Champions of Krynn is a classic SSI D&D adventure that will appeal to fans of the Dragonlance universe

User Rating: 7.5 | Champions of Krynn PC
The classic D&D adventures from SSI were some of my earliest gaming experiences. Champions of Krynn is a solid entry for the D&D franchise and the start of a memorable trilogy set in the Dragonlance universe. For those familiar with the novels, main characters like Tanis, Tasslehoff, and Kitiara make cameo appearances. Some of these characters join the party for a short while as well. Overall, the level of immersion is the Dragonlance universe is solid in this old-school role playing game as you'll encounter Solamnic Knights, draconians, and even a familiar villain or two.
The story is delivered mostly in text in the form of one-way conversations with main characters as well as narrative text from the game to describe story sequences. The game also makes use of the packaged manual by referencing you to journal entries found only in this book. The story moves slowly at first, leaving you to head in any direction you choose. Exploration is done in a first-person 3-dimensional perspective through maze like dungeons and towns. A lot of time is spent wandering in these dungeons and you'll encounter a number of random battles as well as scripted events as you are exploring. The overall pacing is solid, and some of the story sequences are quite memorable.
From a technical standpoint, the graphics are your typical early nineties VGA sprites in battle. Outside of battle you'll see portraits of main characters when they speak to you as well as portraits of monsters prior to their attack. The graphics overall aren't terribly easy on the eyes, but if you're familiar with the SSI games, this shouldn't surprise you. Overall the looks serve their purpose. One of the downsides is that dungeons and towns in the same region almost all have identical walls, making it easy to lose your bearings quickly. Ultimately though, you get used to the feel of the game and navigation as you make your way through the story.
If you like D&D adventures and have played any other SSI games, you're sure to enjoy Champions of Krynn. It's available on a few abandon-ware sites and can be played on DOS emulators pretty easily. Fans of the Dragonlance universe will definitely enjoy the immersion of the world. If you feel the urge to try some old-school D&D fun, you can't go wrong with the Krynn trilogy.