Oh good golly Miss molly, would you Adam and Eve it? It's another one of those damn role playing games. Now for me, Dungeon Master was and still is one of the best RPGs of all time, and because of the popularity of that game several companies are trying to cash in. So these days you get loads of RPGs, all trying to knock Dungeon Master off its throne. It has to be said that today's technology is tones better and it shows - take a look at Eye of the Beholder 2 for example. Unfortunately poor old Dungeon Master gets wiped off the face off the earth.

So it's no surprise that yet another RPG is available for you to buy. Brace yourselves, because here comes Black Crypt. Electronic Arts' newie promises to be the best RPG yet, but then again promises are made to be broken, so we shall see.

Unlike most RPGs, this hasn't got an epic novel to go along with it, but I does have a short story, and when I say short I mean short, as in Ronnie Robett size. Well, I'll tell it anyway.
Years ago he was banished from the world. Now the dark lord Estoroth is back with a legion of Hell's unholiest fiends. Their mission - blood revenge!
Your brave band must recover the lost relics that alone can seal Estoroth and his infernal terrors in the Black Crypt (hence the title). So there you have it, short story time over.

As usual you start the game with four team members. These must be selected at the beginning. You have a choice of fighters, druids, wizards and milkmen. Well OK no milkmen, but I had you going for a second there. The whole game is played in dungeons - 12 of them to be precise. Each member of your dungeon posse already has several items upon his/her person - one of these items is normally a weapon.
Obviously fighters will have much better weapons than, say, druids, but then again don't choose all fighters because who's going to mix the drugs and mix spells? Sorry, I'm getting away from the point here.

Black Crypt plays rather like Dungeon Master in the way that you move about and the way that you fight. I have to hold my hands up and admit that I found it very hard. Not hard to play, but hard to get anywhere. The beasties are very nasty indeed. They have this disagreeable habit of creeping up behind you, and before you know what's going on, you've lost two of your brave adventurers.

Despite this annoying factor, I found Black Crypt quite fun to play. I don't know why - maybe because it is so well presented. That's one of the best things about Black Crypt - the graphics are amazing, all drawn beautifully in 64 colours.

The animation is top notch - even the doors are wonderfully animated. Dan spent about ten minutes just opening and closing a door - he was mesmerized.
It says on the box that the game's got digitised sound effects, but all I heard were a few grunts and the sound of doors opening and closing (thanks to Dan). Maybe there are some fantastic sound effects in the later levels.

Overall, Black Crypt is basically Dungeon Master with knobs on. The level of difficulty might put a few of the less experienced RPG fans off, but for the conquerors of Dungeon Master and its ilk, this is definitely the game for you.

The graphics make it instantly likeable, and playability-wise you can't go far wrong. It's not a classic, but it's much better than some of the other rubbish on the market.

I'm off back down the dungeons now, not to play Black Crypt, but because that's where Amiga Computing put me when I'm not reviewing games. I don't know why, but I don't half fancy some fava beans and a nice Chianti.

Cast back your mind to circa 1988, when abrand new style of role-playing adventure game appeared on the scene. The three dimensional views of the caverns, coupled with the ability to control a four-man team using weaponry and magic to battle the foe made it one of the most influential adventure games ever to appear. It even spawned a whole new genre in computer gaming. That game was Dungeon Master

Once more unto the breach
Fortunately, the people of Astera managed to trap the cleric in another dimension, saving the people from his evil plans. Unfortunately, a warp between Astera and the alternate dimension has begun to open Four more warriors must be sent through to Estoroth's dungeons to defeat him and seal the right forever.

This is where the game starts. You control the four man party in their quest through the various levels of the dungeons, which contain many puzzles and creatures to overcome. Your party comprises of a member from the four main guilds of Astera: a warrior, a cleric, a magic user and a druid. Each member has particular skills which are required for the quest - the warrior has good battle skills, while the other members have access to their own distinct branches of magical spells.

The gameplay is very much in the style of Dungeon Master. The characters are displayed as four panels at the bottom of the screen, each with their own strength level, attributes and items held in their hands. On the right of the screen is a panel showing any messages, with the movement controls and disk commands underneath. The rest of the display is taken up with the 3D display, which shows characters objects and scenery in the immediate vicinity.

