Shadowfire

ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment)

Opposition 5/7

Display 4/7

Ease Of Use 4/7

Game Depth 3/7

Ace Rating 890/1000

Andy Smith 890/1000

Spectrum, £9.95cs C64/128, £9.95cs, £11.95dk Amstrad, £9.95cs, £14.95dk This strategy game was one of the first icon-driven strategy games and is still one of the best. The player takes charge of six characters collectively known as the Enigma Force, and uses them in an attempt to rescue the ambassador Kryxix who is being held on board the spaceship Zoff 5 by that scoundrel General Zoff. Each character is ordered separately by means of icons from various menus that can be called up. i.e. the battle menu allows the player to choose to attack, defend, retreat etc and the movement icon lets the player decide in which direction the character should move. The various characters all have different characteristics that are peculiar to them and the player has to use each team member's special ability at key points in the game in order to survive. Played against a very tough time limit, Shadowfire requires the player to react swiftly under pressure and employ all his tactical ability. A great game to play that is a real challenge. It is a pity that the sequel, Enigma Force, is a completely different sort of game which is not as half as enjoyable as Shadowfire.

Sinclair User

In 1985 the fine lines dividing adventure from arcade games became so blurred as to be redundant. Shadowfire dealt a mortal blow with its icon-driven strategic approach, doing away with text input altogether. That had its drawbacks - one of which was the need for an extensive instruction booklet - but once grasped the system is remarkably easy to use. You control the six members of the Enigma force whose mission is to attack the guards of Zoff V and rescue Ambassador Kryxix. An innovative game, Shadowfire has been further enhanced with the Shadowfire Tuner utility which enables you to create new scenarios, with the odds stacked for or against you.

ZX Computing

Graphics 5/5

Addictiveness 4/5

Overall 5/5

Beyond £9.95 Well, we've seen text, multiple choice, graphic, animated, Filmation, and all the combinations of each but this is the first ICON driven adventure to date. Icons are little pictures which represent objects or actions and has been used for business software on the larger machines for some time now. Control of the game is simplified to five keys or a joystick and quite complex instructions can be entered by this means, however, as with all things worthwhile, some time has to be spent learning to use the system. Beyond make this relatively painless with their colourful and welt produced manual. The task you are set is to rescue Ambassador Kyrxix who has the secret plans for a revolutionary starship called Shadowfire, capture General Zoff, the baddie, who is holding Kyrxix captive aboard his skyfortress Zoff V which you must also capture or destroy. A doddle? Well, not really, you only have 100 minutes to do the lot! Still, you do have control of all six weird, wonderful and talented members of the Enigma team. But back to the icon system. To give an example, use the joystick to select a character by moving the cursor to him/her/it, and press fire. That character's personal details are then shown on screen. Move the cursor to the "pick up" icon and select, move the cursor to an object, press fire and the object will have been picked up by that character. His possessions table will show the extra object and his agility, stamina and strength will be affected accordingly. Operations are as simple as that, the game itself is very complex. Beyond recommend that you read the manual briefly, I recommend you read it in detail and very carefully. Brilliant!

