Legacy by RedShift Software, $19.99
Reviewed January 2004 by Eric Falk

When one lists the greatest Palm OS games created, such titles as Bejeweled, Breakout, and Warfare Incorporated come to mind. Legacy, the new release from Redshift Software will no doubt be added to that list. And now the game is available for Pocket PC too! Read on to see why this game may very well be the best roll playing game yet.

Upon playing Legacy for the fist time you will be introduced to your character and given some general background on your quest and Menures, the world to which are about to enter. It will be up to you to unravel the rest of this complex journey by exploring dark forests, underground caves, and speaking to many unique characters for answers. You will meet helpful people, many in the town of Decrantes , who will give you new quests to solve before they will divulge the answers you seek. Your journey will not be easy or safe, far from it! It will be very dangerous at times, even for a brave and fierce warrior such as yourself. You will have to battle against many monsters and other warriors to earn gold and valuable items that will help you on your journey. Use the gold you earn to purchase better weapons, new spells, armor, or potions. In town you can even try your luck with an intense game of cards at the local pub. If you do well, you will be able increase your fortune.

Legacy is played from a first person point of view, in a 3D like atmosphere. Redshift has done an amazing job creating a completely seamless world for the user to explore. Legacy's graphics are perfectly rendered and evoke a sense of realism. Such places as the forest can feel eerily cold, wet, and frightful, adding authenticity to the game's danger and mystery. There are hundreds of unique monsters all rendered with amazing detail, many unique characters, and hundreds of possible weapons, armory, spells, and potions to choose from. The detail of this game, both with characters and landscape is top notch. Bottom line, the graphics are excellent!

One problem I find with many roll playing games of this type is that they are too difficult to play or not very intuitive to a novice user. Legacy, although extremely complex in it's underlying design and story line, does not fall into this trap. Legacy's game play is very intuitive and requires little in the way of tutorials, although they are available. The UI is very clear and buttons are easily understood, making it easy to do simple things like explore the town of Decrantes to more complex tasks like fighting a group of Lizard Men in the underground caves. Legacy also provides many other tools and options, such as a map and compass for navigation, the ability to play the game in “landscape mode”, and many screens to help you organize your various items and quests.

Playing Hints and Tips

Explore everything and everywhere! Legacy has many hidden rooms and “easter eggs” hidden throughout the game, be careful not to overlook anything. Within the game of Legacy there is a really neat card game that could have been sold as an entirely different game. To gain more gold, try playing this unique and intense game of cards in the pub. There are no instructions on how to play the card game, but after a few rounds it will become obvious. Lastly, be sure to bring plenty of the "healing" potions when venturing out of the safety of town. They can be used to restore your health at any time even, in the midst of battle.