All four characters have fighting abilities, that are activated by placing a weapon in their 'action hand' and clicking on the character's portrait. The three magical characters can cast spells from their own spell backs, the only limitation being that they can cast spells that they have learned. Learning a spell depends on a characters experience level, and is carried out by finding the required spell in a book and clicking on its name. Spells can also be cast from scrolls that are found along the way, but these can only be used a certain amount of times before the scroll is useless.

Déjà-vu?
The visual arrangement of Black Crypt combined with the movement and manipulation of objects make the game extremely similar in appearance to DM. This wouldn't be too bad if there was something in the way of more complex puzzle-solving to carry out, or maybe even a new way of battling any creature along the way.

Unfortunately, Black Crypt doesn't really offer you anything new in this arena. Sure enough, the graphics are nice and there are a lot of beasts to fight and levels to beat but all of these elements don't really make any significant advanced in the field of role-playing adventures.

Admittedly, something like Eye of the Beholder is more expensive, but when you consider the fact that there is a lot more depth and atmosphere to the actual gameplay, that extra dosh could make all the difference two weeks into playing the game.

The problem with Black Crypt is that none of the puzzles you come across hold any real surprises. Where is the creepiness as you hear an enemy storming around the corner? Where are the headaches as you work out the right way to breach a chasm? Not here, I'm afraid. In fact you're more likely to get bored of the quest because you've seen it all before.

I hate to admit it, but I... I... But no, I can't say it. Look, the thing is, as far as I'm concerned, there's only one thing more tedious than Fantasy Role Playing games - the people who play them. Oh yes, and the people who make them. Two things then. An RPG represents escapism for accountants. I've never liked them and I never will.

That said, I've still got an outside chance of coming somewhere in the Mr Objective Reviewer Of The Year Awards so perhaps I'd better give this here one. Black Crypt, a fair crack of the whip, I'll do my best anyway. (And anyway, Mark bloody Ramshaw, who normally does this sort of stuff, seems to have disappeared off somewhere, so it's down to me).

I guess the first requisite for an FRPG is some mystical twaddle. Black Crypt's concerns some top Cleric chap called Estoroth Paingiver who did something rotten a few years back and was chucked out of the country of Astera. He wasn't a happy chappy, and so returned with some of his mates for a revenge kicking session which he thought was successful until the Four Guilds Of Astera got together and sent Estoroth into another dimension. But now he's threatening to escape and blah blah blah blah boring boring BORING! (Why they can't think up some sort of proper storylines I just don't know).

(I... No, I still can't). There's an even poncier version of the story in the back of the manual, but what it all amounts to is taking a party of four brave adventurers - different characters, each with their own positive and negative traits - into the maze-like Black Crypt, collecting the objects (the most important being the four magical weapons first used to kill Estoroth - yawn) and fighting the monsters found therein.

Oh, and casting a few spells and mapping the dungeon along the way. There are keys to unlock doors, clues in the form of scrolls and plaques, switches that alter the maze-like dungeon, new clothing, weapons and armour to be found, and... that's about it really.

As progress is made, the characters gain experience in the form of points which basically makes them harder and allows those capable of casting spells to use more powerful ones. Of course, this all boils down to a glorified maze exploration.

(I... li... ayayay!) As is the case with almost all adventures of this type, you must have a blank formatted disk before you can get anywhere. But this task has to be done aside from the Black Crypt program. Why, I don't know. It would make so much more sense to include some form of in-built format facility, especially when the program's as fussy as Black Crypt - if the disk isn't called 'GAMESAVE', the program doesn't want to know. More irritating is the fact that only two save positions are available per GAMESAVE disk.

Thankfully, there isn't a great deal of figure-fiddling required before play begins (see ENTER THE BLACK CRYPT below). There is however far too much disk swapping involved before the dungeon is entered, which is even more surprising given that Black Crypt is for machines with one megabyte or more of memory. And when the adventure does begin... well, what a disappointment.

Black Crypt doesn't look much different from its stablemates at all (see WHAT'S WHAT IN THE BLACK CRYPT) at the bottom, for a description of the screen layout). The mouse-driven point and click interface used to play isn't overly fluid to use, but it's far from cumbersome. It appears to be based on the ageing Dungeon Master system, which wasn't wholly original in itself but effective enough, I guess, for its time. Personally I never liked it much. I'm sure that with a little thought a more user-friendly system could be developed.

