Rune | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Human Head Studios |
Publisher(s) | Gathering of Developers |
Director(s) | Michael Larson |
Producer(s) | Michael Larson |
Programmer(s) | Paul MacArthur |
Artist(s) | Ted Halsted |
Engine | Unreal Engine 1 |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Linux, PlayStation 2 |
Release |
Microsoft Windows Mac OS
|
Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Rune is an action-adventure video game developed by Human Head Studios which was released in 2000. The game is based on Norse mythology, showing the conflict between the gods Odin and Loki and the buildup to Ragnarok, the end of the world. Built on the Unreal Engine, the game casts the player as Ragnar, a young Viking warrior whose mettle is tested when Loki and his evil allies plot to destroy the sacred runestones and bring about Ragnarok.
Upon release Rune received generally positive reviews. A stand-alone expansion pack for the game, titled Rune: Halls of Valhalla (HOV), was released in 2001. Both the base game and HOV were ported to Linux by Loki Software. Ryan C. Gordon, a former Loki employee, would also later port Human Head's 2006 title Prey. A port to the PlayStation 2 was also released under the title Rune: Viking Warlord in 2001. The game was re-released digitally under the name Rune Classic in 2012, with HOV included.
A pen-and-paper adaptation of Rune was published by Atlas Games.
The game casts the player as Ragnar, a young Viking warrior. It follows a fantasy plot based on Norse mythology. The various enemies Ragnar faces include man-eating fish, goblins, zombies, Norse dwarves and other Vikings. As the game goes on, as in most games of its type, better weapons are accumulated. Late in the game the player wields weapons of enormous size, even though most weapons maintain their usefulness to the end. Runes are strewen around the game world. When collected, they add to the player's rune power.