Twelve brave heroes are set in stone and buried deep under the Temple of Heaven’s Light, ready to be called.
Although all twelve remain intact, the wizards of Kalynthia only have power for summoning four back from their stone slumbers - two warriors, a wizard and a priest. Who will you choose?
Abandoned Places puts the player in control of four chosen heroes, each with their own strengths, weaknesses and unique set of abilities. All characters have their own inventory where they can hold items, wear trinkets and store objects in their backpack. They also have a small portrait which changes depending on their health and situation. As the game begins, you will find yourself lost in the depths of the Temple’s bowels, with little to defend your party with. Novices will find this introduction very tricky, especially since you’re still navigating yourself through the controls, so don’t be surprised if multiple attempts are required to get through this first sequence.
Controlling and moving your party is done through a small 3D window where you get a first person perspective of what your party is seeing. Although somewhat graphically basic it is essential you keep a keen eye on your surrounds as to not miss hidden wall buttons and piles of gold. Surprisingly, although the graphics aren’t anything special, Abandoned Places pays a lot of attention to detail and the player will find an abundance of items and objects scattered around the world.
Combat is presented in real time with a “cool-down” system on each of your weapons and magic. Frustratingly, because each weapon needs to be clicked to be used, you will find yourself concentrating a lot of your time on clicking each small item for it to be successfully used rather than watching the combat at hand.
When you do manage to clamber from the depths of the Temple Abandoned Places really begins to shine. The game opens up giving the player a great sense of freedom with quests branching off the main narrative and much exploration available in the world. Travelling is depicted from a bird’s eye view perspective which is a breath of fresh air from the sometimes blocky first person perspective and extensive environments allowing for a varied experience.
Being a port from the Amiga, Abandoned Places does have its technical drawbacks. There is only the introductory music which is grainy and of poor quality and after that the game falls silent. Players using the mouse will sometimes come across delays and unregistered clicks which can become infuriating in combat situations. The title also has a tendency to hang which again is due to the port.
All in all Abandoned Places is a very involving game allowing the player a great degree of freedom and exploration. Although the title can become somewhat repetitive with its monster bashing and ported issues, players will find the gaming experience rich and involving.
If you liked this game, you should also try:
Amberstar ; Champions of Krynn ; Death Knights of Krynn ; Dark Queen of Krynn, The ; Dungeon Master ; Eye of the Beholder 3 ; World Of Xeen
Credits to: Sunderer