I also think that a lot more could be done to generate that all-important sense of atmosphere. Black Crypt's dungeon mainly lacks it due to its look and the way it's presented. The character portraits barely rise above functional - and, to my surprise there are no chicks to choose. The variety of monsters is not wide and none of them seem out of the ordinary. Their animations are simple, the attacking moves being especially weak. In fact the fighting as a whole is not strong - it's essentially little more than a matter of repeated mouse clicks.

Sound isn't out to exceptional use either. A few grunts and groans and growls accompany the fighting action. More impressive (and almost atmospheric) is the fact that the volume of any particular sound varies depending on its distance from the party.

Other faults? Well, the title sequence is dull, and the accompanying music is unsuitable rubbish. The death of the party is met with an unimaginative text message: "SADLY, YOUR PARTY HAS FAILED TO STOP THE RETURN OF ESTOROTH. HIS CONQUEST OF THE LAND OF ASTERA IS QUICK AND BRUTAL". I hope there's a more impressive congratulatory end sequence.

(I... like... ridingmyredbicicycle). Just to emphasise how weak much of this is, the game Black Crypt kept reminding me of more than anything as I played it was Lucasfilm Games' ancient The Eidolon, and that was much more atmospheric. It was scary, it really was. The sound of an approaching monster would grow louder as it drew near, but you couldn't quite pinpoint where it was coming from until it was almost on top of you.

The fighting was no more complex than Black Crypt's but it was far more rewarding - a frantic exchange of fireballs complete with suitable sounds and lots of sparks. And yet, and yet, there's something about this new game...

To be honest, I may not be the best person to judge, as Black Crypt is the first adventure of this type I have really persevered with. Everything else has left me cold, and yet - though it didn't immediately grab me - as Black Crypt's all-round tackiness was forgotten it somehow managed to draw me in and keep me there. I quickly found myself excusing its flaws, and despite the lack of atmosphere there was a healthy feeling that progress was being made.

Not once did I reach the stage where I thought 'Now what?', and that impresses me. I LIKE BLACK CRYPT! There, I said it. Now that's either a reflection of how sick, twisted and sad an individual I have become or to the fact, beneath it all, it's actually a rather absorbing and playable game.

EA'latest RPG is set to take over where Eye of The Beholder and Dungeon Master left off, and, somewhat surprisingly, it wasn't produced by long-time RPG associates, Interplay.

The plot is the usual 'evilness-has-risen' tale, where you must venture forth and put a stop to such goings-on. Estoroth is the name of this particular villain who has taken up residence at the base of a gigantic, creature-infested crypt. You and your three companions must enter to defeat his lieutenants, before taking on the big guy himself. Your only weapons to effect this unenviable task are a handful of spells and any other equipment you find on your travels.

The control system is similar to that of the aforementioned Dungeon Master and Eye Of The Beholder. Like those games, items are picked up by clicking on them, and can be dragged into the appropriate character's backpack. There's also a handy automapping feature in the form of a wizard spell and a combination of magic items. Without this, you'll find it impossible to escape the first level, let alone get to the bottom of the crypt.

In addition to weapons and magic items, food and drink are the next most important. Clicking on a character icon brings up their physical profiles, which includes their status, what attainment level they have achieved, and a head-to-foe picture of them.

There are three versions of the body screen: one for weapons; another for clothes and armour; and one for miscellaneous items. Dragging an object on to the appropriate area (a ring to the hand, for example) automatically equips it. However, the more your characters do, the hungrier they get and, if they're not fed, you can kiss your quest goodbye. Fortunately, there are numerous magic scrolls which enable your magician to cast the spell of life in order to resurrect dead characters. Even so, it still makes sense to save the game every time you solve a puzzle or make a significant discovery.

As you solve problems and win battles, your characters gain experience points. As these mount up they automatically go up in skill levels, which, in turn, increase abilities. Magic characters will be able to cast more powerful spells (providing they find the right spell books), and your fighters will find it easier to score hits.

