Tower of Despair

Personal Computer News

Bob Chappell

TOWER ABOVE THE REST A big, absorbing adventure kept Bob Chappell glued to his computer. One of the great things about adventures is that they let you escape for an hour or two from the worries and monotonies of everyday life. One minute you're plain and simple Fred Bloggs of Mafeking Terrace, doing nothing more exciting than crazy paving your window box or cleaning out a blocked drain. The next minute you could be Zon, uncrowned King of the Silver Mountains, single-handedly bashing up a band of Orcs with a rusty dagger and an unlit oil lamp. The greater the attention to detail and atmosphere, the easier it is to absorb yourself in the fantasy. A good example is Tower Of Despair (£7.95, Spectrum), a superb new text adventure from Games Workshop. It positively overpowered me with its lovingly created atmosphere and carefully detailed prose. There I was, a jaded, bloodshot-eyed reviewer with not so much as an Esquire after my name. But with one bound (to the keyboard) I became Warrior Mage of Castle Argent, Warden of the Eastern Marches of Aelandor, Keeper of the Silver Gauntlet, Wielder of Flamebolt the Staff of Lightning Bolts, son of Thorvald the hero. Thorvald, my pater, had been killed by the evil sorcery of Malnor, the Screaming Shadow, but not before Pop had sealed Malnor in Limbo. Wouldn't you just know it - Malnor has somehow danced out of Limbo (sorry) and is once again plotting dark deeds from his lair in the Tower of Despair. You must reunite the Silver Gauntlet with the Gold Gauntlet that lies in the Eastern Wilderness - only then will you be strong enough to toddle along to the Tower and marmalise Malnor. TOWER ILLUMINATIONS Although this is supposed to be a Quill-based adventure, you'd have a hard time recognising it as such. For example, the redefined character set has been beautifully designed, with some capital letters decorated like those in old illuminated manuscripts. A small shield appears as your non-flashing prompt. The descriptions are full and imaginative and the command analyser fast, flexible and comprehensive. I began in the inner Sanctum of Castle Argent. The accompanying booklet provided maps of both the castle and Eastern Aelandor, as well as giving background information and 16 black and white pictures of major scenes. Being lazy, the first thing I typed was HELP and was told 'I can't help you this side of the river. Sorry.' Well, that's better than the usual 'You're on your own here.' Although the instructions say that LOOK will repeat the location description, you actually have to say LOOK ROOM, while LOOK object-name often reveals further information about an item - a repeat look at the inner Sanctum revealed .something not previously exposed. RUNE JUICE Even though I hadn't seen one, I tried GET ROPE only to be told 'Find it then!' Games Workshop is obviously on its toes. I did find a blue dagger though, and LOOK DAGGER revealed 'The dagger is perfectly balanced and intricately decorated, and is inscribed with Old High Runes reading "Stealth Conquers Fate" - juicy stuff, eh? You are not told what exits there are from a location so experimentation is the order of the day. Upstairs I found the main bedroom: 'You are in the main bedroom which is a veritable mess as you did not sleep well. One of the servants is in here, cleaning up'. Aha! Methinks I'll SAY HELLO to this fellow. 'You can't, I'm afraid: Donnchadh your valet is a deaf-mute.' Foiled! - or was I? There's more cunning to this program than meets the eye. Elsewhere I discovered a strange-looking globe. Being an inquisitive cove, I just had to take a closer look at it and, shades of Tolkien's Silmarillion, was met with: 'You place your hand upon the orb and sense the Council's message, still resonating within... but wait! It is gone. Malevolence rushes through you, deepening as the sphere blackens throughout. Eyes, redly glowing like dying coals, glare balefully at you. Malnor is 'listening'! A hideous ululating scream rends the air and...' - and that's all I'm prepared to divulge. Tower Of Despair should appeal to all adventurers. The plot is strong, the atmosphere thick, the puzzles punishing. The adventure is big, so big it's in two parts, one to each side of the cassette. One of the most absorbing adventures around and excellent value for money. DUNGEON AID Poor Conn Iggalden of Ruislip is bogged down at the start of Phipp's Knight Quest. I have some sympathy - it's a great adventure but a tough one. Try this: 1. DROW SWAR DTSU MOUY THGI FUOY EROF EB 2. RAB LEETS HTIW GNITARG NEPO RSIRP DNA SEVAEL EVOM TSEROF NI For those newly awake in the coffin in Level 9's Snowball: 1. NRUT NISN OTTU B3HS UP;N ;TUO;REV ELHS UO 2. TUO; ROOD NEPO ;TIA W;N; YRAU TROM OTPU ;NIF FOCO TNOP U;S

