"Ah,wading through more crap..."

Rage of Mages is a game that is simply not fun.Its formula for gameplay has been seen before in Diablo and its various clones.Now then,on to the review-

Graphics: 6/10

The graphics are not too bad for an isometric 2D game.Colors are done relatively well,but some seem to be out of place.There were obviously better graphics available at the time it was released,but of course,graphics don't make a game.However,the movie sequences were far worse.In every one there was discoloration and choppy performance.I don't know why this happened,my computer surpassed the requirements.Oh well,I'm not particularly grieved.

Music: 2/10

The music in this game is unbearable.There are a multitude of songs,but each of them sound exactly the same!I get so tired of listening to it,I turned it off when I was still playing this mess.The music consists of various scraps of stuff made by some instrument that I can't identify.Probably a discount synthesizer or something.

Sound: 5/10

Sounds effects are mediocre.Things sound like they should,well,at least close anyway.Enemies make grunts and squeals that are difficult to tell apart.Well,unless of course you're fighting bees.Voices are annoying,turn them off too.I don't remember if you can.Its been a while since I played this.

Story: 2/10

Boring and unoriginal.You are some hero who has to save some miserable island from destruction.You meet other heroes along the way who join you.If I were the hero,I'd just stay home.Yawn.

Gameplay: 1/10

I've saved the worst for last!The game is supposed to be a strategy/RPG hybrid.There's too much strategy(dumb strategy at that)and not enough RPG.The gameplay is worse than Diablo.In Diablo,I felt like I had some small semblance of action while playing.Here it's just a bunch of characters moving around and hitting things.You can hire mercenaries,but you won't care because this game is so boring.Townspeople will tell you about different quests to solve.The objectives are usually kill this thing,kill this group of things,rescue some lost idiots,walk here,walk there,etc.The game seems long only because it is so ****ing tedious.As for the characters in the game,it boasts four different types,but it is actually two.You see,there are the male and female fighters,and male and female wizards.There's no character mixing here!Fighters can't learn any magic,and wizards can't use any weapons or armors aside from staves and robes.I would have liked to see what a fighter/wizard combo would look like.I guess they don't want any uber-characters.Internet play is non-existent,because there's no company supported network,and I wish you the best of luck finding someone who has this game and will play an IPX or LAN game.I really don't wish to recall anymore,because it might give me nightmares.

Overall: Like the synopsis said,it's just more crap floating around on the commercial sea.

Graphics:6 Nothing special.
Music:2 Make it stop!PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!
Sound:5 *Grunt grunt* *Buzz buzz* *Squeal squeal*
Story:2 Same old ''save the world'' fare.
Gameplay:1 Can't...stay...awake.....

That's it!Don't buy this,don't give it as a gift,don't look at it.

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 01/08/02, Updated 01/08/02