I never hesitate to call this game my favourite of all time. When I was 9 or 10 years old, my cousin gave me a beautiful copy of this brand new game. Cardboard sleeved with foldouts, huge map and a couple of discs. It was such a gorgeous presentation, one that still to this day I find practically unmatched. It still holds pride of place on one of my shelves.

This was my first real foray into both Fantasy and RPG games. It changed everything going forward. I spent more hours than I could ever recall exploring every facet of this game. Immediately I found myself immersed in a world I adored. The aesthetic, music, ambience, gameplay... It was all off the charts. The music is still to this day some of my absolute favourite and I listen to it regularly.

The world is absolutely massive and you're dropped into it with a basic notion of what you can do, but also the knowledge that you really don't have to. At no point is your hand held, you feel as free you can be. This is one of the few games I have ever played that gave me the real sense of being dropped into a world and having to fend for myself unaided.

I could list forever what makes this game so great... But, there is another facet to this review. Would I recommend it? It depends. It's my favourite game of all time, but I'm not blind to reality. It's very dated, unforgiving by today's standards, and has some quirks of gameplay that aren't too satisfying. The combat is the number one complaint. You can hit enemies in this game, watch your sword strike them, but still hear the 'miss' sound. This is because what is actually happening is an RPG style dice-roll, or calculation. Your sword striking the model just initiates the roll to determine the hit. It's for aesthetic purposes only, essentially. This can be very frustrating for beginners or people unfamiliar with this style of game.(Especially when using bows...)

Recommending this game is difficult. Obviously my instinct is to say it's absolutely recommended. In reality, I'd say if you haven't played it, and you're a more tenacious and dedicated gamer with a love of fantasy and RPG, I'd say it's a must. One that, if given enough time to learn, will become a favourite.

If not? Perhaps seek some Youtube clips and see if you can get past the shortcomings? Better yet, just get it, put god-mode on, and explore to your hearts content like I did as a kid!

I never hesitate to call this game my favourite of all time. When I was 9 or 10 years old, my cousin gave me a beautiful copy of this brand new game. Cardboard sleeved with foldouts, huge map and a couple of discs. It was such a gorgeous presentation, one that still to this day I find practically unmatched. It still holds pride of place on one of my shelves. This was my first real foray into both Fantasy and RPG games. It changed everything going forward. I spent more hours than I could ever recall exploring every facet of this game. Immediately I found myself immersed in a world I adored. The aesthetic, music, ambience, gameplay... It was all off the charts. The music is still to this day some of my absolute favourite and I listen to it regularly. The world is absolutely massive and you're dropped into it with a basic notion of what you can do, but also the knowledge that you really don't have to. At no point is your hand held, you feel as free you can be. This is one of the few games I have ever played that gave me the real sense of being dropped into a world and having to fend for myself unaided. I could list forever what makes this game so great... But, there is another facet to this review. Would I recommend it? It depends. It's my favourite game of all time, but I'm not blind to reality. It's very dated, unforgiving by today's standards, and has some quirks of gameplay that aren't too satisfying. The combat is the number one complaint. You can hit enemies in this game, watch your sword strike them, but still hear the 'miss' sound. This is because what is actually happening is an RPG style dice-roll, or calculation. Your sword striking the model just initiates the roll to determine the hit. It's for aesthetic purposes only, essentially. This can be very frustrating for beginners or people unfamiliar with this style of game.(Especially when using bows...) Recommending this game is difficult. Obviously my instinct is to say it's absolutely recommended. In reality, I'd say if you haven't played it, and you're a more tenacious and dedicated gamer with a love of fantasy and RPG, I'd say it's a must. One that, if given enough time to learn, will become a favourite. If not? Perhaps seek some Youtube clips and see if you can get past the shortcomings? Better yet, just get it, put god-mode on, and explore to your hearts content like I did as a kid!