SSI cut its teeth on this great RPG game and its predecessor Wizard’s Crown. While its graphics were cutting edge for the time, they seam outdate today. Still the game has very good playability and balance and is well done like all SSI games.
The game is simple quest game using eight characters. These characters are based on character class that you choose. The classes of thief, fighter, magic user, cleric, and ranger can be combined to create multifaceted characters. You then go out and beat up the bad guys, earning experience and collect treasure, magic weapons and armor.
SSI cut its teeth on this great RPG game and its predecessor Wizard’s Crown. While its graphics were cutting edge for the time, they seam outdate today. Still the game has very good playability and balance and is well done like all SSI games.
The game is simple quest game using eight characters. These characters are based on character class that you choose. The classes of thief, fighter, magic user, cleric, and ranger can be combined to create multifaceted characters. You then go out and beat up the bad guys, earning experience and collect treasure, magic weapons and armor. You can use the experience points to improve your characters abilities and base characteristics. The challenge grows as your character grows. The game is solved by moving
through a series of missions, until you come to the grand finally. This style of character generation and mission based play has been seen through the evolution of RPG games style from Early Dungeon and Dragons to today’s Diablo.
The interface is driven by keyboard, so no joystick or mouse can be used for input. However, the keys are well placed and the game is faster to play without these user inputs.
The adventure screen (basic movement over the countryside) is very simple with forests, plains, hills, and cities to roam around in. These different areas offer different monster types. Matching character type to monsters type aids in victory, and victory rewards vary with type. For example, undead are hard for early characters to kill but are worth lots of experience and low level magic items to a group that can defeat them. Movement is done by the number pad with eight directions of travel possible.
Combat screens are also based on eight direction “chess” board movement. Characters can attack, guard (attack first enemies that approach them), move, cast spells (if allowed by character type), pray (again based on character type), perform first aid, range attack, or move. These simple commands allow pretty interesting battles with simple tactics a must. But better than the combat system is the quick combat. Instead of spending 10 minutes to defeat the bad guys, combat is settled in seconds with computer being pretty balanced results. No free lunch, but a bunch of rabbits, don’t kill all your characters (unless they are killer rabbits).
The camp/successful combat screens are similar and simple, allowing healing of characters, collection of treasure, resting, and movement of items around the party.
All in all, a great game if you are willing to accept the older graphics. The game play doesn’t vary a lot, but enough to keep you interested to play the whole thing through. Enjoy!
