View source for Inherit the Earth

{{Short description|1994 video game}}
{{About|the computer game|the source of the phrase "the meek shall inherit the earth"|Matthew 5:5}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Original research|date=August 2014}}
{{Primary sources|date=July 2018}}}}
{{Infobox video game
|title = Inherit the Earth: Quest for the Orb
|image = Inherit the Earth - Quest for the Orb Coverart.png
|developer = [[The Dreamers Guild]]
|publisher = {{vgrelease|NA|[[New World Computing]]|EU|[[U.S. Gold]]|GER|Softgold|JP|StarCraft, Inc.|WW|The Wyrmkeep Entertainment <small>(Win/OSX/Lin)</small>}}
|director = [[David Joiner]]
|producer = Walter Hochbrueckner
|designer = Carolly Hauksdottir <br /> Robert McNally <br /> David Joiner
|writer = Robert Leh
|composer = Matt Nathan
|engine = 
|released = 1994
|genre = [[Adventure game|Adventure]]
|modes = [[Single-player]]
|platforms = [[DOS]], [[Amiga]], [[Amiga CD32]], [[PC-98]], [[Mac OS]], [[OS X]], [[Linux]], [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[Pocket PC]], [[iOS]]
}}
'''''Inherit the Earth: Quest for the Orb''''' is an [[adventure game]] developed by [[The Dreamers Guild]] and published by [[New World Computing]] in 1994.

The [[point-and-click adventure|point and click]] [[adventure game]] features a world of talking [[Anthropomorphism|humanoid animals]], with the gameplay focusing on a fox on a quest to find a stolen orb, a relic of the mythical humans.

==History==
===Development ===
''Inherit the Earth'' was developed by [[The Dreamers Guild]] for the [[DOS]] platform and published by [[New World Computing]]. The game was originally released in 1994 and later ported to the [[Apple Macintosh|Macintosh]]. The German version ''Erben der Erde: Die große Suche'' was published by Softgold and first released as a port to the [[Amiga]], followed by the DOS version.

In 1996 the German [[computer magazine]] with CD "Bestseller Games #10" brought 300,000 units of ITE on the German market as budget release.<ref>[http://www.kultboy.com/magazin/2526/ Bestsellergames #10] on kultboy.com</ref>

=== Re-release  ===
In 2000 the former Dreamers Guild co-founder Joe Pearce started a new company, Wyrmkeep Entertainment.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.adventuregamers.com/articles/view/17628 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126112229/http://www.adventuregamers.com/articles/view/17628 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=January 26, 2013 |title=Joe Pearce Interview |last=Dickens |first=Evan |date=October 1, 2003 |website=[[Adventure Gamers]] |access-date=September 7, 2019}}</ref> In 2002 Pearce acquired the rights for the game, and self-published ''Inherit the Earth'' on his website for Windows and [[macOS]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://applelinks.com/index.php/weblog/more/inherit_the_earth/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080606190437/http://applelinks.com/index.php/weblog/more/inherit_the_earth/ |title=Inherit the Earth |last=Marceau |first=Erica |date=September 2, 2004 |archivedate=June 6, 2008}}</ref> The full version was offered for $20 via [[PayPal]] and Kagi.com, while a free [[Game demo|demo]] was downloadable.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wyrmkeep.com/ite/purchase.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20030811224730/http://www.wyrmkeep.com/ite/purchase.html|title=Purchase Inherit the Earth |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2002 |archivedate=August 11, 2003 |access-date=July 17, 2018}}</ref>

In late 2004 Pearce provided the [[ScummVM]] developers with the [[source code]] of Inherit the Earth's SAGA [[game engine|engine]] (Scripts for Animated Graphic Adventures),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2012/01/maniac-tentacle-mindbenders-of-atlantis-how-scummvm-kept-adventure-gaming-alive/2/ |title=Maniac Tentacle Mindbenders: How ScummVM's unpaid coders kept adventure gaming alive |last=Moss |first=Richard |date=January 16, 2012 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |access-date=September 7, 2019}}</ref> which made [[Source port|ports]] to alternative platforms, like [[Linux]], possible. In March 2007, a [[Pocket PC]] edition was released, followed by a port to the [[iPad]] in 2010.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100403053436/http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/inherit-the-earth/id325440598?mt=8 Inherit the Earth] by iPhSoft on [[iTunes]]</ref>

The game has also been [[Digital distribution|released digitally]] on [[GOG.com]] and [[Steam (service)|Steam]] in June 2013.<ref>[https://www.gog.com/news/release_inherit_the_earth Release: Inherit the Earth] on [[GOG.com]]</ref>

=== Sequels ===
According to one of the original artists and animators, Lisa Jennings, the game ends on a "To be continued" note, as it was originally intended to be part of a trilogy, which did not happen due to conflicts between the developer and publisher.<ref name="jennings"/>

