chillin' in yggdrasil
i was first introduced to this game when i was five years old. we rented it from a local grocery store, back in the good ol' days of the stop n shop media center. i played and played, but it was only when i found it again in k-mart and bought it that i realized i'd hardly scratched the surface.
firstly, ill get to the story. you're some random traveler, coming back to your home town to find it nearly deserted. the great fountain has dried up and the world tree is dying. your king has sent many men out to save the day but it seems they weren't elf enough. so he calls upon you, some random tired-as-hell homecomer to thwart the dwarves and water the tree. the king gives you 1500 gold to get some supplies, but who are you trying to fool? you're gonna hit that bar.
so off you go!
i may be biased, as i've had some great times with this game. it requires a great deal of patience on the part of the player, as you'll get lost a dozen times over.
this game is huge. HUGE. there are no levels, completely non-linear and if you dont have a map you're gonna have to have a photogenic memory. you'll be exploring the world tree (yggdrasil for the hoes at home), and damned if it isnt a WORLD TREE. this game has a medieval fantasy atmosphere, complete with daggers, swords, shields, spells, and other assorted items and weapons. and youll need them. a plethora of odd, quirky, and some downright creepy monsters await you around every bend, some crawl, some jump, some fly, and some just float. the bigger the monster, the more change falls from the fatal wound you inflict. this is not turn-based (thankfully). the graphics are excellent for 1987, the controls are accurate for the most part. there are some tricky jumps that will have you pulling your hair out, but hey. bald works for you.
there are towns spread out through the world tree. nice quaint little villages. here, you can eat to refill your health, buy new weapons and spells, speak to villagers to piece more of the puzzle together, and lastly (but most importantly) you can speak to a guru who will teach you a mantra to return to him in case of accidental death. sort of like medieval life insurance, except you reap the benefits.
the sound is decent, until you get to the dark, foggy areas of the game. then its spooky as hell. the music, scenery and monsters will give you goosebumps. at least they do me. anywho, i think i've told you enough about this to tickle your pickle.
if you're a fan of old school rpgs, i highly recommend faxanadu. it's original, it has depth, and you'll definitely get your bang for your buck. TWO BONGS UP!Read full review
