"Light and Dark meet for a game of...Chessers?"

Probably one of the weirdest games that I’ve played, Archon has a combination of strategy; checkers and chess all rolled up into one little cart. If you’re into games that force you to think about what you’re doing before you do it, and you like strategy games in general that are based loosely off of an already available game, then you’re in the right spot. Where the game picks up, isn’t with the eye-popping visuals or the intense sound {you have neither}, but rather with the way that the game play focuses your attention on strategy!

There isn’t a story line that I can figure out here, but you have a distinctive set of sides. You either play as a Light or a Dark side, and your goal is to annihilate your opponent from the board without taking too much damage. Much like chess, the game takes place with chess-like moves and pieces that look pretty much the same way. Where the game differs, is when you battle in which there is a side disadvantage depending on where your pieces are and what shade square they are standing on. This little extra-added strategy goes a long way in keeping the replay value high and the possibilities are seemingly endless.

-The Game Play-

The game play works like chess in which you have sixteen {16} characters on either side of the board and you have to really pay attention to what you’re doing. You can tell the difference between the two sides, based on what types of creatures they are and you have to know just what you’re doing with them. Certain pieces have different attributes that make them a better fighter than others, or they match up with pieces of the opposing side. Sure, it sounds difficult to understand, but in all honesty, all you have to do is learn what pieces do what and how to move them in order to get a good grasp on the game!

Control really isn’t a problem here and all you have to do is pay attention to what is happening on the screen. Your pieces move accordingly and if you can’t figure out what to do with the game and how to control everything within the first ten minutes of the game, then there is a problem. All of the battles as far as I can see are auto-started and you’ll just have to use some sense when going up against your opponent. There isn’t anything here than both a veteran and a beginner to games such as this cannot pick up on, with the movements being simple and no advanced attacks to be found.

-The Visuals-

Visually, Archon is basic in most senses of the word. While the pieces themselves have a little animation, even the battle sequences that you come across have very little action going on in them. If you’re a fan of Battle Chess, then you may find some small similarities here and there, but overall, there isn’t anything to really look forward to. Although this isn’t to say that the game doesn’t have it’s merits. In some portions of the game, you’ll find that there are some pretty cool sequences with the battles, but they quickly get old after twenty or so minutes and unless you face your pieces off against different ones, you’ll be seeing plenty of the same!

-The Audio-

The audio is also very simple in the way that it is presented. With only a couple of tunes to be heard throughout the game, you have a pretty interesting one during the title screen and then another one during the battle sequences. Other than that, you have very little else that will go along with the game and the audio effects are all that you have left to go along. Even the audio effects are done in a simple manner, with most of the clanging being more generic of action games and with little variation on the sounds, you’ll probably be longing for some humorous Battle Chess sounds.

-The Verdict-

Archon is a pretty good game that has some strategy merits to go along with it. Although the game is relatively old by today’s standards and doesn’t have the polished feel that Battle Chess does, it does take away from the monotony of a normal chess game. With the different strategies that you can come up with and a pretty interesting twist on the overall game play, you’ll find that Archon is a good addition to your collection and worth the couple of bucks that it costs to purchase.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/01/02, Updated 10/01/02