Game:

Dungeon Magic: Sword of the Elements (1989)

Category:

Let's Play

Duration: 14:11

76 views

4

You're a latecomer into the game, but that's because I had the rest of the episodes on a much less worthy site and haven't retrieved them.

You can't honestly say that you miss them; my playthroughs don't bore you with needless commentary, I don't drown the GOOD sound out with annoying trash songs that have nothing to do with the game but rather make you want to kill the vid for pity's sake for your ears...and your sanity!

This is one of the hardest dungeon crawlers out there. Just in case you can't figure it out, you are wandering in first person perspective with really only about three tiles view maximum and that's your world...except it's full of danger, and monsters like to play games with you.

Tactics matter here, as does the obvious survival, which is a trick in itself. Yes, you have some spells, but here's the catch--YOU DON'T KNOW ANY OF THEM!

The magic you learn is based on a school of magic and even at that you just get some runes to play with, magic words, and the rest is trial and error.

Take a look at that glorious screen...PRETTY NON-DESCRIPT, huh? So basically unless you learn the right magic, you go through the game hacking at stuff, learning as you go, and facing the raw elements of danger with nothing but your armor, spells you may have discovered, and what weapon you have.

Spells take your life too, and there are other "fun" subtleties; in all the game is a challenge, but it's a great game, given the skill required to play. One of the nuances to be aware of is that when enemies attack from the sides or behind, they mostly get FREE HITS. You can use shield spells which at the start protect you from the weaker enemies attacks altogether, but only a limited number of times before the shield fades. Even then, you watch your back literally, since the shield doesn't protect your flanks or back!

Then there's the fact that conditions and even low health affect your effectiveness in combat including defense, which makes getting low on health a VERY risky situation.

Potions are brutally expensive, but thankfully the inns are cheap and you can pretty much always afford them.

I actually really enjoy this game, challenge included, since it really communicates realism and due urgency which in some cases can be panic, especially when you get disoriented, which is really easy to do.

No, I use no cheats and no maps but what I have made myself, so I get the full brunt of the fear, the anxiety, and then the immersion and the satisfaction as well.

The fact is that I never finished this game and it has been years since I first played it, so I am starting fresh; that said, I actually know my way around the overland pretty well and all from pure memory, and only in this playthrough, which is considerable.

So, you will see a lot of these videos, and a lot of seeming roaming activities, but that's because I am enjoying the game and having my fun. The fact is, I deserve it, have rather earned it with the work I have put into it; and then, for goodness' sake, IT'S FUN AND IT'S A GAME! It was meant to be played!

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