IFReviewed by
Tom Zuchowski on 2006-05-14 10:26
MAIN PGM Version: 4
Extra Commands: USE, OPEN, DRINK, QUIT
Deleted Commands: None
Special Features: unusual save
Playing Time: 1-2 hours
Reviewer Rating: 6.0
Description: You read a news item: “Archeologist needs great person to retrieve artifacts from the famous Eamon Sphinx. Will pay handsomely, plus other benefits.
“Intrigued, you found an elderly scientist specializing in ancient history. He explained to you the nature of the quest. The Eamon Sphinx, it seems, had been created by a wizard in ancient times. He made it for a museum of all the strange and rare beasts of the time. This wizard was defeated by stronger, evil wizard who had died a few hundred years before. Rumors claim that an acolyte remains. The major obstacle, however, is the variety of strange and magical monsters that abound. The most valuable artifact is the necklace that is rumored to be worn by the Sphinx himself. It is a pure mithril. Many have tried this task, but none have returned with anything of value. Many have not re-turned at all.
“After telling him you were willing, he wished you luck and told you where the Sphinx was. He also mentioned that there was only one known exit, although more were suspected.”
Comment: this Eamon adventure is pretty much a straight “hack’n’slash” romp. It is well written and well crafted, and I thoroughly enjoyed my outing. The monsters were not overly difficult, and I didn't use my heal spell at all. There were a couple of puzzles related to the new commands, but they were straightforward and I did not have to think hard to solve them. The map is rather large, with 91 rooms, so the biggest portion of the Eamon play is simply mapping your route.
Several of the monsters are interesting specials in their own right, sometimes coming alive as the result of your actions. There were a few secret passages, but all nor-mal room connections were properly described in the descriptions. I remember seeing one death trap. On the whole I think this Eamon rates a (4) for difficulty.
This Eamon is far older than the standard version 6 SAVE command, and in its place it has the QUIT command. This command exits the adventure in much the same way that the SAVE command does, with one exception. When you restart the game, you have to give your adventurer's name in order to resume the save game. This feature works well and is a worthy substitute for the standard SAVE command.
If you enjoy mapping an Eamon adventure as I do, I think you'll find this a worthwhile play.
Used with Matthew Clark's kind permition.
Original review available at Eamon Adventurer's Guild Online website.
