IFReviewed by
Tom Zuchowski on 2006-05-14 09:57
MAIN PGM Version: 7
Extra Commands: TALK, USE
Deleted Commands: None
Special Features: None
Playing Time: 30-60 min.
Reviewer Rating: 6.5
Description: "Traveling near the Shadow Wall (from 'Demongate') one day, you notice the trail of three humans heading into the wall. You decide to follow and see what they are doing here. After a short distance some Orc tracks appear. They seem to be following the humans. This could be trouble. You had better help."
Once you catch up with them, you discover that they are on a quest to save the world from an evil wizard. They mean to slay him and recover the magical artifacts that he has stolen.
Comment: The first paragraph of the above description is the entire introduction. You only find out what your quest is once you join up with the three humans. This is done by using the TALK command to converse with your new-found companions. This is nicely done, but the TALK command only works within a limited window--be sure to TALK with them as soon as you can, before going anywhere.
Hoyle has come up with some interesting special effects that are triggered by the USE command. There are two artifacts that you can USE that will greatly aid you in certain battles, and one artifact that you can USE to completely avoid combat with certain foes. Be sure to explore this command and don't dismiss an artifact just because it doesn't do anything in an empty room. The effects are pretty neat ideas and I enjoyed them.
This adventure was certainly enjoyable and is well-crafted. I was mildly disappointed that the quest wasn't more clearly spelled out. Indeed it is quite possible to play it through without ever learning what you are supposed to do or knowing if you did it correctly. This is good news/bad news; it requires some thinking to successfully complete, but at the same time it's a decent 'Hack'n'Slash' foray if you miss any or all of the quest elements.
I give it a (4) for difficulty in its role as a 'Hack'n'Slash' adventure. The quest and special effects add a lot to the play and raise the difficulty only if you desire to solve them. One hint: both cornerstones are important.
Used with Matthew Clark's kind permition.
Original review available at Eamon Adventurer's Guild Online website.
