Publisher: Atari
Ages: teens & up
Parental
Advisory:
Violence & blood
For Dungeons & Dragons fans, Atari's The Temple of Elemental Evil delivers the roleplay goods. This title will appeal to die hard fans of the of the series, which has already gained a following as a computer and pen-and-paper game. On the other hand, those who are not already fans of Dungeons & Dragons may find the game somewhat esoteric and hard to get into.
The Temple of Elemental Evil offers classic Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). Players create a party of five characters who start out with few skills, feats and spells, and gain experience and expertise along the way. The game features the usual assortment of characters that include a sorcerer, warrior, ranger, bard and more. The game features multiple story paths and multiple endings and varied environments populated with computer-controlled characters.
The game features turn-based combat that gives players excellent control over their fighters and allows for the precise execution of strategy. However, those who are accustomed to real-time combat in other games may initially find turn-based combat to be slow. The game is challenging. In particular, because the characters are initially weak, it's always a feat just to keep everyone in the party alive. For those already into D&D, The Temple of Elemental Evil uses 3.5 Edition rules.
The interface is relatively straight-forward but can be somewhat confusing at times. Those accustomed to playing in-depth roleplay games should have no problem learning and using the interface. Generally, the game is geared more towards those who are already familiar with D&D. The graphics are first rate and serve detailed characters and environments. As a roleplay game, there's lots of fighting and some blood.
The Temple of Elemental Evil is a good roleplay game that stays true to its D&D roots and will appeal to D&D enthusiasts. And those who are new to D&D, if they persevere a bit, can have lots of fun with this one.
11/3/03 www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff
