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Standing
in a room of gloom staring into the misty portal is
a character. His memories of the visitation by an Alien
ship and consequential capture flood his mind. Why him?
What do they want? He knows his destiny lies behind
that forbidding portal . . .
A
field of pure energy plays amid he doorway and above
it a panel of constantly changing numbers flicker. As
the character passes through, the digits freeze and
his stamina, strength, wisdom, charisma, intelligence,
skill and hit points are set for the quest which lies
beyond. The neat chapter in the Alternate Reality
saga is about to begin.
When
faced with an apprentice, what do you do? In
Alternate Reality -- The Dungeon, the decision
is yours...
Those
who have successfully played Alternate Reality: The
City can load their characters from that adventure
into the new Dungeon scenario -- stats and all. Newcomers
have to create a new character from scratch.
The
quest takes place beneath the city of Xebec, in the
dank, gloomy corridors of the Dungeon. Within these
hallways of horror are many places of interest, populated
by strange and powerful beings -- some friendly, and
some not. Trolls and Goblins who dwell beneath the city
are deadly -- and should the character decide to ally
with one species, the other automatically becomes his
sworn enemy. However, it is possible to play one against
the other if your character is cunning enough.
Down
at the Damon & Pythias shoppe -- looking for
a really nice Pythias?
The
necessary supplies needed to stay alive are available
at retail outlets, or can be got by less honest actions
-- mugging fellow dungeon dwellers, for example. The
character is only capable of carrying a limited number
of objects, so a little decision making is required
to ensure a useful inventory. Food, water and clothing
and a compass are essential belongings if any progress
is to be made. Magic spells, potions, trump cards and
unusual weapons, such as gladius and a kukri, are also
items which help keep the character alive.
The
adventure is depicted in three main areas. The top part
of the screen displays the character's stats and gives
a brief description of the location which he's in. Below
this is an illustration of what the character 'sees',
whether it be the dungeon walls, the crystal caverns
or inside one of the many buildings. The display scrolls
as the character walks, and it is possible to turn in
all four compass directions from the point where the
character stands.
The
character's present condition is displayed at the bottom
of the screen, along with the amount of food and water
currently carried, an option menu and any relevant messages.
Atmospheric music and suitable sound effects are also
present throughout.
Options,
such as casting spells, using items, getting items and
saving or loading a game are open to the player at any
time during play, although some actions may only be
carried out during encounters or when exploring. Pressing
the RUN/STOP key aborts any decision made by the player
should he have second thoughts.
There
are four levels to negotiate, with the objective being
to find the Oracle of Prophecy and escape the Dungeon,
and therefore be able to continue the quest in the next
part of the Alternate Reality. There are two
ultimate goals to the entire series -- either to return
to Earth, or take revenge on the captors.
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