Shadowlands PC

All Koranos residents remembered the feats of the greatest of the warriors - Vashnar Herenil. Representatives of the forces of evil, wanting to make it easier for themselves to conquer the fantastic world, insidiously killed the hero, and scattered his remains in a huge dungeon filled with traps. However, they did not suspect that the Koranos could still regain his champion. The key to hell's resurrection is to kill the mighty creature that inhabits the last level of the underworld and to find the warrior's dismembered body.

Restoring Vashinar Herenil is the main goal of the game in Shadowlands - an RPG product created in 1992 by Teque London Ltd. The player will take control of a group of four daredevils and travel through sixteen levels of an extensive dungeon, avoiding numerous traps and battling powerful monsters.

As in most other programs of this type, the player can create their own heroes or use ready-made characters, prepared by the authors of the game. Coefficients (combat, magic, strength, vitality) are selected randomly - the option of manual manipulation of points is not included here. You can change the appearance of the hero's face (hair, eyes, nose and lips), but apart from aesthetic values, it does not matter much for the game.

Shadowlands uses a complex and uncomfortable user interface. At the bottom of the screen there are images of all the characters taking part in the struggle. To move the heroes to the desired location, first click on the leg icon of one of the heroes, and then point to the destination on the main game screen. The same is true of fighting, which does not make the game easier, especially since the action takes place in real time (forcing the player to react quickly). The daredevils can move together (several formations are available) or separately. The option of disconnecting the hero from the team is very useful in Shadowlands very often, e.g. when resting - weary wanderers regenerate their vitality while asleep and at the same time the remaining daredevils still penetrate the dungeons.

The Shadowlands action is presented in isometric projection. An extremely important element of the visual setting is the game of light and shadow, generated by an engine called Photoscape. After entering the underground, the heroes are condemned to torches, which translates into a limited field of vision. Exploring dungeons requires a look at every angle, because it is in the shadowed nooks and crannies that you will find the most useful items. As you play, you'll see that light is also important for some traps. Wise use of a torch will avoid many dangers.

Thanks to an interesting plot, a large number of fancy traps and a very nicely realized visual setting (a game of light and shadow), the product of Teque London Ltd. can appeal to computer RPG fans, especially those who got bored with successive clones of the Beholder Eye of the Beholder.

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Last updated on 10 December 2007