Alundra

"What? An action RPG starring an elf?! I've never heard of such a thing!"

We all like money, no matter who we are. Some people go to the extremes to get it, but most don't. I don't. But when I needed money, I'd say that one of the biggest extremes I've gone to was selling videogames that I loved.

So I bet you're wondering "what, is Alundra one of the games he sold?" The answer is yes. What, you knew my little rant was gonna get us somewhere in this review, right?

STORY:
What the hell is an Alundra? Oh, it's the protagonist?! Oh, well that's a silly name. What's this Alundra fellow all about? Hey, I'll tell you! The man can walk into people's dreams! You say "ludacris!" I say "yes, but it just might work!"

Alundra is an elf--don't say it!! Don't you DARE say that "z-word" I know you're thinking of. Okay, fine. Say it, get it out of your system, ya goofball. Zelda. The similarities don't stop with his looks, though. You're gonna have to trudge through a little bit more of this crummy ol' review to learn more about what I'm talking about.

Anyway, Alundra is under the care of a friendly man named Jess, but some of Jess's neighbors are a bit weary of this stranger. Who is he? What's his story? Why doesn't he talk? Okay, that last part is a joke (he's a silent protagonist), but playing through Alundra may not seem like much at first, but upon completion you'll see what a well done story it's got. The first few hours are innocent enough, but keep on playing and you'll be facing a lot of darkness and, yes, death
STORY: 9/10

GRAPHICS:
A bit outdated, I know. Okay, quite a bit outdated. Let's be honest here. But it's colorful, which is always fun. And there's always something happening onscreen, something to catch your eye. Again, Alundra looks like a very updated version of A Link to the Past, but it gets the point across.
GRAPHICS: 6.5/10

SOUNDS:
A few of the tunes will start to wear on you because you'll be hearing them for so long (the dungeons last forever... more on that later). But at the same time, none of them are bad at all. The pleasant town music will never get old, and the overall adventurous theme to the whole soundtrack is very well done.

The sound effects equate to the graphics. They're a bit bland, but they do what they gotta do.
SOUNDS: 8/10

GAMEPLAY:
Everyone has been turned off by Alundra's gameplay at one point or another. Those damn puzzles, right?! I know, seriously!! And the mazes!! Ohhh those mazes...

I'll get it out of the way. The puzzles and mazes in Alundra are relentless. They are unforgiving. They show no mercy. They chew you up, spit you out, feed you to their children, and then they digest you and eventually dump you out of their system. Do you get what I'm saying here? The puzzles and mazes treat you like crap!! They are HARD, and are a good enough excuse for anyone to quit playing Alundra altogether. And did I mention their numbers? Yeah, I'd say the puzzles average around five for every level. And every level is a maze, obviously. You might get sick of them, to say the least.

To be fair though, all of the puzzles are very clever. You think you've seen everything once you complete a level, but just you wait!! There are all different varieties--blocks! Switches! Falling objects! Ropes! Other stuff too! I make it sound run-of-the-mill, and it is at first. But just you wait.

Alundra can run! Alundra can walk. Alundra can swing his sword, use magic, wear equipment, and use items!! Sound cool? It sounds like Zelda again, I know. The monsters have great variety, though, and they're never too hard or too easy. The bosses are simply hit-hit-hit until they're dead, but they provide great challenges.

It doesn't sound like anything new except for insane puzzles and mazes, but I wrote this review in 2008. This game came out over ten years ago, so just keep that in mind. At the time, it was something different. It was a game for Zelda fans to pass the time, a game for folks without Nintendo systems to join the adventure RPG club, and a game for anyone in between. Bravo, Working Designs.
GAMEPLAY: 7.5/10

LASTING APPEAL:
This is one long-ass game. Even if you somehow (you would need a miracle) are able to breeze through the mazes and puzzles, you'll still be playing it for hours and hours. You might give up, but let me tell you that you'll be missing out. Once you're finished, though? You might be done for good. I thought I was one of the folks in that department... but I occasionally find myself wishing I could play Alundra again. But alas, it is no longer in my possession (tear).
LASTING APPEAL: 8/10

OVERALL:
It's hard, and it ain't pretty. That's fo sho. But it's got a story to remember and a whole lot more. You'll get frustrated, angry, even downright hateful. But if you play through the whole thing? You will be a very satisfied gamer.
OVERALL: 8.3/10

Thanks for reading =)

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/16/08

Game Release: Alundra (US, 12/31/97)