Your Spectrum

Ross Holman

Light the blue touch paper and stand back for... Shadowfire, the new firework from Beyond. It's a real-time adventure without words - you have just 100 minutes to board the enemy's space ship, rescue the hostaged ambassador, capture General Zoff, the enemy leader, and then destroy his ship. And all without typing so much as one piece of text. So, the YS fire brigade of Ross Holman and Steve Malone prepared to play with fire... Steve: Four minutes in, and we still haven't decided who goes where yet I'm gonna choose Manto, as he can use the transporter. I think we should beam down just two or three. Ross: I Just hope you've fully armed them all before sending them to the ship. I'd take Sevrina, Maul and Zork to clear the way - but I'm not holding the Joystick so anything could happen! Steve: It's all very well going for the monkey, but don't you think we should be after the organ grinder? The Ambassador ain't here and we're just wasting precious time. Ross: It's not a waste of time - if we're going to crack this we've got to explore everywhere. Look, we've found the master pass-card here that'll give us access to all the locked doors on the ship. Steve: We're very close to the robot armoury here so we can stock up on weapons. As soon as Sevrina opens the door let's start legging it... Ross: For once I agree with you! This is a tricky spot but if we move in enough fire power we can wipe the floor with this bunch. But we'll have to put a spurt on before they regroup. Steve: Didn't I say we should've brought Torik, the explosives expert along? We've found the self-destruct but we can't trigger it and we can't pick it up. Any more bright ideas? Ross: Just shows what you know. We don't need to pick it up - all we have to do is collect the self-destruct card from Zoff's office and then any character can set it off. So there! Steve: What d'you mean you re not gonna take the grenades? They're just the business for battles at close Quarters. Mark my words, we'll never get out of the Security section alive without them. Ross: That rocket launcher's worth any number of your puny grenades - just look at how heavy it is! If we're going to get into Zoff's office we'll need all the fire power we can muster. Steve: This is another fine mess you've got me into. If we'd only done it my way, we wouldn't have ended up with forty minutes left on the clock and nowhere to go. Aaargh! Ross: Don't you start blaming me. We did do it your way. There's a first and last time for everything and this is the first and last time I play this game with you. Humph!

"Brrr... phtt.-..zz... Name: Maul... Status: Weapons droid... Damage: Limited... phtt... zzz..." Keep a constant check on the status of the six members of the Enigma team Blue means they're on the move, magenta on the attack, cyan defending, yellow retreating, flashing indicates a character's weak and if the box is empty... RIP! These are the grenades that Steve's so adamant you'll need for close contact clobbering - if you want to test his theory you'll have to give it a go but don't be surprised if they blow up in your face. When you pick up a weapon, look at the weight bar - it'll give you a good idea of how powerful it is. The heavier the better, of course, but make sure you don't overstretch your team member. Any object displayed here is being carried by your character. You'll often stumble across weapons on your travels but it's better to stay armed at all times than take the risk of finding something suitable when you need it.

"I am Syylk, the muscle on this mission. And that's gonna come in pretty handy at the moment as we've just cornered Captain Churl..." This is the attack screen - in this section you'll see just who you're up against. This is Sky Fortress Captain Churl, second-in-command to General Zoff. Luckily, he's on his tod and can put up little resistance but you won't be able to duff 'em all over this easily. Sevrina can open doors but what happens if she meets a sticky end? That's when you'll find that the master pass-card in Churl's office comes in handy - it's the pass that doesn't have to colour co-ordinate with the doors. You can only attack or retreat in the direction of the filled-in arrows. The order of combat is to choose one of the action icons on the right and then one of these arrows to direct your attack. These are the three action icons - top is attack and advance, middle is stand and attack and the bottom is retreat. To help you choose the best course of action use the icon on the right of them - it lets you look around to see if the enemy's ganging up.

"I, Zark Montor, have been chosen by our beloved Emperor to lead the Enigma team on its rescue mission. Follow me..." This window gives you an overview of your position in the Spaceship but the shutters are drawn until you choose a character to move. To the left, the clock counts down the hundred minutes until the hostage cops it. You can carry on after that time but you can t complete the game. All hail - it's the Emperor who oversees your mission to rescue Ambassador Kryxix held hostage on the spaceship. When you've chosen a member of the Enigma team from the line-up below, his or her picture will appear in this window. This is the first adventure that breaks the language barrier - it's completely icon-driven. Move the cursor over the picture you wish to choose and click - you'll be surprised at how quickly you build up speed at it. When you want to change screens move the cursor to the icon in the right-hand comer. This is the Enigma team - and you'd have to look far and wide in the universe before you'd come across a more 'orrible looking bunch of mercenaries. Crooks, trained killers and cut-throats to the man. and woman. (Looks a bit like the YS team to me. Ed.)

"Look I'm just here to carry the transporter... stand back. Just don't leave me alone or I wont make it through - and neither will you..." All the objects to be found in your present location are displayed here - most of them can be picked if they're not too heavy but this one's the exception. It's the destruct unit that'll blow the ship to smithereens. It's worthwhile keeping your own detailed map of the spaceship or you may end up hopelessly lost - even with our blueprint. Use these four icons on the object screen to handle your weapons and so on. You can pick up objects and drop them just so long as they're not too heavy for you. Also, make sure you've got a weapon 'in hand' before trying to use it or you're likely to come unstuck. Here's the big piccy of your current character - in this case Manto. It's worth learning their names pretty quickly 'cos when a message comes through that they're under attack you've got to move fast.

