novosibirsk)
Metacritical score: –
Truckers is a truck simulator game. In it you have to manage various tractors and trucks, transport goods from point “A” to point “B” and strive for the well-being of your own logistics company. The authors of the project were developer-scientists from SoftLab-NSK, a studio created on the basis of the Institute of Automation and Electrometry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. “Truckers: The Road to Glory” was released in Europe and was warmly received by the players. Soon SoftLab-NSK released the second installment of Truckers, and this game is already an absolute hit, as it has sold 2.1 million copies in five years in the US alone, making it one of the top 100 best selling PC games in the country.