C&VG (Computer & Video Games)

Personal Rating 8/10

Paul Coppins 8/10

What is a quest? Well we reckon it's an Adventure with more than a hint of classic Dungeons & Dragons game about it. Here Keith Campbell, Paul Coppins, Simon Marsh and new recruit Jim Douglas take a look at some Adventures inspired by D&D. TOWER OF DESPAIR Malnor the screaming shadow has once more returned to the pleasant land of Aelandor. Using the ring of skulls, he has somehow managed to break free from his banishment to the plain of Limbo. With ferocious revenge, he summons the forces of darkness and starts to run riot over the land. No mortal army can stand against his forces. But there is one chance for you, as the bravest adventurer in the land, keeper of the Silver Gauntlet and wielder of the Flamebolt. The Adventure is in two parts, the first of which I enjoyed greatly. It has that certain something that makes the midnight oils burn long and bright. As I struggled to find the passwords that would let me into the second part, I had to admire the writer's skill and ingenuity. They were just out of reach in a way that seemed to make time fly. This feeling was helped along by the illustrated instruction booklet that came with the game for, as well as a map showing the kingdom, it contains 16 detailed pictures of some key locations in the Adventure. Tower of Despair is an apt title, for now came the despair. It started just after loading in my character from the end of Part 1 into Part 2. Some very strange things began to happen. I found that some of the objects I had brought from Part 1 had mysteriously changed themselves into other objects, some had totally vanished, whilst others had become totally stuck in my inventory, so that I could not get rid of them no matter how hard I tried - and I tried. Since the Adventure still held promise, I managed to work out just what I could bring across without something funny happening to it and my patience was rewarded. I had to use all my skill to beat the new range of puzzles that seemed to be getting more difficult with each step I took. But that's as it should be, for I was drawing closer to my goal - the tower. This game launches puzzles at you with great vigour at every twist and turn in the plot. They vary from simple ones, like opening a locked trapdoor, to very complex ones like stabbing an angel to death with a magic dagger. This one ranges over many locations and contains many sub-puzzles. Although written using the Quill system, unlike other such Adventures that all look the same on the screen, Tower of Despair has gothic characters and fancy artwork which makes playing it reminiscent of looking through a very old book. I particularly enjoyed playing this Adventure and, despite the problems I had, I considered it to be a good one. At the modest price of £7.95 it must rank among the best in value. Tower of Despair is from the Games Workshop for the 48K Spectrum.

Your Computer

Hugo North

Spectrum Games Workshop £7.95 Spectrum owners should keep a sharp eye out for this. It is a text-only adventure with a big difference. For instance, the character set has been immaculately redesigned and decorated so that the text appears like a monastic illuminated manuscript. Very attractive. The adventure is an enthralling atmosphere and is imaginatively detailed,. This is an adventure where examining objects will pay rich dividends. A glossy booklet sets the scene and includes a couple of maps and a number of pictures of the major locations. You must first find the Gold Gauntlet before journey to The Tower of Despair, there to overcome the owner of the King of Skulls, the evil Malnor, who once more threatened the land. Tower of Despair is just the program for those who like thick and tick detail, oodles of atmosphere and plenty of challenge. Games Workshop are perhaps better known for their expertise in other areas of the fantasy game world.

Sinclair User

Gilbert Factor 5/10

Richard Price 5/10

HEROICS FOR HE-MEN Memory: 48K Price: £7.95 The usual lantern-jawed, muscle-bound hero adorns the cover of Tower of Despair from Games Workshop. A swift reading of the background history reveals a plot and setting not too far removed from Lord of the Rings - the hellish and very nasty sorcerer has resurfaced and orcs are abroad. The Wizards' Council is extremely worried and has summoned you, the warrior-mage of Castle Argent and part-time weight lifter, to remove this Malnor chap and his demonic legions. To do that you must find the Golden Gauntlet, currently in the possession of another elderly ex-hero. Journey through the wilderness, survive many perils, find the Tower, rub out Malnor. So much for the plot. The adventure contains two complete sections. The program is written on the Quill and is text-only, though the character set has been changed to a pleasant medieval script with the occasional illuminated capital. Naturally enough there are assorted monsters to overcome and care will need to be taken with the magical artifacts you encounter. D & D devotees will probably feel at home in the land of Aelandor but more reluctant heroes may find they have been there too many times already.