"Sevrina's the name. There is no lock I cannot unpick, no door I cannot pass through and no man who can match me..." The map window sDowstheareainlhe immediate vicinity of your chosen character. Here's Sevrina about to unpick the lock on a door, a knack that'll come in very useful during the game. Just in view at the top of the picture is the icon for an enemy trooper waiting to go on the offensive. These four bars give an indication of strength, speed, stamina and the weight of any objects you're carrying. The quickest way to reduce strength is to get into scraps with the enemy but luckily resting aids recovery. Also if you carry too much, the weight bar will go into the red and make you more vulnerable. If any of the characters comes under attack, you'll learn the bad news here first. Obituary notices will also be posted here! The three telly icons give you immediate access to the other screens. Green takes you to the movement screen, yellow to the object screen so you can see what you're carrying and red to the attack screen.

"The name's Torik. And before anyone says this mission failed because I'm bird-brained, I'm wining my way out of here." This is one of the three starting points that Manto can beam you up to. There are plusses and minuses to all of them so it's just a question of trial and error. At this stage of the game, now that Manto's copped it, there's no chance of saving the Ambassador. The movement arrows work in the same way as the attack arrows - you can only travel in the direction of the filled in ones. Quite often you'll come up against locked doors, so either Sevrina will have to open them or you'll need the correct coloured pass-card It's a space shuttle - not that it'll do you a lot of good now. Your mission's finito! Keep track of where you are by making a note of your current location. But be warned - if the word 'security' is in there, you're likely to have big trouble with the bad guys.

Sinclair Programs

Rating 95%

Colette McDermott 95%

PRICE: £9.95 GAME TYPE: Icon Adventure Beyond have taken the traditional text adventure, smashed it to pieces, thrown it on the scrapheap and put something radically different in its place. Shadowfire is a completely text free adventure, allowing quicker decisions, faster movement and more action than ever before. You control six characters, of varying strengths and capabilities, who must work as a team to board the spaceship Zoff V, locate and rescue the captured Ambassador Kryxix, capture the evil General Zoff and then capture or destroy the entire spaceship. In case you find all this slightly too easy for your taste, you have only an hour and forty minutes in which to accomplish these tasks. First impression of Shadowfire is of a complex, unapproachable game. Using no text in the game has meant that the instruction manual is difficult to follow, especially without the game in front of you. With as many as thirty images on scree at one time, it is essential to understand all of them to be able to progress with the game. The game is played by the use of icons. For example, to enter battle, you would select the picture of the character you want to move, select the attack icon, pick out the direction in which they should attack, and leave them to it. As with all good adventures, the sequence of events is logical. You must remember to pick up a gun before you attack anyone, and you must remember to choose which of your weapons you are going to use before you lurch blindly at someone. Strategy is very important in the game. There is no need to use all the characters together, and you must always bear in mind the different capabilities of each character. It is important to make a map, and it is also important to make the best possible use of the objects you collect. The use of icons rather than text means that events can move very quickly, and the important decisions can require split second reactions. With less than two hours to complete your mission, it is useless to hang around in safe corners for too long, you must keep on the move. The initial panic caused by complicated instructions is quite unjustified, for the icons are, in practice, far more easy to use than the restricted and specialist vocabulary required by most adventures. If you are stuck in Shadowfire it is because you are not thinking on your feet, not because the program's vocabulary is inadequate for your needs. Shadowfire beats traditional adventure, strategy and war programs at their own game. The plot is strong, the graphics excellent and the possibilities endless. Shadowfire is produced for the 48K Spectrum by Beyond, [redacted].