In January 2013 a [[Kickstarter]] [[crowdfunding]] campaign for the development of a sequel was initiated by Wyrmkeep Entertainment, but the funding goal was not met.<ref>[http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1867564967/inherit-the-earth-2 Inherit the Earth 2] by Wyrmkeep Entertainment on [[Kickstarter.com]] (January 2013)</ref><ref>[http://www.flayrah.com/4570/inherit-earth-2-kickstarter-cancelled-after-poor-reception 'Inherit the Earth 2' Kickstarter cancelled after poor reception] on flayrah.com (29 Jan 2013)</ref> A second campaign was started in July 2014 with a higher goal to account for adding voice acting to the project.<ref>[https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1867564967/inherit-the-earth-sand-and-shadows inherit-the-earth-sand-and-shadows] on kickstarter.com</ref><ref>[https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1867564967/inherit-the-earth-sand-and-shadows/comments?cursor=7311235#comment-7311234 inherit-the-earth-sand-and-shadows comments] on kickstarter.com</ref> This campaign was also unsuccessful. In March 2015, a [[Patreon]] funding drive was launched, with the aim to help finish funding the sequel's first of three chapters.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Patreon]] Page |url=https://www.patreon.com/wyrmkeep |title=Wyrmkeep Entertainment is creating Inherit the earth: sand and shadows}}</ref> This Patreon was intended to lead into another Kickstarter drive, with the base goal undetermined, but stated to be under $30,000.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://inherittheearth2.com/|title=Inherit the Earth: Sand and Shadows|website=Inherittheearth2.com|access-date=23 June 2022}}</ref>

==Plot==
In a far future, mankind is extinct and Earth is populated by several tribes of [[anthropomorphic]] animals – collectively referred to as the Morph – who have achieved a level of technology and societal sophistication roughly equivalent to Europe in the [[High Middle Ages]]. The humans are enshrined in legends as having been the ones who gave the Morph prehensile hands, mouths capable of speech, and the ability to think and feel, but the Morph have little understanding of their long-lost forebears, who exist now only in stories, ruins and a few technological relics.

The game begins with the protagonist, Rif of the Fox Tribe, being falsely accused of having stolen the ''Orb of Storms'' (a technological relic of humankind which is able to predict the weather), primarily based on the fact that he was one of only two [[fox]]es in the area at the time of the theft. Rif volunteers to look for the Orb himself, and is given assistance and guards in the form of Eeah of the [[Elk]] Guard and Okk of the [[Wild boar|Boar]] Tribe. The Boar King takes Rif's girlfriend Rhene hostage as insurance.

The trio travel throughout the Known Lands over the course of their investigation. Along the way, they encounter the various Tribes under the protection of the Forest King (the Elk Tribe ruler who exerts hegemonic control over the whole region), some of which have other Orbs containing other knowledge left behind by the humans. With the assistance of Sist, the leader of the [[Rat]]s, they eventually discover that the Orb of Storms was stolen by a [[Raccoon]], an animal rarely seen in the Known Lands. Sist also reveals that the Boar King has formed an alliance with the [[Wolf|Wolves]] who live far to the north.

Riff, Okk, and Eeah attempt to pass into the Wild Lands, the untamed regions to the north, but are apprehended by Prince, the ruler of the castle in which the [[Dog]]s have sequestered themselves. Rif escapes, and eventually secures the help of Alama, a [[Cat]] hermit, and a tribe of wildcats to free his friends.

The trio then travel further north, to the isolated island claimed by the Wolves, where they learn that the Raccoon, Chota, has manipulated the Wolves' politics and stolen the Orb to take over the Known Lands, as the Orb of Storms is the key to a system left behind by the humans to control the weather. In Chota's fortress, a human hydroelectric dam, Rif, Okk and Eeah outwit their enemies, and Chota and the Orb are presumed lost. They return to the Known Lands, where Rif convinces the Tribes to work together, so that they will no longer need the Orbs to make their lives better. The Forest King takes his advice, promotes Okk and Eeah, and releases Rhene.

However, the Orb of Storms was not destroyed, and is preparing to initiate Chota's final command to begin a long drought, awaiting input on the ending date of the drought.

==Game theme==
A background theme of the game is the fate of the humans. According to the game's introduction and manual, the humans created the Morph from their constituent animals, and then mysteriously disappeared sometime later, with nearly all information about human civilization and technology lost or passed into legend. The Rats, the most educated tribe, are the only ones who believe in the humans' existence, due to their exploration of human ruins.

Most of the human relics are in the third area of the game. On the North Island, the player explores ancient human ruins of hydroelectric dams, airports, and solar observatories, with clues indicating that the humans were struck by a sudden disaster.

David Joiner, one of the game's developers, said in an interview that humanity was eradicated by an airborne biological weapon, a scenario inspired by the [[Alistair MacLean]] novel ''[[The Satan Bug (novel)|The Satan Bug]]''. This is alluded to in the game's opening sequence, which shows a tapestry depicting humans fleeing from a giant [[microbe]].<ref name="Opening">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6eVZJdxCOM Video of the Inherit the Orb opening] on [[YouTube]]</ref> The developers also explored the idea of humans living in a [[lunar base]], alluded to in-game.

