Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor

"Don't expect this game to be something it isn't."

First of all I would like to state that this game gets unjustly bashed in almost every review because people are expecting a deep, engrossing game. That is just what this game is not, it offers a simple, nearly plotless, dungeon crawl. Nothing more Nothing less. While being a huge fan of the Baldurs Gate series I did not expect Pool Of Radiance to be anything like that; if you want a great story with amazing character development go buy Planescape Torment. However, if you want a mindless game to play once other RPG's have fried your brain then this is the game for you. I say rate it for what it is a great, headache free experience, not another Baldurs Gate brain teaser.
In order to address this games good aspects I must also mention its bad ones. It can be a bit slow after 20 tedious hours of killing zombie hordes, and 2 days clearing out the first of many ungodly huge levels. There were some major issues concerning bugs, which I never experienced, and a few misinterpretations in the 3rd edition rules, which I never noticed.

I also feel it noteworthy to mention that I have heard this game is impossibly difficult to beat. I am playing it with a set of four pre-made characters and don’t find it quite as impossible as I have heard; however, I feel it presents the appropriately level of challenge. Now the games sound and music won’t receive such high praise as its gameplay. The sounds tends to be rather bland and the music rather dull, they don’t really compel you to play the game and beat-up on that next zombie . That same old sound of ‘thud’ as you smack a zombie upside the head or smash those stupid empty barrels to bits does tend to get on your nerves after a while. A human being can only handle so many of these before they go completely insane and impale their head into the monitor with an ironic sounding ‘Thud’. The games graphics are not anything too spectacular but they definitely don’t give flashbacks to the days of pixel haunting horror either.

While the graphics are nothing to write home about the replay value is, even if it is to say that it simple isn’t there. This game simply has no replay value whatsoever, it’s a one-hit-wonder in every respect. How someone could muster the willpower to roam about these never ending levels again would astound even me but it's possible a true fan might have fun completing the game with a different party configuration for a second run through.

To enjoy this game fully you must accept it for what it is a simple, nearly plotless, dungeon crawl. Nothing more Nothing less. It is a decent buy at a bargain bin price.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 03/20/02, Updated 04/19/04