Legend of Grimrock

I must admit I always enjoyed these tile-based dungeon crawlers and it's good to see a modern take on the genre after many many years of dust gathering. LoG is clearly a very polished and well executed take on the genre - you have keys, hidden wall switches, floor panels that use pressure switches, etc. It's very much "by the numbers" and there's really little that is done differently compared to the classics of old. This is great if you want a modern version of such a game but less great if you recognise the flaws the genre has. For example, they could have added more diverse walls & scenery - paintings, tapestries, unique decorations, etc. to liven the place up and make it feel a bit more unique. The game reuses the same art far too much (something which the games of old were guilty of as well) which is a shame. The game also relies too much on switches, keys and pressure panels - it's all kept as simple as games such as Eye of the Beholder but I still wish there was a better story, some more variety, more unique interactions (think Lands of Lore). Still, the game is great at what it does, even if it doesn't really attempt to improve the genre where possible. It's still very enjoyable after all.

The veterans have recieved a love letter soaked in a pool of nostalgic tears, whereas the young inexperienced novices have been given an unparalleled opportunity to taste with their own tongues what the veterans had been cherishing all this time. And so two gaming worlds merged, if only for a while, and thus the endless argument about how the old games will never be surpassed fell into forgotten. For a while. And for the duration of that while these veterans can have intelligent conversations with the youngsters on the topic of games. And who knows, perhaps it will trigger an entirely new wave of interest even for the archive pieces... ...but I might be pushing my wishes there. As it is now, Grimrock has managed something even its developers themselves surely never dared to hope for. And when a handful of enthusiastic amateurs manage to do something that achieves way beyond their own former ambitions, I as an overly pleased customer simply refuse to complain about anything, despite the fact I technically could. This game is great. It's a great fun and enjoyment for both the seasoned genre lovers AND the green dungeon virgins. And it's dirt cheap. And that's all you need to know.

Just a basic review. It can be hard to feel "immersed" in a game that navigates like Might and Magic on the Commodore64, but it really does get you fully immersed. Every Every choice, Every turn.. Every fall, each new corridor really has the feel of playing the latest and greatest FPS type game, though you are in the Grimrock world. I love the feel of the game enough that I bought 2 additional copies for my cousins on Steam.

I prefer turn based dungeoneering. Real time control is tedious but still fun.

play this game if games you must be playing