Sword of Destiny Longplay (Commodore 16 Plus/4) [QHD]
64Game Info
---------------------------------------------------
Developer: Micro Projects
Publisher: Gremlin Graphics
Year of Release: 1985
Coding: Jason Perkins
Game Review & Impressions
---------------------------------------------------
My cousin owned a Commodore 16 and I remember Sword of Destiny being among the collection of cassette tapes in her collection. Although I never got to play it back then, I remember being fascinated by the cover - the Grecian-style Myrmidon with gleaming sword looking mightily impressive, or at least it did to my three year-old self.
37 years later, I decided to finally check out the game for myself and, as I've found with a number of C16 titles, actually pretty smart, in spite of the machine's limitations.
The objective of the game is to help Kelok, a fallen warrior, find piece in the afterlife. Kelok was killed by the evil warlock Xorphas, who decided to add insult to injury by stealing Kelok's heart, before casting him into the underworld.
Taking control of Kelok's spirit, you must traverse the Abyss of Death in search of sanctified objects which will unlock the way to salvation, finally allowing Kelok to rest in piece. The abyss is divided into multiple screens, some of which are blocked off by temporary walls. To remove the wall, you'll need to find a glowing object in one of the screens nearby, but knowing where to look and actually reaching said item are two different things.
Kelok has limited amount of energy -- Astral Power -- in which to complete his quest, and this is consumed by attacking, using air vents to propel himself through the air, as well as coming into contact with enemies which inhabit the abyss. The deeper Kelok descends into the abyss, the more damage monsters will do. Energy can be regained by destroying monsters, but their erratic movement patterns can often result in you losing additional energy through squandered attacks.
To complicate matters further, jumping into anything - monsters or scenery - will cause Kelok to change direction mid jump. This mechanic means you'll need to be extra careful when navigating platforms, else it's all too easy to find yourself at the bottom of yet another deep pit from which you'll need to escape.
The game might look simplistic, but Sword of Destiny is actually a pretty cool title. Allowing the player to top off their health by destroying enemies is quite innovative for the time, and although it might seem like you're navigating a maze, it's actually quite linear. If you owned C16 or a Plus/4 machine, this isn't a bad little arcade platformer to get your teeth into.
Information & Trivia
---------------------------------------------------
- Game restarts after completion on a higher difficulty level
Video Notes
---------------------------------------------------
- Played through the game once to completion then stopped
Related Longplays & Videos
---------------------------------------------------
Chapters
---------------------------------------------------
TBC