Times of Lore
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| Times of Lore | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Origin Systems |
| Publisher(s) | Origin Systems |
| Designer(s) | Chris Roberts |
| Release date(s) | 1988 |
| Genre(s) | Action/Adventure/Role-playing |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Platform(s) | PC, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Apple II, Amiga, NES |
Times of Lore was an early computer-based roleplaying game with a detailed world. It was released for several platforms, including PC, Commodore 64/128, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad, Atari ST, Apple II, and Amiga.
[edit] Description
The game takes place in a very complex world, featuring 13,000 screens of map according to the promotional material. There is no loading during the game, which was quite a feat at the time for such a massive environment.
The story tells of a kingdom where the monarch has died and the dukes and barons are wrestling for power. Barbarians are threatening to invade, and monsters are pillaging the land. The player must assume the role of one of three heroes and unravel the conspiracy and find three magic items.
It is possible to get to walking dead situations which require restarting the game, such as killing important characters who would otherwise have given you certain quests or objects. Killing random peasants is not as dangerous, as staying the night at the inn will make them forget your trespasses.
There are many objects to be found in the game, among others a teleportation scrolls, a returning axe à la Mjolnir and healing potions. There's the hidden city of Treela, in the middle of the map, behind a forest, if you look for it. It's hard to find as there is no road leading to or from, unlike the other cities. Serfs will speak of a dragon in the north, which can be found sleeping in his cave on the eastern edge of the northern mountains. A catacombs also exists but if you enter it, the ghouls inside are unleashed upon the world making the game much more difficult.
The musical score for the Commodore 64 version was created by Martin Galway.
