Lords of Chaos - Blade Software RRP œ34.99
             (RPG/strategy game for ST, PC and Amiga)

                   REVIEW BY JAMES JILLIANS

The wizards have really done it this time!  Instead of living in
peace and harmony they had to have more power. A titanic battle of
magic was fought by them, with each wizard trying to establish
himself as the ultimate ruler: the Lord of Chaos. The magnitude of
the fight escalated and soon the force of the magic being cast
tore the wizards' world apart.  The land was sundered into
different sections and each section floated off into the void
called Limbo. The wizards lived on however, and gradually they
re-established themselves on the new separate mini-worlds.
Despite the destruction of their land the battle for power went
on...

In the game you play the part of one of these wizards and you must
travel through three different worlds, destroying the wizards who
live there and then escaping into Limbo. Being a powerful sorcerer
you obviously have many different spells at your disposal. Many of
these spells summon a creature of some sort which you can control
throughout the game.  There is also the usual array of potions,
magical lightning bolts and other odds and ends which you could
expect from any respectable sorcerer.

The game is played out in turns.  You have a turn, which is
followed by your opponent's turn.  Then the independent creatures
move - they will attack anyone. Your minions have a certain number
of 'Action Points' which they can spend on many different things
such as walking, flying, picking things up, throwing things,
fighting, drinking potions and opening doors.

You view the game landscape from above. There are are many types
of scenery you can admire.  There are also lots of potion
ingredients and weapons dotted around which can be picked up and
used by your minions.  You cannot see a part of the map that you
have not visited so there is plenty of exploring to do.  The
treasures that score you points are well hidden and guarded by
many monsters and traps.

Lords of Chaos can be played by up to four people at once.  If you
play it with some friends the game becomes a strategic test of
skill between you, the object being to completely destroy each
other's minions.  When playing solo the game becomes more like an
RPG.  You can design a wizard by giving him different spells and
changing his skill profile.  You can then increase his power over
the different levels, carrying him from one scenario to the next.
It is a good idea to get as many points as possible on each level
as they determine how much experience your wizard gains. The third
level is solo-play only and is a classic dungeon with traps to
avoid and puzzles to solve.

The computer opponents are quite clever and have many spells of
their own.  If you are playing by yourself you fight a new
computer-controlled opponent in each of the three scenarios. There
are many independent creatures that are also controlled by the
computer.  They do not care who they attack - they even attack the
computer wizard!  It would have been better if the computer-
controlled characters had different spells each time you played.
Every time you play a level you find yourself up against the same
creatures.

Lords of Chaos's graphics are clear and well drawn.  The sound
leaves a lot to be desired - it is limited to a few door opening
noises and an unrealistic hit-the-enemy sound.  This does not
spoil your enjoyment of the game though - you don't buy a strategy
game for the sound anyway!

I do not think you will ever get bored with Lords of Chaos.  The
are thousands of strategies you can try out. The variety of spells
alone adds a lot of interest to the game - there are 27 creatures
you can summon and another 20 other spells you can use besides.
There is always something new to discover each time you play the
game - a lot of attention to detail and thought has gone into it.
With the extension kit, which costs an extra few pounds, there is
a total of five levels.

There are a few problems.  Sometimes slight defects occur within
the game - bits of scenery appear where they shouldn't and once
the game crashed out for me.  This does not spoil an otherwise
perfect game.  These problems may have been sorted out on later
versions anyway.

All in all the game is definitely worth buying.  The multi-player
option is fun - you can have a great time playing it with some
friends.  The solo game will be enjoyed by many adventure
enthusiasts.  After a year and a half I still play the game and,
yes, I like it even more than the famous Dungeon Master! With the
extension kit the fun should never cease!