Read it at Sinclair User Magazine Online

Personal Computer Games

Atmosphere 8/10

Complexity 6/10

Interaction 7/10

Overall 7/10

Steve Cooke 7/10

MACHINE: Spectrum, Commodore 64 PRICE: £7.95 Another very attractive new release for the Spectrum has arrived from Games Workshop. Tower of Despair has a woefully unoriginal plot, but is excellently presented, has a large vocabulary, and comes nicely packaged with a booklet complete with illustrations. As Keeper of the Silver Gauntlet and Wielder of Flamebolt you must rid the land of the evil Malnor. Here yet again we have a super-baddie, who controls some awesome source of power (in this case the Ring of Skulls) and who must be defeated by yours truly, armed with some equally legendary artefact. If it all sounds too like the Lord of the Rings you're right, but to give Tower of Despair its due, the accompanying blurb is excellently written and the game is very high on excitement. Although the imaginative scope of this game is enormous, the adventure itself is not so complex. There are one or two very difficult puzzles, not all of which seem to have logical solutions. A group of winged nasties, for example, will follow you and tear you to pieces if you go in one direction, but are rapidly left behind if you go in another. Puzzles like this sometimes assume monumental significance, because this is one of those games where you sometimes can't explore any further until you've got past someone or something that's blocking your way. Nevertheless, Tower of Despair is a gripping adventure, deserving a place in any fantasy fan's collection.

Micro Adventurer

Ken Matthews

A NEW FORCE IN ADVENTURES? MICRO: Spectrum 48K PRICE: £7.95 FORMAT: Cassette SUPPLIER: Games Workshop, [redacted] Ken Matthews reviews Games Workshop's Tower of Despair. Your hands trmble with emotion as you remove the Staff, Flamebolt and the Silver Gauntlet from their place of honour in your Inner Sanctum. Despite their antiquity, not a mote of dust mars their magical surfaces and the High Runes inlaid in the Staff seem to shimmer with supernatural force. It is many years since your late father, Thorvald, and his fellow warrior-mage Ellwood challenged and defeated the evil Malnor and his loathsome hell-spawn, banishing them to Limbo. Disaster has struck! Malnor has escaped and you, alone, must seek out the aging Ellwood and recover the Gold Gauntlet which is in his safe-keeping. Only then will you, the sole hope of the Free Peoples, be strong enough to seek out Malnor in his lair and consign him to Eternity. Cleansed in mind and body by ancient sorcerous rituals you cross the tapestried Hall of Castle Argent to the Chapel of the White Goddess, the deity of your family for untold generations. Prostrate on Her altar and completing the act of worship, a blinding light fills the chamber and a Holy Dagger, laced with fiery runes, appears before your startled gaze. This manifestation of power heartens you as it is clear that even the gods support your quest against the forces of Chaos. Your happiness is short-lived however, as you peer into your scrying sphere in search of a message from the Council of wizards. After a brief moment, the globe shows Malnor as his mind reaches out and becomes aware of you and your mission. The sphere is riven and a thousand glittering shards spray the Chapel as you avert your eyes. Now Malnor is alerted, time is short and, pausing only to sign your mute servant that you are leaving, you grab your equipment, fling yourself into the saddle and thunder into the east to your Destiny... WINNER Tower of Despair is a winner from the cover of the case on through, and gives weight to the Games Workshop slogan 'A New Force in Software'. I'm obliged to say that - just in case the programmer resembles the hero on the game's cover! Seriously though, Games Workshop's first computer adventure is excellent and typical of what I'd expect from a world leader in fantasy games. The development team of Russell Clarke, Mike McKeown, Steve Williams and Jamie Thompson are all contributors to the venerable White Dwarf magazine and, consequently, the support material with the game is of a very high standard. This takes the form of a superbly