Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny

It's certainly a game that will take a long time to solve, and it's challenging enough to make it worth coming back to. This game is the first in a trilogy, and the future for the realms of Arkania looks extremely bright...

Kurz und sehr gut, die Computer-Premiere des Schwarzen Auges ist wirklich rundum gelungen, bessere Rollenspiele kennt man allenfalls von einem Lord British. Wenn die geplante Fortsetzung nur halb so gut wird, kann man schon zufrieden sein!

Alles in allem kann man sagen, dass dieses Programm höchstens von "Ultima" übertroffen wird, den Rest der Genre-Konkurrenz lässt es in Sachen Handlungsfreiraum und Komplexität weit hinter sich.

It would be impossible for me to go into detail about every aspect of Blade - it really is too huge to do that adequately here. There are over 70 statistics and skill areas unique to each player. But it is safe to say that if you have ever played a computer-based RPG and felt frustrated that it did not do something that you know it should do then Blade will not frustrate you in the same way. There are limitations, after all it is governed by the coding and not by some Dungeon Master’s imagination, but it is the most comprehensive RPG ever to appear on your Amiga.

The reason for the game getting a four is due to the music that can sometimes get on your nerves, and the ranged combat system. (You can only fire in a straight line. This goes for magic as well). Another thing that is confusing is the fact that all the shops, inns, taverns and weaponsmiths look exactly the same from the outside. Apart from this… the game is good, and a nice way to start off the trilogy. Have fun!

Die Schicksalsklinge ist das erste richtige Computerrollenspiel mit all dem Umfang, den bislang nur Brettrollenspiele boten.

The best thing you can say about Blade is that it's nothing if not thorough, so it'll no doubt cause RPG addicts to perform cartwheels. But it doesn't really make any concessions to the average gamer, which leaves the majority of us standing out in the cold.

Blades of destiny är egentligen typiskt tyskt. Det är sanslöst stort, otroligt avancerat, bedövande detaljrikt, massivt systemkrävande. Och mördande trist.

There's little to encourage all but the most dedicated fan here.

Every fan of a good pen & paper RPG will feel right at home in this game, and it won't let you stop until you've finished it successfully - that much is certain. Attic has delivered a damn good conversion with this one. And for those of you who aren't too familiar with the attribute and talent jungle of the game's world, there is even a simplified version of the character system.

So begrüßenswert die kleinen Veränderungen gegenüber der Urfassung sind - bei diesem CD-ROM will keine rechte Freude aufkommen. Die Grafik ist schlicht, das System noch immer umständlich und die Story durchschnittlich. Zudem müssen Sie das Programm auf der Festplatte installieren und die Handbuchabfrage überstehen. An diesem Programm hat der Zahn der Zeit ganz furchtbar genagt: Gegen neue High-End-Rollenspiele wie Ultima 8 oder Arena: Elder Scrolls kann Die Schicksalsklinge nicht mithalten. Augen zu, Deckel drauf und lieber auf die Fortsetzung Sternenschweif warten.

From what seems a very complex and rewarding RPG game system, the programmers have managed to produce a game that is neither fun, involving, exciting nor interesting. There are many better RPGs around - don't bother with this one. You'd spend longer reading the manual than playing the game.