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| Welcome
to Game of the Week! Each week there will be a
new featured game on this page. The game may be good,
average or diabolically bad, it really doesn't matter!
Just look at the pics, read the text and enjoy the nostalgia!
:-) Game of the Week! is open to contributions so if you
would like to contribute
a game article for this page you're more than welcome
to! Every article we receive will be considered! |
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The
Lands of Havoc
1985 Microdeal
Programmed
by Steve Bak
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| Most
text of the present article comes from the review published
in the fourth issue of the British C64 magazine ZZAP!64
(August 1985). |
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LANDS
OF HAVOC
Microdeal,
£9.95 cass, joystick and keys
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When
I first looked at the game's instructions, I thought
this was an Ultimate game. They're very cleverly produced
to look like a set of Ultimate instructions, being printed
on the same paper with the same type and Ultimate style
border.
In
fact, the similarity doesn't stop there. The game itself
is a rather poor copy of Sabre Wulf, with worse
characters than the Spectrum game. The instructions
are really unhelpful, even worse than Ultimate's usual
ambiguous offerings, and the only information I could
glean from them was that to get on in the game you have
to find a book. Once I had found that, I would learn
more of the game.
Using
rather large block characters, LANDS OF
HAVOC almost manages to look like Ultimate's
Spectrum game, Sabre Wulf.
Once
the instructions had been digested, it was to the computer
to play. When you start you are given a certain amount
of time to arrange the postcard-like maps supplied with
the game into the order the computer states. Once that
is done you can play the game. You've got to explore
the maze-like landscape in true Sabre Wulf fashion,
and you are relentlessly attacked by lots of nasties
which 'materialise' out of nowhere, Ultimate style.
The
lands themselves are quite large -- there are 2,000
screens to explore. At the speed your character moves,
this doesn't take long to get round. Your character
is an odd one, it looks rather like a laser-spitting
Tyrannosaurus Rex but most probably isn't.
There
are nine sections of landscape and you can freely travel
from one to the other. They all look very similar, being
the same maze type, it's just the actual walls of the
maze that change.
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When I first saw this, I thought it was a Spectrum game.
The boring colours and horrible tune gave the impression
of an extremely pathetic copy of Sabre
Wulf.
Exploring the lands was quite good fun though, with
lots of horrible nasties to be
zapped with your laser-firing prehistoric reptile. There
are plenty of screens to go round and, if you like this
sort of game, lots of challenge, but if you don't like
Sabre
Wulf I'd
steer well clear.
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Presentation 84%
Very
well packaged, good instructions plus handy
map cards.
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Hmmm!
The packaging and instructions seem reminiscent
of some other company. 'Ello! This game looks
slightly familiar too . . . I know -- Sabre
Wulf!
Yes, Lands
of Havoc is
in fact a version of that old Spectrum classic
-- and not such a good one at that. I thought
the graphics were rather poor and the tune (!)
drove me out of my skull. Still, if you're a fan
of the original and can't wait until the release
of the official version, this might keep you quiet
'til then, but not for long!
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Graphics
31%
Not a lot on screen and even then
it's of poor quality and single colour.
Sound
29%
Unbelievably repetitive and irritating
'tune' (for want of
a better word).
Hookability
41%
The playing area is so monotonous
and bland that you won't want to explore too far.
Lastability
32%
There's nothing much of interest
to keep you playing for long.
Value
For Money 39%
Seems rather expensive for such
great packaging and poor game.
Overall
36%
A very empty and thin arcade-adventure.
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Htmlized
by Dimitris
Kiminas (14 April 2002)
SID added 15/6/2003. Ripped by Warren Pilkington
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"Games of the Week!"
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