CrashCrash Smash

Use of Computer 95%

Graphics 94%

Playability 92%

Getting Started 90%

Addictive Qualities 93%

Value For Money 89%

Overall 96%

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Producer: Beyond Memory Required: 48K Retail Price: £9.95 Language: Machine code Author: Denton Designs The distinction between adventure and arcade has definitely taken a battering recently, and Shadowfire is going to worsen the situation! Denton Designs have here devised and designed an entirely novel game which uses icons instead of text and thus brings the adventure right into the arcade player's lap. Shadowfire is a new kind of starship capable of jumping from planet to planet orbit, and is therefore a rather powerful weapon. The plans for this new ship are on a microdisc embedded in the spine of Ambassador Kryxix who, sadly, has been captured by General Zoff, a traitor to the Empire, and is held captive on Zoff's ship, the Zoff5. It is only a matter of time (100 minutes in fact) before Zoff's interrogation team discover the plans for Shadowfire which will put Zoff in a position to rule the Empire. Enigma is an organisation dedicated to the Emperor's service, a mix of heroes, criminal scum and cybernetic engineering. They are the only people who have a chance of getting on board Zoff's ship, rescuing Ambassador Kryxix, capturing Zoff and either taking or destroying the Zoff5. The game is played against the clock in real-time with you controlling the Enigma Team. There are six members in the team. The leader, Zark Montor is a human, Syylk is an insectoid, a ruthless fighter who has a pathological hatred for Zoff (a weakness perhaps?), Sevrina Maris is a female human with a criminal record and a specialist in picking locks - she tends to be loyal only to herself (a problem), Torik is a bird-like creature, a gun runner and freebooter - good with explosives and due to his flying abilities, the fastest mover and a good scout, Maul is a weapons droid designed to carry many different weapons systems, slow moving but well protected, and finally there is Manto, a transport droid with very little self protection capability. Shadowfire has strong elements of strategy because handling the characters well depends very much on utilising their best strengths at the right time and minimising the effects of any weaknesses they may exhibit. Strategy also comes into the way the characters are moved about the Zoff5 once they are on board, using Torik as a scout, but remembering that he is vulnerable to attack, using Sevrina to get through locked doors and Zark or Syylk where tough action is demanded. The screen display is complicated - a better idea of the interrelation may be got from looking at the various screen pictures on these pages than from the written word. Basically there are five main screens, each broken up into sections. The Team screen displays a graphic of the six characters and it is here that a character to control is selected. The Status Screen displays the attributes of the selected character, with icons indicating agility (movement possible), strength, stamina and weight carried. Green bars indicate the amount of attribute. The Objects Screen allows manipulation of weapons and equipment; there are three subscreens which show objects in the same location as the selected character, a middle screen shows objects carried, and one on the right contains the icons by which the objects may be manipulated. The Movement Screen also has three subscreens, the largest contains arrows for the eight directions with filled-in arrows representing possible directions for that location. The middle screen informs you of the character's present location, and the right contains icons for changing screen. The Battle Screen's three subscreens show characters in the same location including friend and foe, an eight-directional compass in the middle and at the right a series of activating icons which allow attack with a selected weapon. The three attack icons command a character to do battle and if successful advance into the enemy's location; stand fast and do battle; or retire to a safer location. Some weapons are useful when used within the same location, while others may be fired into an adjacent location - all of which calls into question the strategical role of the weapons used, forcing the player to ensure that characters are suitably armed or near a supply of interchangeable weapons. The entire game may be joystick driven. The cursor is placed over an action icon like 'pick up' or 'drop' which is activated using the fire button, then moved to the object icon desired. All the various main screens are accompanied by a top set of three screens, the left showing the status of all six characters (see screen picture captions), the centre showing a map of the selected location, and the right showing a large picture of the selected character. An information 'printout' panel displays text which is of use to the player. On each screen a set of coloured monitors allow movement between the various screens (see pictures). COMMENTS Control keys: up/down 2nd row/3rd row, left/right alternate bottom row, fire, any key top row Joystick: Kempston, Sinclair 2, Cursor type, Fuller Keyboard play: simple and very responsive Use of colour: brilliant Graphics: stunning Sound: a bit limited Screens: an endless supply Special features: Icon driven - and the Spectrum and CBM64 versions come on one cassette

Checking out what is too heavy for SEVRINA can be done by going to the OBJECTS SCREEN. Icon to pick up an object (actually a hand holding a briefcase). Icon to drop an object (actually a hand releasing a briefcase). Object in location but not carried, in this case a laser rifle. The weight bar indicates that one of the objects carred is too heavy for Sevrina. Objects carried by Sevrina: the yellow toolkit, the red laser pistol. Icon to activate some of the objects (like the toolkit). Indication of an object held in the hand for immediate use (in this case a laser pistol which may be used in the Battle screen). Icon to use an object.

