Legend - Mindscape RRP œ30.99-œ34.99
               (RPG for ST, PC and Amiga)

A thousand years ago, when magic was wild and new, there was the
time of the great Legend ...  An evil being as old as the World
was stirring in its sleep, dreaming dreams of terror and darkness
Those dreams were so powerful that they made waves on the shores
of our reality.  Those touched by the thoughts of the dark one
became as one with it and rose up in the raiment of Chaos!  And
they made war upon the land of Trazere, slaying and despoiling
all in their path.  There was no hope, until the day the Gods sent
us the four adventurers.  This is their story, this is the Legend.

This is the beginning of the follow-up to Bloodwych, Legend.
Though produced by the same team, it looks very different from its
predecessor, using mostly 3D isometric graphic displays of
dungeons, interspersed with a map of the land of Trazere which you
will cross many times during your adventures, travelling from one
place to another.

Your team consists of four characters who each have different
professions and abilities. First comes a berserker, a skilled
fighter who is able to do extra damage when he goes into berserker
mode. Next comes a runemaster, the magic user, who can mix and
cast spells using various combinations of runes and ingredients.
Third is a troubadour with a wide repertoire of songs which each
has a different effect on the group. Last but but not least is the
assassin, who has the ability to hide in the shadows, sneak up
behind an enemy, and perform a vicious stab in the back. The
characters can be customized in several ways, subtly altering
their abilities and even changing the colour of their clothes,
changing their sex and then naming them, giving you the chance to
truly feel that this is YOUR team of adventurers.

You start near the dungeons of Treihadwyl and your first task is
to enter them and make your way through, fighting monsters all the
way, to collect a permit which will allow you to see the King.
Treihadwyl is on two levels connected by a staircase. The graphics
are well-drawn and the characters move smoothly through them. The
animation is certainly a lot better than it was in Bloodwych.
Many of the rooms and corridors contain objects like tables,
racks, clocks and so forth. These must be examined for useful
items. In this way you'll amass a fair collection of potions of
various types and strengths, wands, scrolls, weapons, clothing,
armour and all-important keys. For every so often you'll try to
pass through a doorway, only to be told that the door is locked.
Generously you're told what key you need for it (ruby, silver
emerald etc) - all you have to do is find it ... keys are always
guarded by groups of monsters.  Some rooms are specific puzzle
rooms where you'll need to press buttons, push levers and cast
spells in order to progress further. Some are easy to work out,
others are decidedly sneaky!

The game is mouse-controlled and icon-driven though keyboard
control can used instead if you prefer. Using the mouse you
click on one of the four characters to make him/her the leader.
You can also access the characters' special skills eg when
entering a battle, it is essential to put the barbarian into
bezerker mode to get maximum damage, get the troubadour to play a
suitable tune, make the assassin hide in shadow and sneak round

behind a monster and make your runemaster fire off his spells.
These he will have prepared earlier using special spell creation
screens where you select and mix the necessary ingredients. If you
run out of any ingredients, you'll have to find or buy more.
Luckily there are several places where you can go shopping for
reagents and also armour, artefacts and weapons etc.  Characters
can be resurrected in Temples, special rooms in the dungeons or by
using magic - if you've got the correct runes and ingredients or
have found a suitable scroll.

Meanwhile the forces of evil are threatening to overrun the land.
It will be necessary, as the game progresses, to make cash
donations to various outposts to ensure enough soldiers are
recruited to man them.

Well, this has only skimmed the surface of Legend. When I first
loaded the game, I liked the look of it but wasn't overly
impressed. Then I started playing and soon found that it's very
much one of those 'just one more room' games. I found myself
loading up the game for a quick play and next time I looked, a
couple of hours had passed.

The box contains a quick reference guide as well as a detailed
manual and though the game may look complicated, it is in fact
very easy to get into, even the magic system which, at first, I
thought I'd never get the hang of. There's an on-screen map so
unless you want to make notes of where you found certain keys,
which rooms are puzzle rooms, which doors are locked etc, there's
no need to draw your own.

The game is BIG - in several weeks I've only got into the second
dungeon and I know I have a long way to go before finishing the
game. The ratio of ordinary rooms compared with puzzle rooms is
nicely balanced and the initial difficulty level not too hard, so
you have a chance to get used to the system without being killed
off all the time. All in all, an excellent game and one that will
give you weeks (if not longer) of enjoyment.
                                                 Sue