Archon Ultra PC

Refreshed edition of the strategy game from 1983, which stormed the hearts of Atari microcomputer users and waited for numerous conversions to various hardware platforms. The developers Jonathan Freeman and Paul Reiche III, as well as Toys for Bob, known from the Star Control series, are responsible for preparing the new version of Archona.

In terms of gameplay rules, Archon Ultra is no different from its predecessor released ten years earlier. The competition takes place on a chessboard consisting of 81 square fields, and in a big battle between two factions there are 36 fantastic creatures (e.g. phoenixes, goblins, unicorns, mantikors, golems, trolls and basilisks). The struggle ends when one of the armies manages to conquer the enemy's army or occupy the so-called power field. The latter are scattered all over the board.

The game is divided into rounds - the players in charge of the army alternately move their figures on the board, using the available action points. When two enemy units meet in the same field, there is a direct battle that takes place in real time. Users then take complete control over the creatures and try to eliminate each other with offensive attacks. The amount of energy available to the units depends on the part of the chessboard on which the battle takes place. If it is black, representatives of the Darkness are favoured, and when the battle is fought in the white field, the forces belonging to the forces of the Light are characterized by greater endurance.

In terms of binding, Archon Ultra presents itself incomparably better than the first version of the game. The chessboard is presented in isometric projection, and all units are very nicely designed, so there is no doubt what kind of creature we are dealing with at the moment. In the background we can hear catchy pieces of music, perfectly matching the dark atmosphere of the game. Changes also affected control (one player can use the mouse) and multiplayer mode, which has been enriched with modem connection.

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Last updated on 09 March 2009