The BATTLE SCREEN; some minutes into the game and ZARK MONTOR confronts the enemy. Large icon indicates character in operation (Zark Montor). Left screen shows characters in a location being 'looked into' (selectable from the right-hand screen). In this case a yellow Targ. The selection cursor (it forms a box when over an icon). Icon for 'flip over' - used when there are too many characters to display at once. Middle screen where direction for attack, retreat or looking into may be selected. Attack icon, tells character to advance if successful. Defend icon, stand fast and do battle. Retreat icon, retire firing to the next location. The left screen now shows the characters in a location.

The MOVEMENT SCREEN with birdman TORIK on his scouting travels. Screen for selection of movement. The filled in arrows indicate possible directions in this location, but a direction is still only selectable as long as the way isn't blocked by a locked door (in which case the cursor won't form a box around the arrow). Quit to Objects Screen. Quit to Battle Screen. Delete selection or exit screen to main.

The STATUS SCREEN, and SEVRINA is having some difficulty with the weight of her equipment. Viewscreen showing map of the Zoff5. Characters present in a location flash alternately. Agility (speed or movement) indicator. Stamina indicator. Weight carried. In this case, because Sevrina's strength is low, the bar has turned red, indicating she is carrying too much. Quit to movement screen. Quit to Battle screen. Cancel command or return to a previous screen. Quit to objects screen.

The TEAM SCREEN where characters to be controlled are selected. Six small icons indicating the present status of the characters: white is inactive; blue os moving; attacking is magenta; defencing is cyan; yellow is retreating; green is picking lock; character dying is black. Icon of the Emperor showing that no character is presently in play. The six icons for selecteing the characters: Syylk Sevrina Manto Maul Zark Montor Torik Icon to return to previous screen.

Read it at Crash - The Online Edition

Sinclair UserSinclair User Classic

Overall 5/5

Publisher: Beyond Price: £9.95 Memory: 48K Joystick: Sinclair, Kempston, Protek Text adventures may soon become a thing of the past if Beyond Software has its way. Shadowfire is an icon-driven strategic adventure - the first ever on the Spectrum - where commands are issued through pictures and text is obsolete. You join Enigma - a fierce and independent fighting force - whose mission is to storm the planet Zoff V and free Ambassador Kryxix. Once on Zoff V, Enigma has to search through the maze of corridors, fighting General Zoffs guards, locate the ambassador and transport him to safety. Each member of the team is controlled individually - Zark, Syylk, Sevrina, Torik, Maul and Manto and each has its own skills, strengths and weak- nesses. Those will need to be coordinated and decisions made accordingly. Sevrina is a lock picker and her skills will be needed on Zoff V - therefore she should be given a tool kit from the weapons screen. You start with a screen depicting all six characters, each portrayed in a different colour to help identification - although on this first screen the graphics are so clear that each is instantly recognisable. Having selected the character you want to move with a cursor, you then switch to the weapons screen to equip each with some mind blowing secret weapon. The icons are many and varied. Each has a separate function and is selected with a scrolling cursor. Move the cursor to the function you want a character to perform - pick up - then along to a laser gun; press enter and that character will receive that weapon. Each order is performed in a similar manner throughout the game. Some confusion may arise as certain pictures are not clear. However, referring to the comprehensive illustrated booklet should solve any such problems. The graphics deserve a mention. For the most part, they are clearly depicted and colourful though, unfortunately, their small size tends to make definition hard. Each screen is divided into a number of boxes, all containing control icons. The screen showing Zoff V and your route to Kryxix is almost lost in the top middle section. It is a pity that this space has been sacrificed to give more attention to the controls. You are given 100 minutes to complete Shadowfire and a real time clock ticks away the seconds. However it will take considerably longer to learn the game, especially if you keep breaking out of it by mistake. It is very easy to exit by accident. Accidental pressure on Enter when you go back to choose another character will take you straight back to the menu. It always seems to happen at some vital point of the game and is enough to turn you to drink. Shadowfire is excellent value considering the programming expertise which has gone into the game. If you want a quick load-it-up and shoot-it-down then don't waste your money. However, if you want a fast and innovative game which may well take weeks to complete - buy it.

