Legend of Grimrock

****1/2 What can I say, I enjoyed it immensely. Like any game, it has it's flaws, but it is also extremely fun and addictive. I would rate it better than the Eye Of The Beholder games and just about even with Lands Of Lore. The recently released LOG2 is also excellent.

It's unbelievable how the game brings back the atmosphere of classic dungeon crawlers. Looks gorgeous (if you remember ancestors' graphics), sounds great and still works on all platforms with minimal requirements (full details with no dedicated graphic card). And, believe me or not, it's like one more Dungeon Master or Eye of Beholder! Yummy!

The game is interesting enough, with vague hints of the original Dungeon Master crpg... BUT... *BUT* it utterly fails on some of the game mechanics for some of the "puzzles". It is not a puzzle test as much as hours of increasingly annoying frustration until you finally give up and say, no, sorry is NOT fun. The quitting pointing for me was level 6 (trapped). Basically to unlock a secret area you have to press 5 buttons, while running around pillars and maze of pits, with split-second timing. It does not test your puzzle solving skills, no, instead it tests your keyboard, your mouse, and lightning (and absolutely PERFECT) typing/mouse skills. And by split-second I mean just that. The time to complete the complex puzzle is so unforgiving it's just not possible. It's not "impossible", but if I have to try 1,000 times of several days to "solve" a puzzle simply because of a ridiculous timer, it is not going to happen. And that ruins the game for me. In terms of key presses, it's 35 keypresses and 5 mouse presses. Fair enough. But the time is so fast there is zero margin for error, or pause, or anything. Even a fraction of a seconds hesitation mean your fails and have to reload. If you are 16 and nimble and like that sort of thing, it's a challenge, if you are 61, it's just awful design. For nostalgia, it was a 5 star, but as the levels progressed and the developers decided to confuse puzzles with keyboard mashing, they lost the plot. Unless you like that sort of frustration, of course. It's not a challenge, it's a frustrating chore and I play games to relax - not get annoyed. One to miss, I'm afraid

A background of my experience with this game genre: I'm older than video games. I have played almost all the games in this genre. There are two Grand Champion games in this category that, IMHO, have still not been bested - Rogue (original) and Dungeon Master (by FTL). This game earns 75%, upgraded to 4 Stars for the website's system. Breakdown: 75% - Excellent graphics, especially the creatures. Entertaining puzzles, ranging from very easy to a couple of head-scratchers. A few will frustrate people with poor reflexes, but those usually open "bonus" locations rather than a critical path. Usually. Character creation was interesting due to skill choices for each character. I enjoyed fighting - you have to think on your feet and, at times, use the dungeon layout for protection from many untimely deaths. I've read criticism about, "just going in a circle to fight," but that is over simplification. You can fight head-on. Or you can try to get behind them for your Rogue to unleash powerful back-stabs. In some places, you can use the dungeon itself to help you defeat the enemies. Doors are friends. LoG has a good balance of fighting, exploring & puzzle solving. It's NOT an action RPG - it's real-time, turn-based fighting. LoG has an editor, so, hopefully, you can enjoy many player creations. 15% = Meh. Fighting items are sparse and repetitive. I used 3 weapons for each fighter. Weapons can be used by anyone, but only the Rogue is best suited for using many. Creature variety is decent, but not enough to suit me. Too much repetition. LoG borrows a great deal of game design from predecessors, but doesn't innovate. Too few spells. I used a half dozen, never using Air or Ice. Skill trees go to 50 Pts - you will never get close to 50. 10% = HATED. End "story?" Lame, obvious, done better elsewhere. Final Boss battle is insanely OBNOXIOUS. Most annoying End Boss fight of ANY genre I can recall. A BUY for dungeon crawler fans.

If you liked games like Dungeon Master, Black Crypt and Eye of the Beholder series, then you'll be at home with this little gem. Play it, you'll never regret, and the sequel is even better. But play this first.