Legend of Lothian - SynTax PD 399
                      (RPG for Amiga)

                  Reviewed by Bill Commons

This game requires a system disc to run and I have not yet figured
out how this can be done easily. It is supposed to be added to my
Workbench disc but I am always told that my Workbench disc is
full. My solution is to use a disc from one of the magazines with
all of the programs deleted. These have a shortened version of
Workbench on them. I also have to change the colours as they have
a different scheme to the main Workbench disc.

When I first managed to load this program I had a feeling of going
back in time to my old computers with a small memory. The graphics
are very basic with a pin man representing me and the location
pictures are very plain. I thought that I would give up in no
time. After a while though it becomes really addictive and I found
I kept going back for one more try. At first the balance is very
much in favour of the monsters and I had to reload many times.
The storyline goes that I am a poor shepherd and I have been
chosen through a dream vision to save my king. He has had a spell
cast on him by a wicked wizard to go to sleep. Sleeping Beauty in
reverse!

You have to kill monsters in order to get money to buy weapons,
armour and food/sleep. The program has some bugs in it, in that
several inns accept money for a room but the door to the bedrooms
will not open to allow you to sleep, essential for recovery from
damage. The tasks that you have to do to complete the adventure
are told to you by the people in the many towns on the main island
and there are several small islands dotted around that must be
visited to get information and other things that are needed to
complete the adventure.

There is a limit to the amount of money and food that one can have
and when I reached the top limit it was a nuisance to have to keep
fighting the many monsters, as many as 30 every other step, in
spite of the fact that with the best weapons I was almost
invincible.

I soon discarded the mouse and used the keyboard to play the game
as I found it was much easier. Also I had acquired a boat to
explore the islands but I kept forgetting where I had left it!

I enjoyed playing this adventure, playing it non stop for five
evenings, well into the early hours of the morning.