Alundra - the Playstation PS1 puzzle solving RPG games

Shipwrecked in a small village and advised by a local scholar, Alundra must use his ability to enter dreams to destroy the nightmares plaguing the villagers before they are all killed. Along the way he must resolve the issue of Maia, another new arrival and eventually take the fight to the demon responsible.

The animated intro, cut sequence and ending are excellent, but the majority of cut sequences are done using the 2D game engine. The game has no voices, and despite being text-based Alundra himself never "speaks" rather receiving direction from the villagers. The music is unobtrusive, but also not particularly memorable. Graphically the game is a 2D game using isometrics to produce a 3D effect. Unfortunately this does not always work as desired.

The game has an innovative story and the idea of walking into dreams is well developed, with a distinct look to let you tell the difference between dream and reality. However the story is engaging and does not shy away from killing NPCs off when required. The characters are well drawn, although there are several sections which are largely talk. You may end up sitting through a cut sequence several times if you lose the boss battle which follows.

Storywise the game is effectively linear, and although there are references to a "King" and other towns it takes place on a small peninsular with one village, giving the game a very crowded feel. (It is also never explained why the King's army isn't involved if the demon is known to be a threat to the realm.) Although there are side quests which can be completed, most of these need to be done in the course of the story anyway.

This game is mainly a puzzle solver rather than a fighting game. Rather than random encounters there are enemies outside the village which can be avoided or fought. Plants and enemies give off money or health, allowing you to build up substantial resources quickly. However resolving some of the puzzles can be frustrating and require precise timing with no margin for error. Also some of the rooms have major perspective issues (a running joke while playing was "level design by M.C.Escher") which makes resolving some of the puzzles almost impossible.

I would not recommend the game to younger players due to the simple graphics, complex puzzles and surprisingly adult story line. However experienced gamers should thoroughly enjoy it.

Flint is a pirate, attempting to defeat the evil magician who is enslaving people by putting keys in their backs. He must rescue the princess and put the kingdom to rights.

Unfortunately the only thing this game shares with the inspired original is the name "Alundra" on the case. The character of Alundra is gone, replaced by an entirely new cast and crew, as are the concepts and plot that drove the original game. To be fair, if this game didn't have the name Alundra on the cover, and had been allowed to stand on its own merits, it would probably be down as an uninspired if serviceable RPG. Unfortunately the comparison to the original makes it seem worse than it actually is.

This game appears to be an early attempt to create a 3D RPG using polygons and realistic backgrounds and levels. The puzzle solving and intricate stone castles are gone, replaced by forests, small underpopulated villages and a wider roaming area.

Graphically the game can only really be described as basic. The functional 2D graphics and anime sequences of the original are gone, replaced by clunky and poorly rendered 3D graphics. The sprites are polygonal, but areas are not clearly defined and many times finding your way through a map can be trial and error while trying to locate the one spot you can jump off.

The controls are fairly basic, but somewhat sluggish, which makes the hack and slash gameplay very difficult at times. Sound and voices are virtually non-existant and the music score is uninspired and forgettable.

I really wanted to like this game. Taken on its own merits, some sequences, like the mechanical whale really stand out as how good it could have been. However there are no real plot twists, and the story is fairly basic - beat the bad guy, save the kingdom. Combined with the basic graphics and poor sound, if you are looking for a serviceable RPG there are better ones out there.

If you are curious about this game, then rent it before buying, and be aware you are getting a basic RPG, not a sequel to Alundra. Overall I just didn't find it that much fun, and to be honest only completed it for the sake of the review.