Temple of Apshai Trilogy
Description official descriptions
The Temple of Apshai Trilogy includes updated graphical versions of three classic Apshai games:
Groups +
Screenshots
Promos
Credits (Commodore 64 version)
Redesign by | |
Graphics by |
Reviews
Critics
Average score: 87% (based on 2 ratings)
Players
Average score: 3.1 out of 5 (based on 22 ratings with 1 reviews)
A historically significant CRPG - be sure to play as intended, with the manual.
The Good
Temple of Apshai Trilogy does a good job of adapting the classic Epyx Dunjonquest games into a slightly more accessible format, presenting them with clearer visuals, considerably enhanced speed and some great sound.
Gameplay is simple by modern standards, essentially boiling down to something of a hack-and-slash dungeon crawl with a bit of treasure-gathering on the side, but when you consider how early the original Apshai trilogy came out -- and how ill-defined the computer role-playing game was at that point -- there's still a lot to enjoy.
A particular highlight of the experience that will appeal to fans of tabletop roleplaying is the "Book of Apshai", which is intended to be read alongside the on-screen experience. Look up the number the game says you're in, read the text description and suddenly things become a lot more interesting and atmospheric than if you were just trudging through the dungeon.
The Bad
Without that manual by your side, the game loses some of its appeal, since the visuals are abstract and lacking in detail, even with the enhancements the Trilogy release brought.
The ruleset on which the game is based is also somewhat obtuse about certain details -- while you gain experience points for defeating monsters, for example, there's no explicit "level" system, so no indication of exactly what those experience points are getting you, if anything.
Some may also find the game a tad directionless, even with the Book of Apshai; there's no real "end goal" to the game besides fully exploring all the dungeons and amassing as much wealth/experience as possible -- but some, equally, may find the purity of that appealing.
The Bottom Line
Temple of Apshai Trilogy is a historically significant game that helped to define what computer role-playing games would be moving forward. While there were better, more complex CRPGs around by 1985, the simple purity of Apshai's dungeon crawling remains appealing and enjoyable to this day -- particularly if you have the Book of Apshai by your side to enhance the experience.
Atari 8-bit · by MoeGamer (23) · 2023
Discussion
Subject | By | Date |
---|---|---|
Another half-arsed, buggy DOS port? | Andrew Fisher (697) | Apr 23, 2023 |
Trivia
Every room is numbered, and has a description in the manual about smell, sounds, wind etc. Rogue's dungeons are randomly generated. Apshai's were designed. This is reflected in the room descriptions, which are in the manual for a reason; playing the game with the descriptions makes it much more immersive and interesting.
Analytics
Upgrade to MobyPro to view research rankings!
Related Sites +
-
Temple of Apshai Trilogy Gallery
A gallery of artwork from the Temple of Apshai Trilogy manual from the artist himself, Michael Mott.
Identifiers +
Contribute
Are you familiar with this game? Help document and preserve this entry in video game history! If your contribution is approved, you will earn points and be credited as a contributor.
Contributors to this Entry
Game added by Jeff Sinasac.
Amstrad CPC, Macintosh, Thomson TO added by Trypticon. Atari 8-bit, Amiga added by JRK. Windows added by Rik Hideto. Antstream added by firefang9212. Commodore 64 added by Lucefin. Atari ST, Apple II added by Terok Nor.
Additional contributors: Roger Wernersson, General Error, formercontrib.
Game added May 27, 2000. Last modified September 18, 2023.