Amerzone
The Explorer’s Legacy
by Microids

Rating   Difficulty 7/10 Graphics 9/10 Enjoyment 10/10     Released 1999 Format 4 CDs Minimum System Required Windows 95 Pentium166 32Mb SoundBlaster 8x CD-ROM

My personal favourite !

You will find yourself being swept along by the rich story line as you try to fulfil the dying wish of a mysterious explorer.

Amerzone leads you through hundreds of locations each beautifully realised with stunningly rendered graphics.

Along with a captivating soundtrack and atmospheric music, no serious RPG collection can be considered complete without this game.

Atlantis
The Lost Tales
by Cryo Interactive

Rating   Difficulty 7/10 Graphics 8/10 Enjoyment 5/10     Released 1997 Format 4 CDs Minimum System Required Windows 95 Pentium 90 8Mb SoundBlaster 4x CD-ROM

I have mixed views about this game, in which you take on the persona of Atlantan hero Seth, chosen to be a Queens Companion to the mysteriously abducted Queen Rhea.

The problem is that whilst the game has gorgeous 360 graphics, stunning sound and music, and realist interactive characters; the game can only be saved at predetermined points. And since Seth dies frequently during the solving of tasks the enforced repetition ruined an otherwise excellent adventure.

Baldur’s Gate II
Shadows of Amn
by Black Isle

Rating   Difficulty 9/10 Graphics 6/10 Enjoyment 3/10     Released 2001 Format 4 CDs Minimum System Required Windows 95 Pentium II 233 32Mb SoundBlaster 4x CD-ROM 800Mb to 2Gb

A big disappointment after all the hype, this RPG closely follows classic D&D dice/turn based rules.

The game may be big in scope but the action is too small to see, and the game is too complicated to make inital play enjoyable. I’m afraid I simply don’t have the time or patience to memorise hundreds of item icons.

After 2 days of play I uninstalled and don’t expect to return.

The min requirements should read :
Age 14+ (to overcome the boardom)
20/20 zoom vision or 21” monitor.
Pentium 500MHz with 128Mb

Broken Sword II
The Smoking Mirror
by Virgin Interactive

Rating   Difficulty 5/10 Graphics 7/10 Enjoyment 7/10     Released 1997 Format 2 CDs Minimum System Required Windows 95 486 DX2 16Mb Soundcard 2x CD-ROM

One of the better “cartoon” style RPG games Broken Sword II creates another delightfully detailed 3D world for hero George and girlfriend Nico.

As with "Broken Sword - the Shadow of the Templars" George and Nico's adventure takes them around the world on a journey where death and danger lurk around every corner...

The puzzles are entertaining rather than challenging, many of which Stephanie was able to solve unaided.

Comer
by Shine Studio

Rating   Difficulty 6/10 Graphics 10/10 Enjoyment 8/10     Released 1998 Format 4 CDs Minimum System Required Windows 95 Pentium 100 16Mb Soundcard 8x CD-ROM

If you liked Myst and Riven you should enjoy this.

The author Kyle Choi (yes, it is mainly the work of just one person) saw Myst and was so impressed he decided to try and surpass it.

The art and graphics are beautiful and the soundtrack is so good I just left the game running by itself !

My only disappointment was that I finished the game too quickly and the ending is a little wierd.

Diablo II
by Blizzard

Rating   Difficulty 5/10 Graphics 6/10 Enjoyment 9/10     Released 2000 Format 3 CDs Minimum System Required Windows 95 Pentium233 32Mb DirectX 6.1 Soundcard 4x CD-ROM 650Mb to 1Gb

I enjoyed Diablo enormously and have not been disappointed by the sequel,
but be warned - this is very addictive !

A dungeons & Dragons type game where you chose a character from one of five classes each with special skills and abilities. Your character is unique since weapons and objects are found randomly and you control how to allocate the skill points earnt as your experience increases.

The best part is that you can play in teams over Blizzards free internet system called Battlenet.

Watch for Lord of Destruction a major upgrade and Expansion Pack due for release summer 2001.

Final Fantasy VII
by Squaresoft

Rating   Difficulty 6/10 Graphics 7/10 Enjoyment 9/10     Released 1997 Format 4 CDs Minimum System Required Windows 95 Pentium166 32Mb Direct X 5.0 Soundcard 4x CD-ROM

Epic! Promoted as the biggest game ever there is no other way to describe FF7, it took me over two months to finish.

