Darkness Calls - on PD 513
         (3D Construction Kit Game for Amiga only)

                   Reviewed by Steve Clay

Darkness Calls is a game produced with the 3D Construction Kit and
is the first I have played on the Amiga. I remember in the days of
the Spectrum, when the Freescape system was introduced, all the
fuss, nay hype, from the glossy magazines. Even then, although
some of the games were well made, I always found the shaded
graphics a slight detraction. The Amiga should have allowed the
quality of games to improve but, apart from colour, there is
little improvement and certainly the game seems no faster than
those on an 8-bit machine.

The story behind Darkness Calls tells of a Research Station on the
largest moon of Saturn, Titan, where the nuclear reactor has gone
wonky and you, being the pilot of the nearest patrol ship, are
given the task of finding the spare uranium rod and inserting it
into the chamber. Oh and while you're at it you might like to take
time out to find out what has happened to several workmen who have
gone AWOL in recent months! So not only do you have to play silly
sods with uranium rods but you also have to be Inspector Morse.

The disk will automatically load in a workbench front end, from
where you can click on one of three icons. You can either load the
game, view the instructions or the third is a read me file from
some clever person who has improved the game and whose name I have
unforgivably forgotten.

I loaded the instructions first - always a good first move with PD
games I find. What you get is the storyline I told above followed
by a copy of the game screen and clear instructions regarding all
the various icons, arrows and things you'll see while playing. The
next page of information covers the art of using terminals and
picking up objects.  Among the instructions is a 'Title Screen'
showing what can only be described as a space marine and very
impressive it is too. The one drawback to the instructions is that
although you are told to advance the pages with the left mouse
button there seems to be a built in timer that loads the next page
in anyway and unless you can read swiftly you find yourself
reloading the instructions a couple of times.

The game begins on your patrol ship which has landed on Titan. You
are accompanied on the quest by an atmospheric soundtrack that
sounds like someone breathing through a visor backed by good old
fashioned spooky space music. My early forays revolved around
crashing into walls and trying in vain to escape the confines of
my ship. There is an arms cabinet in an ante room on the ship and
it is well worth a visit before leaving.  Leaving the ship is easy
once you realise that the small flashing hole is the way out.

Once outside I found, quite by chance, a cheat mode that gives you
full oxygen and full weapon power. This cheat mode really proves
useful during early attempts as it allows you to explore without
constantly trying to find oxygen refills and battery packs for
your suit.  The cheat mode is supplied at the foot of the review
in traditional sdrawkcab writing.


Having made my way into the research station I wandered along a
long passage heading north that seemed to last forever.  I passed
a four-way junction but my adventure habits always make me try
north first and I continued along the passage. I was about to nod
off when WHIP! WHIP! - a security laser was taking potshots at me.
I quickly responded and blew it out of the ceiling. However my joy
was short-lived as three steps further on I was under attack
again. I decided to head back to the junction and see what else
was available. I made my way into a hangar and discovered a
security pass and down in a lift took me onto the hangar floor
where you can, by not being careful, destroy the craft that is
stored here. There is also the puzzle of how to get a blowtorch
that is high up out of reach.

The game continues and tends to drag you in for just one more go
as any good game should but I think the system may be the thing
that will stop most people as the slowness does become a bind
after a while and you start noticing it more than the game. There
are a couple of 'bugs' mainly involving printing blocks over
objects in the wrong places and one entertaining little glitch
that allowed me to walk backwards through the side of my ship onto
the surface of Titan. If you have encountered 3DCK games before
then you'll know all about the system and so given that you can
live with that the actual game plays very well. Others may like to
enter with care!

CHEAT MODE: NOOM EHT TOOHS












                              - o -