![]() ![]() XP (Experience Points) earned are used to “level up” your characters, improving their statistics and allowing wizards access to new spells (which cost Magic Points). In combat, fighters and paladins deal physical damage and the wizards cast spells. The action is viewed in first-person as you explore, switching to a close-up animated portrait of enemies you encounter. A party of adventurers sets out to explore Skara Brae, searching the streets and buildings. (Rivals SSI competed with the officially licensed AD&D Forgotten Realms games, playing in a similar style, housed in the collectable Gold Box packaging). The computer RPG evolved from Dungeons & Dragons, and Interplay was a master of the genre. Armalyte deserved its high review scores and represented the pinnacle of C64 shoot-‘em-ups until the recent works of Sarah Jane Avory (Zeta Wing, Soul Force). ![]() It is a challenging and well-made game across eight huge levels. Backing it is a superb soundtrack from Martin Walker (creator of Chameleon, Hunter’s Moon and Citadel, all worth playing), the military drums and metallic sounds adding so much to the atmosphere. The player’s ship shoots and collects crystals to enhance its weaponry, with a solo player equipped with a handy drone, and can unleash one of three powerful superweapons (with their own charging system and batteries) to do extra damage. ![]() Formations weave and move through the landscapes in well-defined patterns. Sprites are superbly animated and massive motherships must be tackled. The graphic style was refined and revised to result in a beautiful crystalline and metallic look, enhanced by spotlighting effects. Marketed as a sequel to the earlier Delta by the legendary Stavros Fasoulas, the Armalyte team took ideas from R-Type and ran with it – for one or two players simultaneously. The Cyberdyne Systems team had a brief but influential C64 career, with this superb horizontally-scrolling shoot ‘em up the highlight. ![]()
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