Underneath the Archons
Producer: Electronic Arts
Witch's Brew: £8.95 cass, £14.95 disk
Author: Lynsoft, from a design by Freefall Assoicates
The original Archon game, an enjoyable mix of strategy and arcade action, is now bundled with its sequel, never previously released on the Spectrum. Adept is the most complex by far. The game begins with each player (computer or human) armed with four adepts. These can be moved to practically anywhere on the board during a players' tum. Adepts can also create other creatures which can be moved around the board, but only in the sections in which they're created. There are four basic sections; fire, water, air and earth plus two void sections.
One way to win is for a player to occupy all six power squares. Four of these are constantly moving through the four elemental sections, while the remaining two are static in the void sections. Another way to win is destroy all the opposing player's Adepts - surviving created creatures disappear with the last Adept. To destroy an Adept, or any other creatures, a player must move one of his own creatures onto the target creature's square. The screen then switches to a Battleground display with the two joystick-controlled combatants alone, with just a few obstacles. Creatures have different attack patterns: Adepts fire missiles guided by the joystick; the Firebird emits a lethal force-field around itself; Wraiths are invisible except when they attack or play against the computer. Each side has different characters.
It is also possible to win by an Apocalypse battle. This pits two Adepts against each other, winner-take-all. The Apocalypse spell is accessed by clicking twice on an Adept given sufficient spell power. Other magic includes curing half of a wounded creature's injuries, weakening an enemy creature, and even good - for a strategy game. The original game (even without a Sinclair option) is much better - it got 83% way back in Issue 18. The sequel is marked below on its own, so readers without the original should add some marks, both for the original game and overall value for money.
STUART [70%]
THE ESSENTIALS
Joysticks: Cursor, Kempston, Sinclair
Graphics: the landscape is blocky, but the small sprites are well-animated
Sound: various simple 48K firing and moving effects
Options: four skill levels
If it all seems a bit confusing at first, don't worry, persevere a bit with the slim instruction manual (and informative inlay card) and it all makes sense. In fact, my main fear about Adept is that it might be a bit too simple for much long-term interest. The original game is less complex but relies less on luck. And as with most strategy-based games, the two-player mode provides the most fun.
PHIL [71%]
| Presentation | 66% |
|---|---|
| Graphics | 66% |
| Sound | 36% |
| Playability | 72% |
| Addictive Qualities | 73% |
| Overall | 72% |
Electronic Arts
£9.99
Reviewer: Phil South
This isn't really a compilation tape, especially as there's actually only two games on it: Archon and Archon II. They started life as single games on 'other' machines, notably the Commie 64, but this is the first time either of them has appeared on the Speccy.
Archon was the first (and Archon II the second, right? Ed) game of this type and is based loosely on chess, although the similarity ends with your first glance. The two sides are light and dark, clearly, but light is order and dark is chaos. In fact, on closer inspection the characters look decidedly more dangerous than the normal chess set, and so they are. They're all mythological characters, like Firebirds (Phoenixes, I think), Sirens, Kraken, Gorgons, Wraiths, Chimera, and the like. The two main players, the equivalent of the King in chess, are The Mistress of Chaos and the Master Of Order. If they fall then you are sunk.
The game goes in rounds, and the background squares to the black reflect this by turning from white to dark, showing the phases from light into darkness. They call it the Luminosity Cycle. Heavily symbolic, I think you'll agree although 'of what' exactly. I think Dr Hatstand has more idea.
But thass norrall, as they say in the movies, 'cos in spite of being a pretty stiff (HONK) strategy game, there is also a combat screen when two characters clash, which calls on the muscles in your hand rather than the big one between your ears. (HOONNKK!!) The two players warp into a battle zone where they can shoot it out with more space around them than they can find on a board crowded with half-men/half-tea towels.
Archon II? Well, it would be churlish to say. Yep, it's more of the same, but it's tempting. The zones are different but the players are basically the same sort of caper. You must occupy the six 'power points' on the board or die in the attempt. (I always loved that phrase.) The board itself is four bands of colour representing the four elements, earth, fire, air and water. This time, apart from your hybrid mythological chummies, you also have some elementals (from the first game) and some sulphur snorting demons too. With them you must mop up the opposition and occupy the points. Simple really. You think so? just wait until you try it.
So all this is very nice but what do the games play like? They're quite hard for sure but that's the good thing about them. Playing against the computer can be a bit frustrating as you need to be the incredible Flash to shoot back as fast as it does with its characters. You'll always lose against the computer. But the really swell thing is when you play against a friend. Yep, these are two player games, folks, with the two of you elbowing each other about on the keyboard. Keys 3, 4, A, Q and CAPS for one of you and B, N, L, P and SYMBOL for the other. Odd choice but there you go.
I like the Archons, even if I can't decide how to say it, and as a good value package you can't really go wrong with this.
| Graphics | 7/10 |
|---|---|
| Playability | 9/10 |
| Value For Money | 8/10 |
| Addictiveness | 8/10 |
| Overall | 8/10 |
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