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Sixteen levels (in four groups of four) await you in this long-developed Bitmap Brothers title. The basic gameplay is similar to Gauntlet, but in an open air setting, with bridges across rivers and such in the maps. The visuals are in the 'metallic and blue' style the Bitmaps appeared to favor. There were 6 characters available in the game, each with different strengths and weaknesses, and different starting prices. In 2-player mode you each chose a character and played co-operatively, but in one-player games you also choose a character for the computer to control, with its Artificial Intelligence allowing it to open doors, pick up power-ups and take on baddies away from the ones occupying your character. One of the very best RPGs ever produced, and definitely the BEST historical RPG ever, Darklands was unfortunately plagued with a slew of bugs when it was first released, many of which could critically damage system files. The newest version (7.0) corrects most of these bugs and makes the game what it was supposed to be. So what makes Darklands so special? For one thing, it is arguably the most accurate historical RPG ever created-- almost every facet of genuine medieval Germany is depicted in the game, from the huge map with over 90 cities, calendar system and currency... down to different weapon and armor types and their corresponding weights and effectiveness. Mundane spellcasting in conventional RPGs is here replaced with an excellent (and, of course, authentic) alchemy interface which lets you create just about any potion you want with dozens of ingredients. Different potions require different levels of expertise - the most difficult ones may require a prayer to the applicable saint to make their manufacture feasible.You can also pray to the gods to request divine aid in sticky situations. Darklands' character generation is one of the best I have seen in an RPG. After choosing your name and gender, you then go on to select your hereditary, which effects your stats and skills. You then pick an occupation which adds 5 years to your age and increases your skills depending on the occupation chosen. You can keep choosing more careers, but your character will start to suffer from age. This trade-off between experience and strength strikes a great balance that requires strategic planning. The goal of your adventures is simply to become famous. The game is very non-linear: over time, different "quests" will be spawned. |
