Menzoberranzan (video game)

Menzoberranzan is a 1994 published for MS- DOS computer role-playing game based on the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules and regulations, developed by Dream Forge Intertainment on behalf of SSI. Based in the campaign world of the Forgotten Realms game is the second of three games, the legend of Forges game engine for Ravenloft: The Curse of Count based. The game was ported to FM Towns and PC -98.

Action

Scene of the game is two years earlier, in December 1992, with the Menzoberranzan box set: The imported Famed City of the Drow by Ed Greenwood, RA Salvatore and Douglas Niles underground city Menzoberranzan. The town is inhabited by the evil people of the Dark Elves, the drow. The main characters of the game also includes the created by RA Salvatore novel character of the fallen from his people Drizzt Do'Urden dark elf. In search of the elusive Drizzt a troop Drow Warrior, coat of a village on the surface of the continent Faerun, in which reside the player characters. Since the Drow kidnap some villagers, the Hero group makes their way to the underworld.

Gameplay

Menzoberranzan plays similarly to developed by the same studio Ravenloft: The Curse of the Count and has parallels to Ultima Underworld and Westwood Studios ' Eye of the Beholder on. The event is presented in a 3D environment from a first person perspective, the battles are fought in real time. The player is generated at the beginning of two -player characters and can accommodate two more companions throughout the game, including Drizzt Do'Urden and his Panther Guenhwyvar. The player controls his characters with either the keyboard or the mouse. He may decide to request for a scrolling or block locomotion. How Ravenloft: The Curse of the Count has the game a Automap, with the ability to label and print it out. The new combat options include the ability to levitate the group of heroes.

Development

The game was originally released in 1994 for MS- DOS, in two slightly different versions for floppy and CD -ROM. The CD -ROM version included doing more dungeons and quests. On October 27, 1995, a port was followed by the PC-98 and in January 1996 on the FM Towns. Also in 1996 Menzoberranzan was published as part of the AD & D Masterpiece Collection.

Reception

The game achieved only modest ratings.

Michael stallion from games magazine Power Play awarded 70% for the floppy version of the game. Against the background that SSI had published more than 20 AD & D title since 1987, Stallion confirmation that the " recurring character system " and the " same old spells " significant fatigue: "So delightful is the Menzoberranzan scenario also is [ ... ] and so loving the designers have ironed out a few wrinkles in the new AD & D look [ ... ], the times for AD & D computer role-playing games now seem to be truly over. " it contains the game" quite tasty RPG food "because it is" a lot of tasks and mini puzzles groovy hordes of monsters and an extensive network Dungeon " hold ready.

Tester Ian Cole from the online magazine Quandaryland awarded 3.5 out of 5 stars, indicating in particular in comparison to the Ravenloft: The Curse of Count criticized sluggish flow of the game. Also, too many scenes were just empty. However, he praised the fact that they do not involve customary to hack and slash, but also a lot of work with character stats and puzzles. John Terra by Computer Shopper, however, described the game as " outstanding" and described it as a "must -have".

In retrospect, the developer was especially criticized for having exploited the rich potential and offer the scenario template only insufficiently. Allen Rausch from online games magazine Gamespy ruled in a retrospective: "without a great plot and exciting monsters did truly Utilized its spectacular setting, Menzoberranzan ended up being less impressive than it resulting in players ' imaginations " ( German: "Without a great plot and exciting monster who took advantage of the truly spectacular scenario, Menzoberranzan was much less impressive than in the minds of the players. "). According to Matt Barton of Gamasutra, it was mainly the endless number of boring fights that constantly interrupt the flow of the game especially in the first sections and require the player great patience before anything interesting happens. But the game I missed it, according to Andrew Park and Elliott Chin Gamespot in particular, the defining characteristics of the Drow scenario - the all-determining intrigues of the ruling families and the insidiousness of this people - fits into this quite linear plot involved. A capital- bug that made ​​it impossible for some players the game's completion, did the rest to it. Menzoberranzan therefore could not initiate a turnaround in the increasing number of mediocre AD & D implementations of SSI.

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