"An unknown game that turned out to be pretty good"

Siege of Avalon is a little known game, the only one developed by Digital Tome and one of few published by Global Star Software. Being an RPG in the overhead tradition of Diablo, this game was originally released as six downloadable chapters. Now, however, you can buy the anthology version that includes all of the chapters on one disc for about $10. The game is surprisingly good for being pretty much unknown, especially for the price. This being my first review and not being the type of person to give an opinion amidst numerous others, I hope to shed some light on this obscure little gem.

GAMEPLAY (7/10)

As stated before, as well as on the case for the game itself, gameplay is done in a Diablo-like manner. The game is in a diagonal, overhead view and controls are pretty straightforward. The mouse allows you to cast move, attack, cast spells, and talk, while the keyboard allows you to set up hotkeys and access various menus. Overall, Siege of Avalon is what you would expect a game like this to be, but with a few minor flaws:

First, there are problems with the AI, both on the enemies' side and yours. There will be times where you can physically see an enemy on the screen, but your character and allies cannot. Thus, they just stand there and do nothing. On the other hand, there are times where you cannot see enemies on the screen, but they can see your character. This will lead to you being sniped by arrows and/or spells and not being able to react immediately. Also, when you later get NPCs, you can technically set their AI to do certain things, but many times they will not act they way you want. Also, in the event you decide to physically control one of your NPCs, your character has no AI, so they will just stand there.

There are also several glitches in the game that work either for or against you. Throughout the game, you will find enemies that cannot be harmed and enemies that can kill you in a few hits. However, there will also be times where you can walk right up to the enemy and kill them while their buddies just stand around. Overall, this makes certain parts of the game annoying and certain parts amusing, but do not hurt the game too much.

On the plus side, the ability to customize your character makes the game more enjoyable. Initially, you can customize your character's looks and clothes, and you will constantly be changing what you look like as you get more equipment. You also have the chance to choose between three character classes, Fighter, Scout, and Apprentice, which can change the different quests you can complete.

STORY (9/10)

While there are several interesting details and plotline in the game, the overall premise of the story is the much clichéd “Save your home” type of tale. This time around, you meet with your brother at the citadel of Avalon that is being sieged by your enemies, the Sha'ahoul, an alliance of Sha'men (humans) and Ahoul (“cousins” of the orc). You basically progress through the game, improve your stats, and get ready to save the day.

Like I said before, though, there are plotlines that make the game interesting, especially if you decide to do all of the quests and complete all of the chapters. These adventures provide great history and other information that make the game more fun to complete.

GRAPHICS (9/10)

The graphics here are pretty solid, with a wide range of environments and equipment, but a limited range of character sprites. This becomes especially evident if you do all the chapters, as some of the locales are pretty impressive, as are the looks of equipment both in the inventory menu and on your character. The enemies will have little variety, but that isn't too big of a deal. The residents of Avalon have more varied looks, which adds welcome variety to the game. One problem, however, is that you may get the screen to turn mostly purple, which can be annoying because you'll have to restart the game to make it go away. Other than that, the graphics are pretty good.

SOUND (7/10)

There's not much here. Sounds vary from melee attacks, shooting arrows, casting spells, opening various doors, and different grunts and yells. That's pretty much it. The music doesn't offer much either, as most maps have nothing but ambient sounds in the background. On another note, the “town” music here reminds me a lot of the town music in Diablo, but it's been so long that I could just be imagining things.

PLAY TIME/REPLAYABILITY (6/10)

At the time of this review, I have just beaten the game using the mage class and I estimate this took between 25-30 hours. Though the main story is the same, the different quests available to the different classes might be fun to try out. Other than that, playing the game once is all you need to see the game's conclusion.

FINAL RECOMMENDATION

Given the game's cheap price and overall fun, I would recommend buying it. It will provide a good amount of fun and interest, even if you go through it only once.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/21/04, Updated 08/08/06