CRPG Addict - Review Roundup (Part Eighteen)
This time in our recap of reviews we missed from CRPG Addict's adventures there are two big ones: a Goldbox game, Champions of Krynn, first part in the Dragonlance trilogy -- and Wizardry VI, first part in the, uh... Wizardry 6-8 trilogy. You can also find out how CRPG Addict tics by reading some interviews with him from 2013.
1990
Champions of Krynn (1990)
The game itself does a decent job integrating itself with the Dragonlance mythology, something that developer Victor Penman tells me was strictly regulated by TSR--they required SSI to "faithfully adhere to the Krynn mythos." In general, the game made me feel that I was the protagonist and the canonical Heroes of the Lance were the supporting characters, though it did skirt the edge sometimes. (..)
This provides a final rating of 56, which is 4 points less than Curse (and 8 points less than Pool), but still my seventh highest-rated game. I swear, if any Gold Box game would simply retain Pool of Radiance's extensive side quests and nonlinearity, and then fix the economy, it would rocket to the top.
- Game 112: Champions of Krynn (1990)
- No Time for Losers
- No Bed of Roses
- We'll Keep on Fighting 'Til the End
- Won!
- Final Rating
DarkSpyre (1990)
There are no opportunities for role-playing in the game, and no real "encounters." (..)
The final score of 30, quite low, reflects my opinion that the game really isn't a good CRPG. Since the puzzles are far more difficult than the foes that you defeat in combat, it's much more a puzzle game with an RPG façade. I liked the combat and skill development, and I think there's a place for a third-person perspective with a Dungeon Master approach to skills and combat, but this wasn't it.
- Game 115: DarkSpyre (1990)
- Mannaz Naudiz Sowilo
- Mazes and Dead-Ends
- White Hot Hatred
- Won! (With Final Rating)
Dragon Lord (1990)
Dragon Lord is an odd game, not quite an RPG, not quite a pure strategy game. It's basically a computerized board game. (..) The final score of 22 is very low. The game has great graphics and some interesting ideas, but I didn't enjoy it as an RPG, and I didn't enjoy it for whatever it was supposed to be.
Wizardry VI: Bane of the Cosmic Forge
The game offers a substantial selection of races and classes, including some original (if derivative) ones and the ability to change classes at will. With selection of spells and assigning of skill points, the game supports extensive choice during the process of leveling up, and leveling comes often enough that you feel substantially rewarded. (..)
The final score of 53 is much higher than I gave its predecessors, influenced by the much better approach to the story and NPCs, and the slightly better approach to magic and combat. (..)
- Game 120: Wizardry VI: Bane of the Cosmic Forge
- I Capture the Castle
- King of the Mountain
- Temple of Doom
- Cry Me a River
- Won!
- Final Rating
Legend of Faerghail (1990)
The game is an interesting misfire. It starts with an interface and quest reminiscent of The Bard's Tale but adds some innovative features. The quest is original and intriguing, and the combat system blends some neat characteristics of games like Wizardry and Phantasie, along with some fun animations. It has excellent graphics and sound. (..) Unfortunately, almost everything it innovated, it screwed up. (..)
I do have to subtract 2 points for the bugs. (..) It deserves a third lost point for poor translation in parts of the game that, among other things, make two riddles essentially unsolvable without spoilers. That gives a final score of 32.
- Game 122: Legend of Faerghail (1990)
- Hidden Valley
- At Least I Have the Maps
- Legend of Faerghail
- Encounters, Combats, and Stuff
- Riddle Me This
- Buggin' Out
- Final Rating
- 1990 Loose End #1: Legend of Faerghail
Early Years
Empire I: World Builders (1981)
Empire is a uniquely weird game. Its weirdness begins with its manual, full of a propagandist history of the empire that offers an alternate take on human history, and continues with its interface, mechanics, and overall gameplay goals. (..)
The final score of 22 isn't bad for a 1981 game, and if I had a lot more time or the game had a main quest, I'd love to play it longer and see what other gameplay elements it revealed.
SwordThrust (1981)
SwordThrust is a commercial version of Eamon: an all-text RPG that combines some of the puzzle-solving and item-finding of text adventures with RPG combat, attributes, and economy. (..)
This gives a final score of 35, quite good for a 1981 game series. I hope a few of you are inspired to check out some of the scenarios, read my walkthrough, and give it a try. See if you can do what I didn't, and complete the final scenario!
Dragon Stomper (1982)
Like a lot of early CRPGs, both console and computer, Dragon Stomper suffers from too little strategy and too much dependence on luck, especially in the "wilderness" section. (..) The final score is 16 [Edit: 17 with my addition of 1 for NPCs]. The lowest rating I gave to a computer RPG in 1982 was 21 for Ultima II, and I really didn't like Ultima II.
Oubliette (1977)
Unlike the 1983 version, the original Oubliette is a multiplayer game--a shared environment, including a castle (Ligne Castle) and dungeon, in which multiple users can meet in a tavern and form parties for dungeon exploration. (A single character can adventure by himself, but it's deadly.) The amount of detail in the game is astonishing for the era in which it was created. (..)
This gives a final score of 31 for the PLATO and DOS versions (though different combinations) and 33 for the iPhone version [later edit: the iOS version might go up to 36 if there are quests]. This is the highest of any PLATO game so far, and the highest of any game at all prior to 1981, when its child, Wizardry, would trump it with slightly better encounters, NPCs, combat, and of course a main quest.
Moria (1975)
In contrast to the other games being developed concurrently in 1975, which were both top-down, iconographic affairs that would inspire the DND/Telengard line, Moria is a first-person game in which the players navigate a series of wireframe mazes (shown in a tiny window) to slay enemies and collect treasure. (..)
I'm going to add 2 points for the cooperative multiplayer options and the game's other innovations, such as the "string," for a final score of 26. (As it happens, I gave Telengard a 28, so I was pretty close.) It's an excellent score for such an early game.
Miscellaneous
Interviews in European Publications
6. What are your thoughts on why you are drawn to CRPGs in particular, and not some other genre?
I think they manage to achieve just the right balance. They have a lot of logistics, but not to the mind-boggling level of simulation games. They feature tactical combat, but not to the overwhelming level of strategy games. They tell a story, but without the completely deterministic world of adventure games. They’re exciting, but without all the frenetic clicking of action games. I love the sense of progress and development in great RPGs, where every hour brings a new level, a new piece of equipment, more money, an upgraded ability, or a quest reward. There’s always something to give you a shot in the arm and keep you playing.
A New Plan
From now on, my "play list" consists of all single-player RPGs released in a Latin-alphabet language for any personal computing platform.
Remaining off the play list are a) games released only for consoles or handheld devices; b) multiplayer games; or c) games released only in languages that do not use a Latin alphabet. Most of the games excluded in the latter category will be Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. It's regrettable, but while I'm willing to make some effort to translate foreign games, I have to be able to type the characters into the translator.
Explanation of the the final score: The GIMLET.