Battles are not so numerous that you feel numbed by monotony. There is a lot of combat during these assignments, although you're never overwhelmed. Quests mix inventive tasks like playing PR man to an irritable dragon with typical go-fetch and locate-missing-people busywork.
The story keeps you interested, even though it offers few surprises-or at least few surprises that you don't see coming a mile away You play as a newcomer to Avadon, one of Redbeard's warriors dedicated to helping the big guy keep the peace.
The heart of the Midlands Pact is Avadon, a fortress ruled by the ominous Redbeard, a hero who might be going a little too far when it comes to guarding the realm from the bad guys. Events center on a fantasy land of magic and monsters dominated by the Midlands Pact, an alliance of five nations dedicated to protecting all that is good from evildoers. The generic medieval fantasy setting and plot are somewhat predictable, though. They tell a story and bring situations to life without being overly wordy. Even though the graphics don't do a complete job of immersing you in this fantasy world, textual blurbs bridge the gap between what you see and what you're supposed to be envisioning. Redbeard is good, bad, or some blend of both.ĭespite the flaws, you can't help but be drawn in once you go deeper into the game. The developer has at least posted more-comprehensive maps in the official forums on its website, but they're hardly an acceptable substitute. Even vital spots like stairs up and down aren't given icons, which can be incredibly annoying given the mazelike nature of many of the levels. Quests aren't noted on the minimap, and neither are some key characters and locales. Levels are typically massive and confusing, which isn't helped by the hit-and-miss minimap. Some user interface flaws get in the way, however. Performance is also very good, making this a good choice for older machines or even netbooks. You're given just enough for your mind's eye to work with, so suspending disbelief isn't a problem. Some areas feature a considerable amount of detail when it comes to furnishings, with elaborate layouts in bedrooms, libraries, and other locales. Thankfully, Avadon has a lot of appeal beyond this admittedly off-putting surface. Still, there is no way to roll up a custom character, so you're stuck with a quick choice before delving into the action. There are some variances, most notably in the way that the classes veer off into slightly innovative directions. The only difference is their names: the warrior is called a blademaster, the wizard a sorceress, the cleric a shaman, and the thief a shadowwalker. You get to type in a name and pick from four set Dungeons & Dragons-inspired classes that touch on the standard fighter, wizard, cleric, and thief archetypes. You start off with no real character customization options. Game options are sparse in the beginning.
Oddly, a near-constant wind seems to blow whether you're indoors or out. The game has no music or voice acting, and monsters share a handful of attack noises.
Only some of the textures stand up to scrutiny: the gravel roads and stone walls look pretty good. Outdoor locales are loaded with symmetrically arranged cacti, rocks, and other terrain features that make the landscape look surreal. Dungeon furniture and architecture mainly consist of standard chests and wardrobes like the set dressing in summer stock theater. Characters and monsters are soft-focus multicolored blobs, and you can't zoom the camera in to get a better look. Crude isometric visuals and paltry sound recall the 286 era. The single-player-only game could almost have been developed in 1989. If you don't have any experience with Spiderweb's previous games, your first moments with Avadon are likely to come as a shock. With that said, you definitely need to possess the nostalgia gene to get the most out of this one.Īvadon ain't pretty, but it offers a lot of RPG depth to get your imagination working. Just like the developer's earlier efforts in the Avernum and Geneforge franchises, the game compensates for its archaic visuals and sound with an engaging focus on storytelling and turn-based party combat that recalls the glory days of the Gold Box games from the late '80s and early '90s. Avadon: The Black Fortress is a fantasy epic that's as appealingly retro as the big red demon on the cover of the first edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide.
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