~Dragon Lore (CD-ROM)

RPG by Mindscape


Reviewed by Lu Richardson


Wait till I get my breath back and I'll tell you all about it in a 
minute.  W-O-W!!!  Well, for a start, this game is so huge, it 
comes in two CDs, so that'll give you an idea.

When you come to install it, you are given three options in respect 
of the amount of Mbs you could plonk on your hard disk - the more, 
the faster the game; so be prepared to make room not only for the 
files, but for the saved games too.  Call it 35 Mb in round numbers.

Once it's up and running, you will be treated to one of the most 
spectacular intros you've ever seen.  It really is most a dazzling 
display of computer-generated graphics; so much so that I did 
something I seldom do - I watched it over again, AND with my mouth 
open...  And, unlike other games one could mention, this high 
standard is kept up throughout.

Granted that the intro tells you the background to the story; lord 
threatened, faithful servant takes his baby son away and hides with 
him in a farm.  But it's more than that:  it's a real treat just to 
watch such superlative graphics.  The animation was very slightly 
jerky, but that was due to my 386 DX 40 MHz with a very modest 4 Mb 
of memory.

Once the game begins, a strange effect takes place.  You know how 
you normally watch a film or a TV show and you unconsciously know 
you are looking at a screen?  Well, the 3-D effects are so good, you 
feel you are in there, inside the landscape.  It's weird!

Although the view is first person, you get little sequences in which 
you get to watch the main character moving about - but, whichever 
way you look at it, you won't find much fault with the graphics or 
animation.

The sound effects are also pretty wonderful, even annoying at times, 
specially when you can hear noises but haven't found their source, 
or can't guess what they represent.  They can also be 
unintentionally funny - when the character walks, you wonder why 
he's wearing clogs...

The interface is quite difficult to master, so it is a good idea to 
save the game straightaway and experiment with the cursor and the 
mouse buttons.  Read the manual carefully, because the choice of 
moves is not all that intuitive - I tried to put something in the 
inventory and threw it away instead!  Above all, don't try to juggle 
with the items in your inventory when there is anyone around.  You 
might hit them by mistake and the characters in this game are so 
touchy, they will take the huff and immediately cut you to ribbons.  

When it comes to the business of moving about, I found the change 
of perspective (say, when you turn left or right in tight corners) 
somewhat disorienting till I get used to it.

As to the use of the interface for combat, it is also a good idea to 
save just before a fight, because the nasties won't stand still 
while you give them a good beating - and moving and hitting at the 
same time is not on.  There are a variety of strokes, depending on 
where you put the cursor.  So, again, you have to experiment.

As regards the game itself, the story is that you are that baby you 
saw in the introduction, now grown up, and must take up your 
inheritance and avenge your father.  So, after doing a couple of 
farming tasks, you set out on your quest with a few useful items.  
As you advance, you meet Dragon Knights whose goodwill you must 
earn.  This usually entails solving a problem to their liking, but 
the real idea is to keep a balance between Force and Wisdom.  This 
means you should only kill when you can't help it, and mostly try to 
get around obstacles using your wits.

Gameplay is rather lineal and it's one of those jobbies in which you 
have to move the cursor all over the screen, everytime to take a 
step forward, in order to find out what there is in it to 
manipulate.  

Talking to other characters is a bit of a pain - you have to keep 
clicking on them to get all the info.  Sometimes you have to do it 
all over again several times, and it isn't till they start repeating 
themselves that you know you won't get anything else out of them.

Although there is a little talking here and there to find out what's 
going on, and also the odd fight, this game is mainly about solving 
puzzles and, boy, are they tough!  As the game advances it gets to 
be less of a RPG and more of a puzzle solving exercise, like Myst.  

If you want action you are in the wrong game; but if you enjoy a 
real challenge to your wits and ability, it's a real cracker.  It's 
one of those which keep you glued to your monitor for weeks on end.  
You won't be able to let it alone and will suffer horribly trying to 
find the answers to the problems, which are a nightmare.  Absolutely 
brilliant.