In addition, progress brings harder puzzles and foes, and key spells are essential if you want to escape levels. Occasionally, for instance, you will come across fields of magic, called wards, which can often prove fatal, and these can only be destroyed by a 'remove ward' spell (what else?).

As well as offensive spells - which also include death and pestilence - there are several passive ones that come in useful. Create Food speaks for itself as do shields and healing.

Initially, I thought that a game set in one large dungeon would be too limiting. I've always enjoyed RPGs that vary in content, and require a good deal of wilderness travel. In truth, Black Crypt is so large that you forget you're stuck in the one building. It took me over three hours to complete the first huge level. Each stage has a major problem to solve, with a number housing a giant two-headed ogre who owns the key to the next level.

Unfortunately, he can only be damaged with magic weapons, and there's only one magic sword to be found in this stage. Following that, you encounter a race of violent, but invisible creatures and some grey goblins who steal your equipment before teleporting away.

Black Crypt's graphics are excellent. Equipment is easily identified and the creatures you encounter are well designed, if lacking slightly in the animation department. Sound is also put to good use. You can hear something as they approach, with the sound increasing in volume as it enters the screen. There are also plenty of screams had shouts during battle.
In fact, my only gripe regarding the presentation is that there are only two save positions allowed - a minimum of five would have been preferable.

Beginners and battle-hardened veterans alike will enjoy this. The puzzles are pitched at exactly the right level, the control system is easy-to-use and the atmosphere generated incredible. Although it's highly derivative of several other titles, Black Crypt is a must buy.

What is it about role playing games these days? They always have such depressing titles, like Abandoned Places, or Pit Of Despair From Which There Is Absolutely No Escape or A Day Trip To Milton Keynes. If computer games held wild parties at each other's houses, the ones sitting on the stairs with the heads between their knees, moaning that they'd drunk too much, would be the RPG's. No doubt the shoot 'em ups would then come along and duff them in a bit.

So what do EA name their first role player since The Bard's Tale? Something more jolly, like Villa In The South Of France Full Of Chicks With Questionable Morals? No, they call it Black Crypt. Brilliant.

The scenario's pretty unoriginal. You have to choose four heroes, enter a dungeon, cast some spells, hit things and then banish the evil that's terrorising your land. Gosh, it took EA several pages of novella to say all that, and I did it in just on sentence. I must be in the wrong line of work. (Just what I was thinking, actually. Ed)

There are four different types of character: fighters, clerics, wizards and druids. Who'd have expected to see small robots in a dungeon game, eh? (That's droid, you fool. Ed.) Oh. However, somewhat unusually, your group must consist of one member from each of these categories. Normally, the selection is made at the player's discretion.

Other than that, it's standard mouse-driven stuff - you explore the catacombs by clicking on the arrows. But you probably know that already, after seeing about nine trillion similar games, and want to know if this one's got anything new to offer. Better keep reading then, hadn't you?

Toby: Whenever a new RPG game comes out, it has a problem called Dungeon Master. Comparisons are inevitable, and DM invariably comes out on top. Mind you, for those sort of chaps who played DM to bits, another Dungeon Master title could be a bit of a Godsend. Anyway, back to the Crypt. After the innovations that Abandoned Places provided, such as horseback travelling, I was actually quite interested to see what there was to see...

Unfortunately, Black Crypt contains no startlingly original features. Very unfortunately, it contains a few crap ones (hem, hem). For a start, there's the team selection. Why should the player be forced into having only one of each character? Most people prefer to have two fighters up to front, to take all the damage.

Okay, so it's not massively detrimental to the game, but to find a flaw like this virtually as soon as the game's loaded isn't exactly a good start. Secondly, you have to save your team once you've created it - this takes loads of disk swaps and waits, even before you can actually start playing the game. And then, when you've died, there's a pause before the menu screen reappears... and then it's another thirteen disk swaps to start again. (Serves you right for being so crap and getting killed all the time. Ed.)

All the usual pointing and clicking, feeding, equipping, magicking and the like is here, as well as the familiar level gaining based based upon experience points, and the sound is pretty smart. So basically it's Dungeon Master with start of the art appendages.

Black Crypt offers RPG'ers who didn't get enough with Eye Of The Beholder or DM more sword and sorcery frolicking. You'll certainly get your money's worth in this title - just don't expect too much in the originality department.