Reviews

Lone Wolf reminds me of Shadow of the Beast. Both games looked great and both were given favourable reviews in the magazines of the time. And both are an absolute pig to play. There's very little enjoyment to be had here. Tho controls are sluggish and unresponsive. And you'll find yourself getting killed by things you should be able to avoid.

This game seems to run in slow motion ,,, big graphics in monochrome settings do not help !

Pointless , at least for me ! :-(

1,5 out of 5 .

1991 Audiogenic Software (UK)
by Gary Patchen, David Whittaker, Jeremy Nelson and Ian Upton

This is the third game of the series. And this time Five Ways software had no saying in the making of this game, and thus explaining why the game spins in such a different record. Nonetheless Lone Wolf 3 continues the saga of Joe Dever and Gary Chalk's books, but with a lot more action.

The game is slow, maybe due to the large sprites and overall happenings, which isn't much of an excuse 'cause I've seen games like Exolon or Cybernoid play faster and with large sprites too. Maybe removing the frame around the playing area, which has animations and other relatively useless stuff, would pump up the speed of the game.
Anyway, Lone Wolf 3 plays very well, and the game's goal, which is fairly straight forward, really makes the game very addictive and worthwhile.

I couldn't stop feeling I was playing Bruce Lee all over again, even if the two don't match well. Maybe due to the action itself, like jumping to avoid sharp things or to cross to another side or because of the fighting sequences, I guess.

What I can say is that the game is much more than what initially looks and feels. It's heavy, it's slow but it's also quite entertaining once you start moving around.

The graphics are quite nice and the title music is excellent but the game itself is a bit of a bore. It's no appeal to me if you just climb up ladders and avoid birds and fire from unbreaking opponents. The one battle I had reminded me of a much better version of Highlander but it quickly becomes a drag. I personally find this a bit overrated.

Based on the Gary Chalk line of gamebooks which seven years earlier served as the basis for Flight from the Dark and Fire on the Water, Lone Wolf - The Mirror of Death is an arcade game instead, putting the adventure elements aside in favor of action. Slightly reminescent of Psygnosis's Barbarian, it is a platform-and-ladders title where you, as the eponymous hero, must fight your way, armed with your trusty sword, within the evil Dhazag-Oud's fortress. You should also make use of the Kai powers, which will allow you, for instance, to see hidden traps. These must be chosen at the start of the game and give an interesting twist, although their impact on the actual gameplay is pretty limited.

The game is a bit slow-paced but altogether pleasing, also due to its atmospheric graphic style. Like many late Spectrum games, it is not particularly original, but solid and entertaining nonetheless.

Strange game.