illustrated booklet (by Peter Martin) containing scenes from the adventure. These are very detailed and not entirely decorative as some important clues are contained in the drawings. Also included is Brian Cumming's map of Aelandor, which gives a good idea of where you are and want to go - if not how to get there! The game itself, or rather, the games, fill both sides of the cassette to give something like 96K of adventure. On reaching the end of the first half of the game (this is possible with a score of less than 50% - but you'll have missed some very useful information), the White Goddess gives you a password which won't work until you've SAVEd and then loaded this position into side two. Both loading and saving are very quick so save often to avoid retracing your steps - it's pretty easy to die in Aelandor. The adventure was written with the Quill and this is freely admitted during loading. If GW had kept quiet about it (like some more well-known software houses), it would have been difficult to spot since the Spectrum character set has been altered to give location descriptions in a sort of italic script. This is pleasant and surprisingly easy to read. Command input is, of course, verb/noun although sometimes three words are sometimes understood'. The commands appear in a very clear Gothic style script and responses are commendably quick. The game is, naturally, all-text and the details of location descriptions and events are enough to satisfy even the most hardened purists. For general movement and manipulation, a wide range of commands and synonyms are understood although certain situations need the exact word. These are not so obscure as to detract from the game as a whole and the cryptic clues from characters, objects and, occasionally, the HELP command will often help avoid problems. The game begins in earnest as you race across your land, pursued by some of Malnor's legions. The challenges are many and by no means simple. This should ensure lasting interest for any adventurer worth his - or her salt. ANGEL OF DEATH You will encounter line after line of defence as Malnor attempts to thwart your mission. Some, like the encounter with three unearthly doors, are relatively simple but others, like facing the Angel of Death himself, require much more thought and careful handling and completing the first half with a full 50% is no mean achievement. MEDUSAE Medusae, Ogres and even little Wood Sprites appear to challenge your every step throughout part two and, if you miss valuable items or information, there are few opportunities to retrace your steps, so tread carefully and SAVE often. You will follow the blood-stained path of Malnor's minions through to the shattered remains of Ellwood's home. There he coughs out his life blood as an ogre calmly plunders the treasures Ellwood gained from a lifetime of honour and bravery. Rage overwhelms you but the slaughter of the ogre affords little as you discover that Malnor's foulest servant, the dreaded Hellgaunt, has beset the old man and wrested the Gold Gauntlet from his care. Even now the creature speeds to his vile master with the artifact that would leave you helpless and give him total dominion over Earth. The race is on as you pursue the Hellgaunt to a dramatic confrontation on the frail rope bridge high above the River Coldfloe. If you succeed the end is in sight, but by no means easy to reach. Almost every move forbids returning - you are rightly told there's no time for that - and offers another challenge to provide hours more careful thought before Malnor is thrown down and your Destiny complete. There is little left to say, except to commend Games Workshop for a highly enjoyable first adventure that lives up to all the claims made for it. Commodore owners won't miss out either, since GW are now working, with a modified version of the Quill, on a version for your machine. Better watch out! Finally, I would like to mention that Games Workshop's software co-ordinator, Angus Ryall, is inviting adventure writers to submit their work for evaluation. The address is Games Workshop, [redacted]. Any of you talented enough to succeed should be proud to see your adventure given the Games Workshop treatment.

