Black Cat
Magister
Chapter the first; The game's title doesn't refer to us.
In which we are introduced to our next adventure and then get eaten by a miniature Dune worm as a welcome.
I was bored last night and decided to have another go at one of those old and obscure games I really enjoy playing, and finally managed to clear it. Then I decided to have a go at making a quick and fast Let's Play of it, given the game's quite shortish, as I still have the puzzles and timing fresh on my mind, and this game really deserves more love. So let's get this party going. Oh, and don't ask about that other let's play thingie. I'm not really in a dungeon crawling mood right now so I'll continue with it later.
Released long before I was even born The Immortal is both a really atmospheric isometric dungeon crawling adventure and one of the best games ever, period. It's also unfairly, almost sadistically, difficult And I mean it: This is a game in which you will die because you got to a tile with a ladder from the wrong side, and that's not a joke. This is a game in which you'll die because you walked into the wrong tile, or because you used an spell one frame too early. This game packs so much tastefully done rape you will be asking to please be sent back to doing blind The Legacy and Dark Heart of Uukrul runs before long. If this game had a soul and a heart this would be its favorite song, and it would learn to speak and sing just to be able to mock us every time we meet an ugly end. And that's without even going into all the dead ends you can get into, as most items on the game come not only with limited uses but also with many spots where they can be wrongly wasted. The reason why all this rape is actually tasteful, you ask? You keep coming for more, and the game obligues. It does so with this look on its face, too.
All of this certainly doesn't help making of it anything but a pretty obscure cult game of a time long past, which is both wrong and a waste. So here's little me trying to remedy it.
The Immortal is the story of a nameless wizard, usually known as The Wizard by the really imaginative and creative fandom, who for a personal quest must dare the many dangers and challenges of an ancient dungeon. The guy looks kind of old and feeble, but do not be mistaken: He belongs to the same arcane tradition good ol' Gandalf did belong to and is more than able of kicking cartloads of butt with nothing but a sword as long as the player controlling him is competent enough, while most of his magical knowledge and prowess is for solving puzzles and executing defeated enemies with some pretty brutal finishing moves. I actually like games that make use of this kind of solo wizard that can hold his or her own in combat, so share if you know any more.
As to why is The Wizard willing to enter the dark and treacherous deeps of this particular dungeon, let's check the manual...
It's a pretty good setup, I say. Actually, I believe it to be a much better setup than most dungeon crawling adventures and dungeon crawling role playing games out there, but that's just me. Also, for being a very old game with almost no dialogue and no narrative it manages to tell a nice little tale. Ah, and I almost forgot: This is not a role playing game. At all, really. There are no stats, there are no dice rolls, there is no leveling up. This is more of an adventure game with some action elements that happens to be set in one of the most lethal dungeons ever, much closer to games like Elvira, The Summoning, or things like Cadaver than to actual role playing games, be those from the storyfag bureau or the dungeon crawling committee.
The game also has a soundtrack I actually like a lot for being both moody and simple, so I will be linking to it when able. For now, let's listen to the theme song as present in the Sega Genesis version, while we continue. Ah, yes. That's it. Again, I almost forgot: The game has about half a dozen different ports and I will be playing the Sega Genesis one, because it is the one I like the most as it has nice sound, pretty good graphics, and it is quite easy to run. Of all the ports it also seems to be one of the most complete ones, as some other versions either added out of place stuff that kind of ruins the mood to adapt the game to the system's perceived user base or removed stuff that was out of the system's technical capabilities back then, like the really nicely animated death sequences and the gory finishing strikes.
Finally, and as I said at the begining, the game is quite short, consisting of eight levels built pretty much to the point, without padding nor random encounters of any kind. It's quite easy to finish it fast once you know what to do, even if the two little levitation segments and the like continue to inspire pure hatred and frustration no matter how many times you play through them. This Let's Play, therefore, will consist of exactly nine chapters: This shortish introduction and then one chapter for each of the eight levels of the dungeon, though the last one is actually just one pretty hard puzzle battle, with a timing that makes the last battle from Jaws of Cerberus sound like a good idea. The scene, however, is very awesome.
So that's it. Before we finish the introduction and start with the game, however, let's get into the correct mood.
That's how all first rooms should be, I say. Next time we meet we will lead The Wizard through his explorations of the first floor, we will solve some puzzles, we will die several horrible deaths, and we will kill many things in funny ways.
'til next time, then!
In which we are introduced to our next adventure and then get eaten by a miniature Dune worm as a welcome.
I was bored last night and decided to have another go at one of those old and obscure games I really enjoy playing, and finally managed to clear it. Then I decided to have a go at making a quick and fast Let's Play of it, given the game's quite shortish, as I still have the puzzles and timing fresh on my mind, and this game really deserves more love. So let's get this party going. Oh, and don't ask about that other let's play thingie. I'm not really in a dungeon crawling mood right now so I'll continue with it later.
