DOS

The Legend of Kyrandia

Sieh an - auch ohne Dungeonumgebung ziehen die Westwood Studios alle Register ihres handwerklichen Könnens. Die Kyrandia-Reihe könnte zur echten Konkurrenz für die renommierten Adventure-Firmen werden. Zwar ist das Grundkonzept des Abenteuerneulings gnadenlos abgekupfert (Anleihen bei Lucas Arts und Sierra sind unübersehbar), trotzdem verbreiten Brandon & Co. ein eigenständiges und faszinierendes Flair. Besonders die gut gelungene Mischung aus ernster Puzzlekunst und Softwarehumoreske stimmt bis auf den I-Tupf. Ein besonderes Leckerli sind Grafik und Sound - beim ersten Probespielen in der Redaktion sammelten sich schon nach kurzer Zeit einige Zuschauer um den Test-PC.

Ένα ρίγος συγκίνησης με πιάνει, ακόμα και στη σημερινή εποχή των ρεαλιστικών real-time 3D γραφικών και του πανάκριβου και παντοδύναμου hardware, όταν αντικρίζω μια από τις καλοδουλεμένες με το χέρι οθόνες ενός παλιού adventure της εποχής του νεκρού πλέον DOS. Ένα τέτοιο κλασσικό adventure βρέθηκε αυτή τη φορά στο στόχαστρο του Adventure Advocate, για να θυμούνται οι παλιοί και να μαθαίνουν οι νεότεροι, το Legend of Kyrandia από την Westwood Studios.

So, let's recapitulate what we've said so far: good gameplay, interesting story, breathtaking graphics and beautiful music! Sounds just about perfect. However, nothing can be perfect, and this game has its drawbacks. First of all, it gets very confusing from time to time. In the later stages of the game, you will often find yourself puzzled as to what you're supposed to do next. Also, the game offers a feature that I don't like in adventure games, and that is dying. Therefore, you should save often and be careful what you do. Taking that into consideration, I have to deduct one point from the final mark, which will be a solid 4. This game is highly recommended, and I hope you'll enjoy playing it! Have fun!

All in all, The Legend of Kyrandia is a blast to play. The writing, graphics, music, and puzzles (with the few noted exceptions) all add up to an adventure classic that stands the test of time. It periodically shows up on eBay, but as with nearly all older games it is becoming increasingly hard to find. Buy it if given the chance, as it is a great addition to any adventure gamer's library.

While there is little that is outstanding about this game, in most aspects it is at least competent. The graphics are pleasant and clearly show you all you need to see. I found the music enjoyable and well matched to the settings. The story and events are spiced with humor, keeping the tone lighthearted. On the other hand, the voice acting is done in an exaggerated fairytale tone, although the effect may be intentional. I find it a bit distracting, but some gamers may find it appropriate. There are a few obscure or unreasonable puzzles, and none that are especially clever.

When I played it originally, though it wasn't the best adventure game around, it kept me entertained playing with gems and potions and working out the puzzles, and so it did this second time around.

Alas, in the end, The Legend of Kyrandia, whatever its official title, didn't do much for me. All of the parts were there, the story, the puzzles, the exploration, but they never really gelled into any kind of satisfying experience, any sort of real payoff. It's always a balancing act to weigh an older game's worth to the modern gamer while still trying to imagine its impact back in the day. While there are games that are still as entertaining today as they were 15 years ago, Kyrandia isn't one of them. It's more "important" than it is "fun," offering up some tidbits of historic interest but not really delivering any sustained entertainment value. And in a game where the whole point is to find the magic again, that's just a little sad.

As I pointed out, this engine is a piece of crap! But still it's interesting from the historical point of view. The Kyrandia series did pretty well in the stores (why? Why? WHY?), and many others companies adopted the controls scheme (one allround click). So The Legend Of Kyrandia was a very influential game. But it was a bad influence...

Legend of Kyrandia es una de esas aventura que inexplicablemente se elevan a los altares sin motivo plausible. El diseño es francamente horroroso, los pseudopuzzles son una bazofia cansina y repetitiva, laberíntica y exasperante. Las muertes (que las hay) son tan traicioneras que desmotivan aún hasta el más pintado de los jugadores de Sierra. La aventura se vale de medios tan poco validos como la muerte súbita, el tejemaneje del protagonista y los puzzles ilógicos para alargar la longitud de la aventura, el interfaz es infumable, los diálogos son prácticamente inexistentes y ni el bufón tiene ninguna gracia risible. En conclusión: lo único que se salva son los gráficos y la música, el resto es perfectamente olvidable, tan solo recomendables para caníbales aventureros y jugadores con aspiraciones a mártir.