The Tower of Despair team - from left, Steve Williams, Jamie Thomson, Russell Clarke, Mike McKeown.

The map from the booklet which helps you plan your route to despair...

The programmer perchance?

Crash

Atmosphere 9/10

Vocabulary 8/10

Logic 8/10

Debugging 8/10

Overall Value 8/10

Derek Brewster 8/10

DEREK BREWSTER'S ADVENTURE TRAIL YOU'VE NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD If you glance through the marks for this months reviews you will notice one 9 is awarded and all the rest have 8 marks as an Overall Value. This, I think you will agree, is an exceptionally high standard, and is remarkable in that every game reviewed here could be recommended without hesitation, as each has some quality that makes it stand out from the crowd. Clearly the microcomputer software market is seasonal to some extent (ie, the run up to Christmas represents a huge sales potential) but perhaps in the case of the adventure market, where the games take a very considerable time to develop, it is even more so. So, have I gone soft with seasonal spirit this month? No. I think not, for these games really are good. What this all adds up to is that if you know anyone who packed away their Spectrums over the summer then you should now tell them to extract it from its box and fill its place with a cushion of straw and a tortoise, because, when it comes to Spectrum software, you've never had it so good. TOWER OF DESPAIR Producer: Games Workshop Retail Price: £7.95 Author: A. Clarke, J. Thompson, S. Williams, M. McKeown Games Workshop have evolved from a long history in role-playing games, with milestones such as the Fighting Fantasy Books and The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, but have waited until now to release computer games as a software house in their own right. All the authors contribute to White Dwarf magazine and one might expect their experience among the plethora of Dungeons and Dragons offshoots to add that little extra something to the adventuring world, and in many ways this is indeed the case. Should you locate it in your computer shop you will find the case lavishly illustrated with the magical and the mystical. An adventure guide accompanies the two cassettes and contains the history and map of the realm of Aelandor, and vital dues actually within the pictures of the guide, a most welcome advance to adventuring. The now familiar outline of the whys and wherefores that supply much substance for reviews naturally enough adorns the packaging here, but unlike many such narratives those for this game are more lucid and, what is more, reading it actually adds to the game giving information which is of some use in your quest. In short, it has been intelligently thought out so as to be consistent with the theme as a whole. Malnor, Demonlord of Darkness, inhabits the Tower of Despair, amongst the Mountains of Undying Solitude, gathering evil forces about him by way of the Ring of Skulls, a wicked potent amulet. Legions of orc and demonkin await his command to infest the realm of Aelandor. You are the Warrior-Mage of Castle Argent, Keeper of the Silver Gauntlet and Wielder of Flamebolt, the Staff of Lightning Bolts. One summer morning, as you quietly work within Castle Argent, your Saying Sphere brings you baleful news. Malnor is powerful again, so you must seek Ellwood in the Eastern Wilderness to retrieve the Golden Gauntlet. You set off from the inner sanctum of Castle Argent, a place of contemplation and preparation. Only after going east and then back again are you told of the two visible items; the Silver Gauntlet and the Lightning Staff which, as you should now be aware, are very necessary for your mission. Equally important are the items to be found in the chest in the main hallway. 'Inside are; A long, fine coil of rope. A leather canteen of water. A pack of dried field rations. An oil lantern.' Alas, you must GET every item individually as there is no equivalent GET EVERYTHING. Your progress at this point is aided by a neat little map in the booklet which soon has you out through the east gate with your mount Fiannabad amongst the familiar rolling downs of your native countryside. You hear the distant sound of flapping wings and you would be wise to hurry on your way lest you fall foul of the winged hordes that will certainly descend should you falter. You will know when you are safe as you will sense 'A supernatural howl of anger emanating from many leagues further east. Then you feel a momentous shaking through the ground. Malnor is incensed by your escape from his agents!' Any difficulties you may encounter at this stage may be related either to the vocabulary, which uses the construction ENTER (DOOR) frequently, or to the unfamiliar terminology of the fantasy world where you must LOOK into orbs and to use a staff you must have its name. You will feel no doubt, like myself, feel hunger in the ancient wood of Aesweald where you eat, otherwise each step will take you further towards starvation, death and a new game. If you are proceeding well you move north to meet some superbly crafted atmospheric descriptions. 'You are in a small glade, the vale of Tranquil Enlightenment. There is a sense of enchantment in the air. At the centre stands a white stone statue at whose base lies a pile of ashes'. The spell of the program is cast not only with the well constructed, lengthy descriptions but also in their presentation; the character set is wonderfully redesigned in the old world writing with ornate letters or symbols marking the beginning of each location description. This fine artistic talent also adorns the booklet where highly detailed and imaginative drawing in the style of White Dwarf is brought to bear on the project, giving the whole a classy, well-polished feel. These drawings not only add immensely to the pleasure derived from the game but are also a necessary part of it as within them lie clues to your progress. Perhaps the inability to examine or make use of all the objects in the drawings, just those that prove useful in some way, is more a reflection on the limits inherent in any computer adventure rather than a lack of insight on the part of the authors. An example is a picture in the booklet which you need once you've successfully negotiated the Door of Destiny. You see an innkeeper, and a ranger with a pouch full of arrows tied to his back but it is only the barrels in the corner that lead you deeper into the plot - the arrows cannot be collected. The Door of Destiny is one of three such doors you meet once you've solved the problems at the white stone statue; the other two are Hope and Despair. On exploring these three I at first thought their names ironic because I despaired in Hope and was cheered in Despair, but once all the permutations became clear I found them apt enough. The EXAMINE command is used often and its ramifications give rise to lengthy discourse. Through the Door of Destiny, and onto the inn, you find the body of the ranger is lying across the remains of the bar. 'His back is broken, and eyes stare out lifelessly from a face stricken with terror. From a chain around his neck hangs a delicately wrought silver locket.' A further EXAMINE leads you on even deeper into the plot. 'Opening the locket you find an inscription written in the Old High Script, known in these days to but a few. The words inside are Peel Bark.' For a Quilled game this adventure has some remarkably good, non-standard features. The Tower of Despair is a Quilled text-only adventure. Were it not for the commendable acknowledgement on the packaging it would be almost impossible to prove that it had made use of the Quill. As such it is the best Quilled adventure I have yet seen, combining all the Quills advantages with a startlingly original and fresh approach. Fantasy fans will love this game. COMMENTS Difficulty: moderate Graphics: none Presentation: very good Input facility: verb/noun Response: very fast Special Features: pictures in a book