Released long before I was even born The Immortal is both a really atmospheric isometric dungeon crawling adventure and one of the best games ever, period. It's also unfairly, almost sadistically, difficult And I mean it: This is a game in which you will die because you got to a tile with a ladder from the wrong side, and that's not a joke. This is a game in which you'll die because you walked into the wrong tile, or because you used an spell one frame too early. This game packs so much tastefully done rape you will be asking to please be sent back to doing blind The Legacy and Dark Heart of Uukrul runs before long. If this game had a soul and a heart this would be its favorite song, and it would learn to speak and sing just to be able to mock us every time we meet an ugly end. And that's without even going into all the dead ends you can get into, as most items on the game come not only with limited uses but also with many spots where they can be wrongly wasted. The reason why all this rape is actually tasteful, you ask? You keep coming for more, and the game obligues. It does so with this look on its face, too.
All of this certainly doesn't help making of it anything but a pretty obscure cult game of a time long past, which is both wrong and a waste. So here's little me trying to remedy it.
The Immortal is the story of a nameless wizard, usually known as The Wizard by the really imaginative and creative fandom, who for a personal quest must dare the many dangers and challenges of an ancient dungeon. The guy looks kind of old and feeble, but do not be mistaken: He belongs to the same arcane tradition good ol' Gandalf did belong to and is more than able of kicking cartloads of butt with nothing but a sword as long as the player controlling him is competent enough, while most of his magical knowledge and prowess is for solving puzzles and executing defeated enemies with some pretty brutal finishing moves. I actually like games that make use of this kind of solo wizard that can hold his or her own in combat, so share if you know any more.
As to why is The Wizard willing to enter the dark and treacherous deeps of this particular dungeon, let's check the manual...
The morning sun heats the jagged peaks as you follow the forgotten road down to the valley floor. The bleached ruins of great columned temples and towering citadels rise from the grassy plain like the bones of some colossal beast. This was the ancient city of Erinoch, destroyed by dragon's fire over 1000 years ago. Mordamir spoke often of this city... and the labyrinth below...
Mordamir. You think back to the days when you were young and eager to learn to the spells of sorcery. The old wizard Mordamir took you in and patiently taught you the arts of magic. He taught you how to read the runes and unleash their power. The power of charms and fire. He showed you the strength of steel and taught you to use your wizard's cunning. Mordamir was your master, your mentor. He was your guide down the treacherous path of wizardry. He was your friend.
Many years have passed since you last saw the old man. You assumed he was dead - that is, until a few nights ago, when he called to you in a dream. You woke with the uneasy feeling that Mordamir still lived - trapped in a bottomless cavern. And so you set to unravel the secrets of the Immortal.
It's a pretty good setup, I say. Actually, I believe it to be a much better setup than most dungeon crawling adventures and dungeon crawling role playing games out there, but that's just me. Also, for being a very old game with almost no dialogue and no narrative it manages to tell a nice little tale. Ah, and I almost forgot: This is not a role playing game. At all, really. There are no stats, there are no dice rolls, there is no leveling up. This is more of an adventure game with some action elements that happens to be set in one of the most lethal dungeons ever, much closer to games like Elvira, The Summoning, or things like Cadaver than to actual role playing games, be those from the storyfag bureau or the dungeon crawling committee.
The game also has a soundtrack I actually like a lot for being both moody and simple, so I will be linking to it when able. For now, let's listen to the theme song as present in the Sega Genesis version, while we continue. Ah, yes. That's it. Again, I almost forgot: The game has about half a dozen different ports and I will be playing the Sega Genesis one, because it is the one I like the most as it has nice sound, pretty good graphics, and it is quite easy to run. Of all the ports it also seems to be one of the most complete ones, as some other versions either added out of place stuff that kind of ruins the mood to adapt the game to the system's perceived user base or removed stuff that was out of the system's technical capabilities back then, like the really nicely animated death sequences and the gory finishing strikes.
Finally, and as I said at the begining, the game is quite short, consisting of eight levels built pretty much to the point, without padding nor random encounters of any kind. It's quite easy to finish it fast once you know what to do, even if the two little levitation segments and the like continue to inspire pure hatred and frustration no matter how many times you play through them. This Let's Play, therefore, will consist of exactly nine chapters: This shortish introduction and then one chapter for each of the eight levels of the dungeon, though the last one is actually just one pretty hard puzzle battle, with a timing that makes the last battle from Jaws of Cerberus sound like a good idea. The scene, however, is very awesome.
So that's it. Before we finish the introduction and start with the game, however, let's get into the correct mood.
That's how all first rooms should be, I say. Next time we meet we will lead The Wizard through his explorations of the first floor, we will solve some puzzles, we will die several horrible deaths, and we will kill many things in funny ways.
'til next time, then!