Fatherdale: Guardians of Asgard

Fatherdale: Guardians of Asgard is a cancelled Xbox and PC game by Snowball Interactive. It was to be a Diablo-esque action game with Norse mythology.

Plot
In the year 1072 AD, the valley of Fatherdale is the battlefield of the Gods. You would play as an immortal warlord, knwon as a Hero; a race created by the Gods Your quest is to prevent the final battle of the Gods: Battlefield of Fate aka Ragnarök.

Gameplay
The combat mechanics would be equivalent to fencing; a wrong move can be fatal. You can assign points to Intelligence, Dexterity, Strength, Endurance, Constitution, and Bravery. Developing a character is more about matching right items to the right people.

It's not all hack 'n' slash: the game would of had a big emphasis on stealth. Sneak in the shadows and do reconnaissance on enemy camps and scouts. There was also an RTS element: controlling multiple units in six different formations.

Much like Diablo II, there was tons of weapons and items. Changing gear would affect your outer appearance. And no game is complete without a crafting system.

The game would have had over 150 characters, all with personality, hopes, goals, and dreams. Your actions would have earned you reputation, both good and bad. Characters would react differently to you based on your reputation.

There was no straight progression; you're free to travel around the valley as you see fit. All other characters can travel too, especially the evil kind (hence random Random Encounters). There was also to be time, with the sun rising and falling, and this would affect characters.

Development
The game began development in 1997 as Warlock Vseslav: Sword of Fire. The plot was about ancient artefacts left by the Titans that grant the wielders immortality. By 2000 or 2001 the game and its plot had shifted to Fatherdale.

In April 2003 Snowball Interactive announced they were working on Vseslav: Druzhina. It was to be a kid's friendly game for 3-12 year olds in mind. This was to be released in the USA and Europe as Discover Land of Slavs and Vikings.

It was rather much like the same game but more educational. Instead of killing everything, you learn. Your kids can learn about Pagans and Christians and Norseman.

Cancellation
In the end both games got cancelled. Perhaps they were released but only obscure Russian sites covered them.

Timeline:
 * 1997: game development begins as Warlock Vseslav: Sword of Fire
 * 2001: game officially announced as Fatherdale: Guardians of Asgard
 * 2003: the kid-friendly version Vseslav: Druzhina is announced
 * 2004: both games are cancelled (probably)

Videos
Trailer

Gameplay.