DOS

Companions of Xanth

Legendin uusi pelisysteemi toimii kiitettävästi. Jos hieman poikkeava seikkailupeli taikuuden maailmassa kiinnostaa, niin tutustu Companions of Xanthiin.

Companions of Xanth is certainly an amusing game with bright and colourful graphics, lots of things to do, and a reasonably large gameworld to explore. The humour is gentle even if it is a little painful on occasions -- especially when it resorts to rather juvenile, though mild, sexual innuendo. Interestingly, this problem would not have arisen had the designers allowed us the choice of playing either Dug or Kim (what a good idea!) as many of these allusions simply would not be viable from Kim's perspective. Though I do concede that the Xanth novels set the precedent for much of the humour, and you shouldn't let my quibbling about this put you off as the game is certainly enjoyable enough overall to keep you playing.

Nicht nur Fans des Sci-Fi- und Fantasy-Autors Piers Anthony werden von Legend Entertainments Buch-zu-PC-Umsetzung des Xanth-Universums angetan sein. In dieser skurrilen Welt wimmelt es nur so von Zwergen, Elfen, Drachen und anderen höchst eigentümlichen Gestalten.

Warum man sich bei Companions of Xanth die Mühe gemacht hat, Sprachausgabe aufzunehmen, ist nicht ganz klar: Sie bringt dem Spiel nichts Neues, noch nicht mal einen Atmosphären-Bonus. Das im Vergleich zu anderen Legend-Adventures recht rätselarme Produkt basiert zudem auf einer Reihe von Wortspielen, die durch die Sprachausgabe nur noch verwirrender wirken. Da von den meisten Diaogen nur eine Hälfte gesprochen wird (die vom Spieler gesteuerte Figur bleibt stumm), wirken viele der Stimmen auch aus dem Zusammenhang gerissen. Wer die Disk-Version schon hat, muß Xanth nicht noch einmal kaufen.

However, there are some nice things I can say. The game uses the same interface as Super Hero League of Hoboken, so navigating through areas is very easy (unfortunately, this also means that you spend the whole game looking at pre-painted backgrounds with only some parts that animate, and some unfortunate Full Motion Video sequences). And, despite all of the game's flaws, my love for the books wouldn't permit me to hate it entirely. I may be totally biased, but I think an open mind and an interest in fantasy should be enough to find some enjoyment here.

Både problemen och texten är av hög klass, men de ofta krystade rösterna tillför inget till spelatmosfären.

Overall then, Companions of Xanth is a disappointment. Its poor puzzle structure makes it the weakest Legend game to date, and unlikely to please gamers looking for an adventure on the level of a Spellcasting or Eric The Unready. The relatively short playing time is also likely to leave many with an unsatisfied feeling. Only fans of the Xanth series, or those looking for a lightweight adventure, will find this one worth their time.