Although this is 7th in the series it is completely self contained. You take on the role of Cloud Strife, a mercenary ex-soldier who fights in teams of 3 formed from combinations of 9 diverse entities.

Gameplay consists of moving around the beautifully rendered locations battling monsters and casting spells to increase your strength, magic and other abilities.

The fights in this turn based quest are not of the blood and gore variety so what else can I say - excellent !

Legacy of Time
The Journeyman Project 3
by Red Orb

Rating   Difficulty 6/10 Graphics 7/10 Enjoyment 7/10     Released 1998 Format 4 CDs Minimum System Required Windows 95 Pentium 90 16Mb QuickTime SoundBlaster 4x CD-ROM

The year is 2329 and you are Gage Blackwood, Agent 5 of the Temporal Security Agency.

Equipped with a chameleon jump-suit and helped by a sentient AI you move around in time and space visiting exotic locations such as Atlantis and Shangri-La.

We are enjoying this game although the interface is not the best, unfortunately my CD refuses to read disc 3 so we are unable to finish this game yet.

Lighthouse
The Dark Being
by Sierra

Rating   Difficulty 10/10 Graphics 9/10 Enjoyment 10/10     Released 1996 Format 2 CDs Minimum System Required Windows 3.1 Pentium166 16Mb SoundBlaster 4x CD-ROM

Another excellent game, very similar in concept to Amerzone but the puzzles are harder to solve.

The built in hint system is too limited to be of any real help and the program crashed when attempting to enter the submarine too soon in the game, but that aside we still enjoyed this game immensely!

The graphics are great with a very intuitive interface, and like Amerzone their are plenty of different craft and locations to keep you interested.

Little Big Adventure 2
Twinsen’s Odyssey
by Adeline Software International

Rating   Difficulty 4/10 Graphics 5/10 Enjoyment 7/10     Released 1997 Format single CD Minimum System Required Windows 95 Pentium 16Mb Soundcard 4x CD-ROM

I enjoyed the original LBA very much and was not disappointed with this sequel.

You take control of Twinsen a cute little character with whom you develop a surprising affinity considering that he and his friends are texture mapped polygons!

Multiple camera angles and true perspective rendering allow good game play as Twinsen interacts with 300 characters and visits 220 locations spread over 3 worlds.

This is a game that kept Stephanie and myself entranced for many weeks.

Majestic Part 1
Alien Encounter
by Piranha Interactive

Rating   Difficulty 2/10 Graphics 2/10 Enjoyment 1/10     Released 1995 Format single CD Minimum System Required Windows 3.1 486 DX2 8Mb Soundcard 2x CD-ROM

Set aboard the Starship Majestic this game looked hopelessly outdated even before it was released.

Creator Istvan Pely admits he started writing the game whilst in college using off the shelf software (Quicktime), and I’m afraid it really shows.

The interface was poor and the puzzles strangely contrived - only dogged determination forced me to finish this one!

Monkey Island 3
The Curse of Monkey Island
by LucasArts

Rating   Difficulty 6/10 Graphics 7/10 Enjoyment 7/10     Released 1996 Format 2 CDs Minimum System Required Windows 95 Pentium 90 16Mb Direct X 5.0 SoundBlaster 4x CD-ROM

By far and away the best of the Monkey Island series, the saga continues with our hero the reluctant pirate Guybrush Threepwood again trying to outwit the evil LeChuck.

With far superior graphics to the earlier two games and Guybrush now able to speak the gameplay flowed more quickly and was much more enjoyable.

Similar in appearance to Broken Sword this cartoon style RPG game with its simple interface allowed Stephanie to collect and use most of the items unaided.

Myst
by Cyan

Rating   Difficulty 8/10 Graphics 9/10 Enjoyment 10/10     Released 1993 Format single CD Minimum System Required Windows 3.1 386 DX2 4Mb Soundcard CD-ROM

In many ways Myst set the standard for the many computer based RPG games that followed it. This was the game that got me hooked me on the genre, the detail of the graphics was so realistic.

One of the first games released on CD Myst remains so popular it has been re-released with 32 bit graphics.

Combining gorgeous locations, moody soundtrack, and both visible & audible puzzles this is one of my firm favourites.

I can hardly wait for Myst III Exile.

