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| Home | Features | DMA® Info | About | Vol 27 Issue 12 May 2003 |
Software Review: Avernum 3by Dan Woodard, regular contributor to "The DataBus" Spiderweb Software's world of Avernum takes place in a fantasy setting.
As the story goes, there is a cruel Empire on the surface, ruled by
a tyrant. The Empire discovered an immense network of caverns far below
the surface, which they called Avernum. They decided to magically transport
anyone they didn't like down there. Instead of dying, these people used
magic and hard work to survive in the caves. Eventually, the Avernum
refugees found a way to assassinate the Emperor, and later won a war
against invading Empire forces. This brings us to the present. The people
of Avernum have finally started thinking about returning to the surface
world for good. Your party of adventurers is one of the first to go
above ground to scout out a remote section of the Empire and see if
it is acceptable for settlement. My first impression of the game was that it was very similar to Avernum 2. This is not a bad thing, since Avernum 2 was very addictive, and I felt that it was a memorable game. The interface is very much the same; players encounter many of the same races, and even some of the same people from Avernum 2. However, as I played, I also noticed some differences. Avernum 3 is nearly as big as Avernum 1 and 2 combined. There are some new lighting effects. During your adventuring, you can find maps that will help you in your travels. Since a majority of the game takes place on the surface, players will encounter a variety of creatures never before seen in the previous games. Also, you will see the changes between day and night, which go beyond a simple change in illumination. Some creatures only come out at night, for instance. Gameplay is rather straightforward, much like the classic Ultima style of role playing game (RPG). A lot of time is spent exploring, doing side quests, talking to characters met along the way, and searching for powerful artifacts, weapons and armor. There is a lot of text in this game, so in some respects it could be described as an interactive book. For example, there are many side quests you won't even find out about if you don't talk to people in various towns and cities. One of the most satisfying parts of the game involves building up your characters. As you complete quests and defeat monsters, you gain experience points. These can be spent at various training locations to improve certain aspects of your characters, such as hit points, defense, agility, etc. By deciding which abilities and special skills to focus on, players can shape their party according to their favorite style of play. Summary: Avernum 3 may not focus on eye candy, but it has the substance that makes it a fantastic fantasy RPG. Offering even more variety and a larger world to explore than its predecessors, it would be a great choice for anyone who likes adventure or classic role-playing games. Rating: 8.5 out of 10 Requirements: Windows 95+ or Mac System 8.1+, 30MB free RAM, 40MB free HDD Reviewed: Athlon 700, 128 MB RAM, 32MB Video, 50x CD, Win '98, DirectX 7, 30GB HD Best Price: $22.50 at www.spidweb.com (price reflects 10% discount during April) Demo: www.avernum.com/avernum3/index.html Walkthrough: www.gamefaqs.com/computer/mac/game/33579.html |
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However, rather than finding everything fine and dandy, there are monsters
everywhere. Even the Hill Giants and Troglodytes, long thought to be
extinct, have reappeared. This entire section of the Empire has been
magically cordoned off, and it is your job to find out what is causing
the monster plagues before they completely destroy the area. 
Dan
Woodard | DMA® Home | Computerfest® | Copyright Statement | ||
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