Tales of the Unknown: Volume I - The Bard's Tale

The Good
I was a Wizardry fan and was excited about the new RPG opportunities home computers opened up. I admired Wizardry, but was blown away by Bard's Tale and it's pioneering use of animation and artwork. From the original version for the Apple II, I'd never seen such competent graphics or elegant programming. For the first time, I actually felt like I was exploring the world, not just viewing it. The immersive gameplay and striking graphics made it a standout for years to come.

I even bought the Amiga version when it came out, even though I had played-through the Apple II version (of course it blew away the Apple II version; it included even more groundbreaking effects). A very important game in the history of computer role-playing games.

The Bad
The only thing I didn't like about the game were really just the limitations of the Apple II, but they did the most with what the Apple II could do. These limitations were overcome with the Amiga version.

The Bottom Line
A groundbreaking game in the history of computer role-playing games. Not a standout by today's standards, but incomparable for its time.