Obsidian
by Rocket Science Software

Rating   Difficulty 10/10 Graphics 10/10 Enjoyment 8/10     Released 1996 Format 5 CDs Minimum System Required Windows 95 Pentium 90 16Mb SoundBlaster 4x CD-ROM

A compelling story driven by fantastically unusual and surreal 3D environments and characters.

Five CD-ROMs of absorbing exploration take you through four dream realms of challenging puzzles and fantastic disorientating scenery, to an original music score by Thomas Dolby.

Warning:
This game could blow your mind!

Rama
by Sierra

Rating   Difficulty 7/10 Graphics 8/10 Enjoyment 8/10     Released 1996 Format 3 CDs Minimum System Required Windows 95 Pentium 75 8Mb Soundcard 2x CD-ROM

Based on the Science Fiction series Rama by Arthur C Clarke (and later Gentry Lee) about Rama - a huge cylindical alien spacecraft.

You play an International Space Agency team member given the  task of exploring the ship to discover its mysteries and search for the builders.

Very enjoyable with some nice graphics and puzzles, also the cameos by Arthur C Clarke are a nice touch.
Watch for the Limited Edition which includes a paperback of Rama II.

Reah
by LK Avalon

Rating   Difficulty 7/10 Graphics 10/10 Enjoyment 10/10     Released 1997 Format 6 CDs Minimum System Required Windows 95 Pentium 90 16Mb Direct X Soundcard 4x CD-ROM

I love this game !

Sumptuous 360 degree graphics and a brilliantly simple save system. Avalon show Cryo (Atlantis) how this style of game should be written !

Set on an alien world your task is to find out why one city is without water whilst the other is flooding. You are subtly guided in this quest by one of the characters, and it is simply the best and least obtrusive help system I have encountered to date. The gameplay progresses briskly since you are carefully steered away from wasting time following deadends.

Riven
The Sequel to Myst
by Cyan

Rating   Difficulty 7/10 Graphics 10/10 Enjoyment 9/10     Released 1997 Format 5 CDs Minimum System Required Windows 95 Pentium 100 16Mb Soundcard 4x CD-ROM

This much awaited sequel takes the traveller back to the immersive world created in Myst.

With 5 CDs this was a broader canvas covering all the seven islands of Riven. The attention to detail is so phenomenal you find yourself backtracking just to admire the view.

To be honest my anticipation was so heightened by the time Riven was finally released that it never quite lived up to my expectations - but it still makes my top 3.

Starship Titanic
by The Digital Village

Rating   Difficulty 7/10 Graphics 7/10 Enjoyment 7/10     Released 1998 Format 3 CDs Minimum System Required Windows 95 Pentium 100 16Mb Soundcard 4x CD-ROM

Set aboard the stricken interstellar liner “Starship Titanic” this is the concept of Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy).

With a unique control system and quirky humour I never really got into this game. It is likely to have increased appeal for big Hitchhiker fans who will doubtless relate better to some of the jokes.

With a logic all of its own this is one of those games you either love or hate,
I recommend you give it a try.

Zork Nemesis
The Forbidden Lands
by Activision

Rating   Difficulty 6/10 Graphics 6/10 Enjoyment 6/10     Released 1996 Format 3 CDs Minimum System Required MS DOS 6.0 486 DX2 8Mb Soundcard 2x CD-ROM

“Five richly detailed worlds entice you with over 65 innovative puzzles and more than 40 hours of gameplay”. Well it certainly took me more than 40 hours !

The game felt a little dated and unwieldy to navigate as I trudged from location to location.

Although Forbidden Lands is part of a larger Zork series, its dark storyline does not follow on, and for me it just did not fire any great enthusiasm.

The 7th Guest
The 11th Hour
by Trilobyte

Rating   Difficulty 5/10 Graphics 3/10 Enjoyment 3/10     Released 1994 / 1995 Format 2 CDs / 4 CDs Minimum System Required MS DOS 5.0 486 SX / DX2 2Mb / 8 Mb Soundcard CD-ROM

Set totally inside the sinister mansion of Henry Stauf the game play consists of solving puzzles to gain gradual access to the various rooms.

Some of the puzzles were entertaining but the cut scene storyline and the terrible GameBook interface of 11th Hour make these two games I shall not return to.

Rated 15/18 and with a gothic feel 7th Guest and its sequel The 11th Hour were not suitable for playing with Stephanie.