Anything around like Lands of Lore??

[stretcher]

Does anyone rememeber the original 'Lands of Lore' RPG game of circa 1993/94? The characterisations along with some genuinely original puzzles to solve (and at least which I found I COULD solve as opposed to some bizarre ones since ) were great fun.

I absolutely loved that one, quite liked its sequel 'II' but pretty disappointed with the final one (yup, you've guessed it, 'III')

I'm only an occasional player now as I don't have the time, but I would quite like to have a shot at something in a similar vein, but a more modern equivalent.

Any recommendations.

Any thoughts?

 

[Garrett]

That funny I preferred the third one to the second one, Mind you I missed picking up an artefact and when I met the very final boss I could not change into a form to kill him.

The only game I can think of at the moment anyway like it is Shadow Caster and that is a very old game.
You could try Morrowind which is graphically lovely but the puzzles are few and far apart.

 

[Miyazaki]

Originally posted by Garrett
T.
You could try Morrowind which is graphically lovely but the puzzles are few and far apart.

Apart from the levels are huge and when you "run" on that game you go about as fast as as paraplegic sloth after taking a large packet of nytol.

 

[stretcher]

Well my reactions are a bit slower now so maybe that WILL do along with a nice cuppa hot chocolate!! (or Horlicks!).

I would certainly like to find something that was as intensely absorbing as the first LOL game, but I suppose all these years down the line it's difficult to recapture that originality.

Might see if I can track Shadow Caster down - must be on a budget label somewhere I suppose - or is it that old its deleted?

 

[Miyazaki]

You can probably download it from somewhere mate!

Tried baldur's gate games?

neverwinter nights and its two expansion packs are good too.

 

[Joe Pineapples]

The thing i liked about the old school 'dungeon master' type games like 'LOL', was the 'step/tile' movement. I actually think it created a much more tense atmosphere than the free-movement games that came a bit later.

btw - remember a certain starship captain, lending his voice to 'Lands Of Lore' (heres a clue - he made it so )

(sorry - cant think of anything present day & worthy)

Dean

 

[Garrett]

Originally posted by Games Guru
Apart from the levels are huge and when you "run" on that game you go about as fast as as paraplegic sloth after taking a large packet of nytol.

Didn’t you get the boots of speed? You could travel round like you was on nitro methane.


Some reviews here of Shadowcaster

http://www.mobygames.com/game/view_review/reviewerId,7927/gameId,550/platformId,2/

http://www.ibiblio.org/GameBytes/issue20/greviews/shadowcd.html


Like in LoL 2 as the game progress you got different power to change into other creatures, from memory they were a big cat, beholder, a flying fire demon, a stone creature, a pixie type of guy and a reptile a bit like a frog.
The game is just about older than LoL 2 so the graphics are dated.
Just seen it is a DOS game.

As Games Guru says Baldurs Gate is good albeit not a first person game. Which can be found packed with the expansion pack on budget. Which I though was better than BG 2 or Neverwinter Nights which I packed in because of the messing about with camera angles.

 

[Garrett]

Originally posted by Deansimm
The thing i liked about the old school 'dungeon master' type games like 'LOL', was the 'step/tile' movement. I actually think it created a much more tense atmosphere than the free-movement games that came a bit later.

btw - remember a certain starship captain, lending his voice to 'Lands Of Lore' (heres a clue - he made it so )

(sorry - cant think of anything present day & worthy)

Dean

Stonekeep was a cracking game that you moved from square to square but the graphics where the best for its time. That had Puzzles as well (nothing too obscure or silly). But was also a DOS game. I would love to play it again and there was talk of a sequil although nothing came of it.

 

[Hawklord]

How about giving Deus Ex a go if you haven't already. It's not set in a fantasy world (beardy) more of a sci-fi setting but still a very absorbing RPG. The story line is worth playing for alone and the whole game ooozes quality with regard to the universe created and the characteur progression.

A real must for RPG fans imo



I'm currently nearing the end of the sequel which is pressing all the right buttons too

 

[Miyazaki]

Deus Ex 2 is ok, the levels are really short, and there doesn't seem to be the same depth of storyline as the original.

Also the levels are really small in size. Whats with that?

The original had huge levels like liberty island where you could snipe from a distance and hide from robots. Liberty Island in invisible war is cut into 4 pieces. Seems strange.

Also it is very resource hungry for its not amazing graphics.

I'd give it 7/10 as it is completable in about 7 hours.

 

[Garrett]

Dexs Ex is a great game which I intend to play again shortly.

But if you are taking that type of game there is a fantasy one I have been holding back mentioning which is Thief, The Dark Project. Which may be more suited to stretcher's less frenetic pace. And there is the sequel Thief II The Iron Age. I enjoyed both that much I played them on easy and expert. Both on budget the first may be hard to find though (I have PM’d you where I saw a copy). If you see them at Game you could get all 3 games mentioned in this post for £10.

 

[stretcher]

Got the PM Garrett - many thanks.

With regards to the 'less frenetic pace' - !!! Spot on though



Anyway, I remember a mate of mine giving Thief the thumbs up a long time ago - A trip down to Game tomorrow methinks (don't have a local MVC), see if I can pick any of these suggestions up - I'll let you all know.

By the way, I remember TWO version of the first Lands of Lore game - the first had no sound at all, but the second came out a little later with PS voicing it, other nice little basic sound effects too.

Ahh - memories

 

[Garrett]

In Land of Lore I got really lost with the puzzles in that city where you did something then had to take it back to that place in the sky(wasn’t there some sort of jelly creatures) but the music was soothing. But up in the area where the snow was really enjoyable.
The third LOL was weird you was in a medieval setting where there was a haunted mansion with lifts.

 

[stretcher]

The third LOL was weird you was in a medieval setting where there was a haunted mansion with lifts.

What I didn't like about III was the joining of the guilds an acquiring that annoying little pixie which floated around with you wherever you went.

And compared to the second LOL, the scale of it was so much smaller and much less of a challenge. Needless to say I got pretty bored with it, but the very first still stands out as the best for me.

A game which preceeded it was Eye of the Beholder. Remember that one? No automaps, no sound and a helluva lot of time trying to work out which way you were facing

 

[Garrett]

I got Eye of the Beholder II on the Amiga and enjoyed it then I found out 3 was on the PC only I was gutted.

The Pixie thing was your familiar, I had a ferret from the thief’s guild.
I did think getting about the main city a right pain and I never completed the obstacle course to get my skills up., and had to use the training rooms. And one of the quests where you had to go in the deserted rocky area was a sod. I had to make a jump from a bridge thing to a far ledge I did it first time then though I had gone wrong so I reloaded a save then I realized I was right but took me aged to get to that ledge again.