"Like mini-Diablo, only free."

When I was younger, about 10, I started to play this game. It was my first time ever playing an RPG, and I had a heck of a time. This is one of the best *FREE* RPGs out there today. I started playing it again about 2 months ago, and I was suprised to find out it is still great fun. I also was started to realize that this game had lots in common with Diablo. They both had randomly generated dungeons, lots of spells, randomly generated items, and were very basic hack and slash games. Diablo is, of course, superior to this game, but I would still suggest looking into this game.

Graphics: 6/10 - It a really old game, so don't come here expecting anything nice. No character animations, lousy spell effects, and all dungeons look EXACTLY the same. Very boring overall.

Sound: 0/10 - Guess what... No Sound!!

Gameplay: 10/10 - So this is where the game really shines. You start the game after chosing a male or female character and allocating points into several categories such as strength, constitution, or dextarity. You start off in a small town.(Note: Since the first and second games are almost identical, I will be refering to both of them) The story is not important at all. There is something about revenge and stuff, but I honestly didn't care. The addictive stuff is in the fighting. All dungeons are random. This allows you to replay it many times, each time being a new experience. The fighting is basic, you just need to run into something to attack it. Fighting is NOT in real time. Each time you make a move, the enemies make a move. In other words, if the final boss is right in front of you, you could just stand there all day without him attacking you. He won't move until you move. This is nice for analizing the situation and thinking. You can also use magic attacks, which drain your MP. It's basic stuff, but there is a nice amount of magic attacks which makes fighting more exciting. There are also a nice variety of enemies, but fighting them is largly the same. There are randomly generated items that boost certain stats. These items are a large reason why this game is so fun, because it is always great fun to get a new item, and they come at a pace that makes each one feel like an acomplishment. I would be very suprised if Diablo didn't take some inspiration from this classic game.

So, if you want a GREAT free RPG or just want an introduction to the genre, get this game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/02/04