Legend of Grimrock

I have very mixed feelings about this game. On the one hand I'm glad that there is a polished Linux port, the game looks pretty but still fitting for it's retro premise and controls are easy to learn. The dungeon layout is good, enemy variety ok, character options quite good, story falls flat at the end (this cuve thing was really awkward) but is good enough for this type of game. The main problem is, that in order to find even a fraction of the MANY secrets, you have to search every piece of wall for hidden switches and then guess, what it did somewhere else. If you accidentally clicked two times on them, you're screwed. I played it on easy mode, but this doesn't make finding the secrets any less tedious. Combat is slow paced but you can fight with slight variations of your basic strategy at least. Spiders and venom are as annoying as ever. As someone, who never played an oldschool dungeon crawler (if you don't count Arx Fatalis), I had fun but not enough to play it through the Toorun mode now, which I wasn't even able to unlock myself since I missed a tiny hidden switch...again. I'd recommend it to old school dungeon crawler fans and probably some others but in the end, I was a bit disappointed, since it does copy about every weakness of the old games and doesn't improve much in this genre.

I understand why many people gave this game higher ratings, but it has 3 flaws that prevent me from doing so. First, things in the game move just a bit too fast. For example, the rotating teleport puzzle on level 3 is extremely difficult to get through because the teleports move too quickly. Also, combat moves just a bit too quickly for my reflexes. Secondly, Many of the puzzles are too difficult to figure out without googling them. This often makes the game frustrating rather than fun. Finally, despite the presence of a "heal everything" crystal on every level, there are not enough healing resources to be found in the game. As a result, One or more of my characters frequently dies during combat because I have no healing potions to keep him alive. Having said all this, however, the game truly is reminiscent of classic DOS RPGs like Eye of the Beholder, and does give me a sense of nostalgia that I enjoy. So, overall, I give it 3 stars.

I don't need to write a lengthy review, game is very good looking, polished, fun to play at times but one thing ruins it for me. All the RPG elements don't really matter because it all comes down to you dodging attacks by side stepping. You can't face any enemy head on after a few introduction levels and you'll be constantly side stepping their attacks. I don't have much else to say about this game. I really wanted to like it but I just can't.

I am a fan of the tactical kind of computer RPG's, and never was particularly attracted to dungeon crawling except for a few exceptions. Occasionally I play games like Rogue and Nethack when I'm bored and have a Linux laptop in front of me. Legend of Grimrock is essentially that: a seemingly old-school dungeon crawler with First Person Perspective, that relies on exploration, puzzle solving, intense combat and rune-based magic. Classics like Eye of the Beholder and Ultima Underworld are usually mentioned but Grimrock is a different thing: it is not a modern classic, but it is a good try. I won't go into detail of how it plays, there are plenty others talking about that. Suffice to say, it IS actually a fun indie game with an interesting concept, and I would LOVE to see more games like this, but it is not quite the perfect revival of old-school dungeon crawlers that people claim. First of all, puzzles range from the obvious to the absurd, crossing through the trial-and-error territory often. Second, while combat IS entertaining and particularly challenging, it gets repetitive as the game system encourages you to use cheap tactics to defeat single boss-like enemies, which are slow and hit hard. Not using these cheap tactics is like jumping into a meat grinder, and using them reveals the dullness of a seemingly clever battle system. It just didn't turn out the way it could have. Exploration, however, is very engaging. There are only three general types of dungeons so the entire game looks and feels the same, but discovering new rooms, creatures and searching for secret passages is actually entertaining. The game succeeds at progressively generating an exciting atmosphere, mostly through the use of notes scattered around the dungeon since there is no dialogue. There are several interludes on which your team is talked to by an unknown strange presence, which you will get to meet in the final levels. There is also a parallel story about a former dungeon survivor who managed to get down below, all by himself, and is willing to share his knowledge with other travelers. These things add dimension to an otherwise flat imprisonment. Sadly, the modest amount of anticipation that the game does manage to create is torn to pieces upon reaching the last level and discovering what *really* lies beneath. The general concept of the game is exciting, and its ramifications are FANTASTIC (mechanical devices mixed with magic and ancient temples), but it is brought to a premature, disappointing end. This is a good game overall. It kept me hooked for the 10 or 15 hours it lasted, but sadly the very creative concept wasn't properly executed. There is more to this game than just the main "campaign", though. It includes a level editor so you can create your own adventures and play modules created by others. In other words, Legend of Grimrock might be an engine to tell different, better dungeon-crawling tales. So don't expect a new classic. This is simply a good idea with a promising concept. I hope the developers will not be discouraged by some harsh critics and release a sequel where they actually put some effort into narrative and character development. If you like exploration, hard hitting foes, secret passages, rune-based magic, dark ancient dungeons, fantasy archetype characters (fighter, rogue, mage), and the things that come with them, then play this game. It IS very entertaining.

The controls aren't quite slick and the interface isn't good enough for the game to be real time. The atmosphere is great, and the choices are interesting, but trying to quickly switch someone from the frontline to the back while also attacking with the other people when the game seems finicky about what clicks it accepts is a nightmare.