==Webcomic ==
The story of the video game is continued in the official [[webcomic]], ''Inherit the Earth'', which takes place ten months after the events of the game. The webcomic is drawn by Allison Hershey, the game's original art designer, and co-written by Joe Pearce, the owner of Wyrmkeep Entertainment.<ref>[http://inherittheearth.net/faq.html Official FAQ] on inherittheearth.net</ref>

==Reception==
''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' in August 1994 rated ''Inherit the Earth'' 2.5 stars out of five. While praising the graphics' "storybook charm" the reviewer stated that the game had too many mazes and [[Quest (gaming)|fetch quest]]s "tacked in order to extend its limited game play". He reported an "abrupt", incomplete ending and concluded that the game's "puzzles were given the least amount of attention".<ref name="greenberg199408">{{Cite magazine|last=Greenberg|first=Allen L.|author=|last2=|first2=
|date=August 1994|title=Aesop's Quest|department=|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1994&pub=2&id=121|magazine=Computer Gaming World|pages=42, 44|type=}}</ref> The game was reviewed in 1994 in ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #209 by [[Sandy Petersen]] in the "Eye of the Monitor" column. Petersen gave the game 2 out of 5 stars.<ref name="Dragon209">{{cite journal|title=Eye of the Monitor |author=Petersen, Sandy |author-link=Sandy Petersen |journal=Dragon |issue=209|date=September 1994|pages=61–62}}</ref> Amiga Games issue 9/95 gave 92% and [[Aktueller Software Markt|ASM]] issue 10/94 gave 10/12 points.<ref>[http://www.kultboy.com/testbericht-uebersicht/14/ ''Testbericht''] on kultboy.com (in German)</ref>

James V. Trunzo reviewed ''Inherit the Earth'' in ''[[White Wolf (magazine)|White Wolf]]'' #48 (Oct., 1994), rating it a 4 out of 5 and stated that "Whether you like ''Inherit the Earth'' is definitely a matter of taste. One look at the game box should tell whether it's for you or not. What you see on the front and what you read on the back is exactly what you get."<ref name="WW48">{{Cite magazine |last=Trunzo |first=James V. |date=October 1994|title=The Silicon Dungeon |magazine= [[White Wolf Magazine]] |number=48 |page=50-51 |url=https://imgur.com/a/GBjhOgR}}</ref>

According to Joe Pearce of The Dreamers Guild, ''Inherit the Earth'' was a commercial flop,<ref name=acgint>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105140436/http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com/index.php/site/interviews/463/ | url=http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com/index.php/site/interviews/463/ | title=Joe Pearce - Wyrmkeep Entertainment - Interview | author=Jong, Philip | date=November 24, 2009 | work=Adventure Classic Gaming | archivedate=January 5, 2019 | url-status=live}}</ref> but the game has some loyal following in the [[furry fandom]].<ref name="jennings"/>

According to Lisa Jennings, concept artist and animator for the game, the game struggled from combining a serious and detailed plot with anthropomorphic animals, a theme usually associated with children's entertainment:

{{blockquote|Our biggest conflict was simple: the developers wanted something that was rather adult in nature. The publishers saw animals and equated it with children, and so forced us at every turn to cater to the 8-12 range, up to and including removing any death scenes to keep a Children's Rating.|Lisa Jennings|in an Interview with furryvideogames.org<ref name="jennings">[https://web.archive.org/web/20010228042347/http://www.furryvideogames.org/int_lj.html Interview with Lisa Jennings] on furryvideogames.org</ref>}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://wyrmkeep.com/ite/ Official website] at Wyrmkeep Entertainment
* [http://inherittheearth2.com/ Official webpage of the sequel ''Inherit the Earth: Sand and Shadows'']
* {{MobyGames|id=/inherit-the-earth-quest-for-the-orb}}
* [http://inherittheearth.net/ ''Inherit the Earth''] webcomic
* {{MusicBrainz release group|id=b203e486-bf48-369a-953b-0ebaa2bb8393|name=Inherit the Earth: Quest for the Orb Soundtrack}}

{{The Dreamers Guild}}
{{New World Computing}}
{{Furry fandom}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Inherit The Earth: Quest For The Orb}}
[[Category:1994 video games]]
[[Category:2005 webcomic debuts]]
[[Category:Adventure games]]
[[Category:Amiga CD32 games]]
[[Category:Amiga games]]
[[Category:Classic Mac OS games]]
[[Category:Commercial video games with freely available source code]]
[[Category:The Dreamers Guild games]]
[[Category:Linux games]]
[[Category:MacOS games]]
[[Category:NEC PC-9801 games]]
[[Category:New World Computing games]]
[[Category:Point-and-click adventure games]]
[[Category:Post-apocalyptic video games]]
[[Category:ScummVM-supported games]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]
[[Category:U.S. Gold games]]
[[Category:Video games about foxes]]
[[Category:Video games developed in the United States]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Windows Mobile Professional games]]