Wachenröder

is a Strategic Role Playing Game (SRPG) for the Sega Saturn developed by Sega and released on August 6, 1998. Up to now, it has only been released in Japan.

Story

The story takes place in a dark future on the island Edoald, which is ruled by the Imperator Duran. In this alternate history steam power is very sophisticated and the people hold it dear: vehicles, gadgetry or weapons driven by vapor in place of electricity. This links Wachenröder, based on its contents and its overall design, to the steampunk genre.

Since the building of several wastewater treatment plants for the rich upper class, the citizens of Edoalds suffer more and more from diseases caused by hazardous waste contaminated drinking water.

The gamer assumes the role of Lucian Taylor, who is in search of Imperator Duran, to avenge the illness-caused death of his younger sister which he makes him responsible for.

Gameplay

Most of the time the game is presented in a isometric perspective, similar the genrelike games Vandal Hearts, Front Mission or Final Fantasy Tactics, and consist of several turn-based fights. Between these fights the (female) narrator Bellebete continues the story. As a result of its linearity it's also playable by Non-Japanese speaking people. Most main functions are also either written in English or pictured as small pictograms.

Main Character

The events of the game mainly centre around the following characters:

• Lucian Taylor
  An often depressive young man in his early 20s, who seeks to avenge the death of his younger sister, who died 4 years ago. He is equipped with a S.R.G. ("Steam Refine Gear"), that provides his "Sledge", a steam driven weapon, with energy.
• Carrol Mew
  A young girl, which bears a striking similarity to Lucian's sister. She is armed with two firearms attached to her hands.
• Titus Groan
  Named after the fictional character Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake. He is armed with a steam-driven hammer.

Wachenröder and the German language

On several occasions, Wachenröder is bilingual. The little artbook for example, that comes packed with the game, begins with a longer German text, that tells the background story in lyric poetry. The names of the several chapters and some of items are also written in German. Some of the characters even speak German (e.g. a character named "Slap Happy" in the mission "Das Gericht" (in this case: "the court"; but can also mean: "the meal")) or bear a German name ("Walter", "Georg"); a smeltery bears the name "Falkenhof" (mean: hawk courtyard), and so on.

The game's name is made up from the words Wache (mean: guard) and Röder, whereas the latter descends from the German word roden (mean: "to stub"), which in its original sense means "clearing trees".

Thus a "Wachenröder" is a person, who basically "eliminates guards", what paraphrases the several missions quite well.

Also worthy of mention is the usage of the Wiener Werkstätte logo that is printed on the game's cover, the CD-ROM, and used in the actual game itself.

See also

• Tactical role-playing game
• Steampunk

External links

• ShinForce Review of "Wachenröder" Review and Screenshots of Wachenröder
• "Wachenröder" on www.cenocide.de Review, Coverscans und Screenshots of Wachenröder
• "Wachenröder" On GameFAQs Reviews and FAQs on Wachenröder