The Flame of Illean by Interactive
E Books Ltd., Price: $9.99
Reviewed April 2003
From the publisher of Goblin
Bane, The Flame of Illean is a new interactive adventure
ebook and the first of Legends of Mystaris series written
by TJ Harper. Compared to Goblin Bane, The Flame of Illean
is a much longer book filled with action on every other
page. It will take you into a long journey searching for
a gemstone and guide you through the dangerous world of
Vulcos.
A legendary gemstone known as The Flame
of Illean has inspired your imagination, and searching for
it becomes your obsession and Rite of Passage. Armed with
your trusty sword, you set out to walk the mountain paths
to reach Vulcos, a stronghold built by Fire Demons long ago.
You will travel in the land of ancient gods, where demons
and heroes fought, and castles and temples were destroyed
at each change of kings and religions. You will meet strangers
along your journey and face countless monsters and even undead,
but you will be rewarded for your victories with armor, dungeon
keys and other treasures.
The story of The Flame of Illean is well
integrated with the game play. Every step you take could
lead to danger and every choice you make could affect the
outcome of the story. I’ve played the game three times,
each time I followed different path and each time I had to
face different monsters and enemies. You can also choose
different characters: Boy, Girl or Ironman, which will determine
the level of fighting. As you explore the mountain caves,
ancient cemetery, well-hidden temple and ruins of a mausoleum,
you will pick up supplies, maps, clues and other items necessary
to solve puzzles, open trap doors or beat enemies. There
is an inventory window, which you can access anytime before
or after a fight. It lists your Health, Agility, Strength,
Vitality, Fighting and Rations condition. As you progress
in the game and gain more victories, your attributes will
increase; if you are defeated by enemies or victimized by
magic, your stats will go down.
As with many interactive ebook games, The
Flame of Illean relies on twists and turns in the story to
capture the gamer’s imagination. Both the writing style
and eventful content in this game will hook you for hours.
There are lots of still images and icons accompanying the
text, many of which are strikingly illustrated and seem about
to leap out of the pages.
There is sound support in this game, though
the sound bites are very simple. You have the option to turn
the sound on or off. The game runs on any Palm OS 3.5 or
higher devices including OS 5, as well as any Pocket PC devices.
The Flame of Illean has more actions than
you would expect from an interactive ebook. Managing your
hero’s attributes and inventory while exploring different
environments and fighting off enemies is extremely satisfying.
Sure, you have to make a choice to fight or flee every time
you turn a page, but you’ve got your sword and armor,
your wit and courage, make a stand and face the consequences!
After all, you are supposed to be a hero.
Playing Hints and Tips
Explore all the paths and possibilities;
play all characters. You will be surprised what you will
run into each time. |
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