Shadowgate, by Infinite
Ventures $19.95
Reviewed June 2002
This was before the 3D action combat systems; this was before the non-stop
full screen explosions, yet Shadowgate proves that an adventure game
can still be a lot of fun even with a “low tech engine”.
Ported from the classic game, Shadowgate was one of the earliest
HPC games that has since been updated for the Pocket PC.
The story behind the game is pretty
simple, but gives you a sufficient sense of purpose. As
the hero of the story, you are the “Seed
of Prophecy”, destined to fulfill the oracles of the ancients.
Your quest is to find the Staff of Ages and conquer the dreadful
Warlock Lord, before he raises the great Behemoth, Last of the Titans,
and destroys the world. Reclaim the castle of Shadowgate and free
the world from Warlock Lord. It is with this purpose you will be
put right in front of the castle gate to begin your journey.
The dungeons are filled with hidden rooms,
puzzles, goodies and danger. It’s not really a full
3D game, but the graphics and animation are amazingly good
nonetheless. Even the smallest items are sharp and easy to
distinguish. The use of the screen is very smartly designed,
giving you easy access to command panel, text, inventory, maps and
more without sacrificing any game play space. Even though you don’t
gain experience like in an RPG, Shadowgate gives you a good depth in
the game play. You will explore over 40 rooms, check out countless
items while avoiding such dangers as falling or walking in on death
traps and being killed. One element that makes this game more interesting
is that in this dark castle you can only survive if you have a light.
There are torches scattered around in the castle, and you mustn’t
let the torch fire run out. Because when the darkness falls you are
as good as dead.
The control of the game is extremely easy
and smooth, saving some items are not mapped very well. You
use stylus to select the action commands and the places/items.
The concept is very simple and intuitive. Since there are
no 3D movements, there is no worry about graphics performance,
which means the actions take place instantaneously after
you give the commands. The only issue I had with this game
is some things are not all mapped very well. When you use
your stylus to select items, it might take you a few tries
to find the sweet spot in some cases. The game takes up about
3.5 MB space and runs nicely from a CF card on my Casio E-200.
So, what are you waiting for? Dust off
your sword in the attic and take your courage with you. The
mystery of the castle Shadowgate awaits you in the eternal
darkness…
Playing Hints and
Tips
Your number 1 priority is to keep the torch
fire alive. Once that’s gone,
you are dead. When you get the text message about the torch flicker dimming,
light another torch!
Save often and keep a several separate save files. Try to pick up everything
you come across. Some things you pick up earlier on in the game will be needed
later on.
There are a several walkthroughs for the PC version. I picked one that’s
fun to read and put it here. |
