Wales-based PC adventure developer Arberth Studios is preparing for the imminent release of its game ‘Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches’ in the German language into Germany, Austria and Switzerland, where it will be called ‘Rhiannon: Fluch der Vier Zweige’. The game is currently undergoing approval at the German Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK), which recommends the minimum age of players.Arberth’s Noel Bruton explains, “the German release of Rhiannon was originally to take place around February 2009, but all that came to a halt when the then publisher, Lighthouse Interactive, suffered its financial difficulties. We’ve now found new routes to market and are pursuing them keenly.”
Legend-based and puzzle-filled adventure for the PC promises bone-chilling ghost stories and spine-tingling mysteries before Halloween
The lack of a German version did not prevent bilingual German speakers from playing it. A number of the German adventure forums contain posts from appreciative players of the English version – one even has a German language walkthrough of the English game.
Bruton continues, “Last week we informally mentioned on a few of the German adventure forums that we were thinking of releasing the German version. We were struck by how positive the reaction was, and this has urged us to pursue a proper launch. No release date has been finalised yet, as there are considerations such as the USK testing and the availability of pressing plant capacity to sort out. But it will almost certainly be this side of Halloween.”
Bruton admits a very personal interest in seeing Arberth products on sale in Germany. “I had a great time as a student of German, living near Stuttgart years ago. I’m enjoying brushing up on the language. But I didn’t translate the game – the localisation was done by German professionals.”