You are a Wizard and you are just trying to survive basically. This game though is very deep, you have quite a large control over your Wizard's actions and character. The objective that you must satisfy however is getting through the portal which opens up after a couple of turns.

Background Info

The game is by Krisalis Software, well my copy is anyway, as it seems that there were 2 distributors for this game.

This game will run on just about any ST with 512k RAM, in fact it is better with 512k RAM because with more memory the title picture does not actually show up when it loads. This is very odd but I've tried using make 512k and the picture does show up again on my 4meg STe

There is a very similar game to this one on the spectrum quite some time ago, that was called chaos and there could be a maximum of 8 Wizards but was limited to 1 screen. This game is quite big, the maps can become quite huge.

The Neat Stuff

Of course being a Wizard you have spells, in fact you have lots of spells which range from simple healing potions to summoning of Demons.

The game itself can be played in single player mode in which you must face the computer and complete the level with your Wizard intact and as many points as possible.

Points mean prizes here, you can buy yourself more spells, or buy more skill for your Wizard, such as stamina, health, strength, protection etc. All these things will make you a better Wizard for the next level.

There are 3 levels, the first one is quite easy and helps you get used to the casting of spells and attacking and dirty tactics whereas the other 2 are pretty tough to get through.

If you really want to, you can have a randomly selected Wizard which is decided upon by whichever level you try. The best thing is being able to save your customised Wizards at different levels, so you can try and earn those extra few points to give you an advantage in the next level.

You will be amazed at how quickly the game becomes bigger, on your first turn you may cast one or two summon spells, on your next turn a few more and before you realise you have quite a big army on your side.

What's This About A Portal?

This portal is your exit from the game, you must reach it before it disappears otherwise it's bye bye Wizard.

The portal will only open after a certain number of turns in single play mode and then stays open for around 10 turns after.

A good little tactic is to protect the portal from the enemy Wizard as he too will also make his way to it, it's a very good idea to leave one of your tougher creatures in the portal itself too.

Any kills that your Wizard makes by hand, the points for that creature are doubled cos the Wizard is a bit of a softie really.

What About Graphics And Sound?

Well the graphics are big and tiled, most stuff is about the size of a thumb. There are some nice little animations on the creatures and some scenery.

For sound there is some annoying music which thankfully goes away whenever you load up a scenario, and some fizzes and bangs with some of the spells, nothing really spectacular but not that bad.

Any Extras?

Yes, if you want you can get extra levels for this game to build your Wizard's character up further if you so desire. This is a major plus point if you can find these extra levels.