Read it at Sinclair User Magazine Online

Your Computer

Overall 4/5

Lee Paddon 4/5

CBM/Spectrum Beyond Adventure £9.95 In this adventure your quest is to transport your crack and deadly - why can't they be bungling and harmless for a change - team onto the enemy spaceship. Once there, you have to fight your way through the corridors to rescue Ambassador Kryxix. All this in 100 minutes of real time before the Ambassador cracks under interrogation and tells the bad guys Prince Phillip's Prestel mailbox number. There are six members of your party, each of which have particular strengths and weaknesses. There are various characters around to fight off, doors to open and things like the self destruction mechanism of the ship left lying around.

Personal Computer NewsPCN Star Game

Overall 10/10

Bob Chappell 10/10

PRICE: £9.95 PUBLISHER: Beyond [redacted] Beyond broke new ground with its landscaping technique in the immensely successful Lords of Midnight. Now it takes another innovative step forward with Shadowfire, a graphics' only, non-arcade quest-cum-strategy game which it claims is the world's first ever icon-driven adventure. Shadowfire is set in the future where spacecraft can travel between stars, but not planets. Plans for an interplanetary ship, Shadowfire, have been developed, placed on micro-disk and, for some bizarre reason, embedded in the spine of one Ambassador Kryxix. General Zoff, a traitor, desires universal domination. He has kidnapped Kryxix and stashed him on the skyfortress Zoff V. As mission controller of an organisation called Enigma, you must rescue the ambassador before time runs out. Enigma is a sort of Magnificent Seven, although Superb Six might be more appropriate. There's Manto, a transport droid, essential for getting the rest of your crew aboard Zoff V. Maul is a weapons robot, designed to be an efficient killing machine but untested. Sevrina, Maris and Torik are alien criminals skilled in marksmanship, lock-picking, weaponry and explosives. Completing the team are Zark Moontor, the human leader and unarmed combat expert, and Syylk, an insectoid. Control of the game is managed entirely by the selection of icons (small graphic images) using a joystick, lightpen (Commodore 64 only) or keyboard. All you have to do is move a large cross-hair to the desired icon and press the fire button (or equivalent) to select it. The screen is divided horizontally. At the top is mission command, split into three areas. To the right is a picture of the character in play while a countdown clock and a cluster of six status icons, the colour of which indicates how the character is faring (eg inactive attacking, getting weak, etc) is on the left. In the centre is the view screen, an iris (64) or blind (Spectrum), which opens to reveal where the character is and who else is nearby. The lower section is used for three main displays - objects, movement and battle - which are called up on request. Each includes icons that allow you to jump back to the previous display (or cancel a command) and access the other displays. The objects screen lets you equip a character. This shows weapons and equipment in the same location as the character, objects being carried (blank at the start) and a cluster of action icons. The cluster lets you pick up or drop an object, activate an object (eg arm a weapon system) and make an object ready for immediate use. Objects include rocket launchers, smoke bombs, toolkits, key cards, self-destruct units, transporters and assorted rifles. A bar indicates weight carried. The movement screen shows a mixture of hollow and solid directional arrows together with a text description of the location. A solid arrow indicates that movement in that direction is possible; selecting one will cause the character to move accordingly. The battle screen contains similar directional arrows and permits the character to peek into an adjacent location, to attack, defend or retreat. The graphics are generally excellent. My only criticism is of the small and differently coloured monitor icons which allow movement between screens. The optional, volume-controlled, music is first rate. Playing the game using the icon selection method couldn't be easier. There's a great deal in this complex game and the countdown element enhances the challenge. Beyond promises a later program which will allow you to modify many of the elements in Shadowfire. Although Shadowfire is not a game to get the adrenaline pumping. It does offer an absorbing mission. One thing's sure - you'll find it different from anything you've ever played before.