Previous Next

In times gone by, there have been many who so disliked a wit's style under the baudwalk that they did call him names. Now this original soul, Mel Croucher was his birth name, has confirmed their worst fears by revealing himself as a foul fiend who takes children under his stinking coat to tell them terrible tales, in painful rhyme with lines such as 'when sabre-tooth made take-away of man' and spells like 'Bejasus betamax bedamned'. His tale concerns one of those ancient demons which storytellers presume roamed prehistoric earth. This demon, Magister, was a sleepy sort of spirit until a castle was built upon his resting place. Once Magister awakened he did seek vengeance, but was at first so weakened by his slumber that the king of the castle could humiliatingly throw him out.

Soon enough though, Magister regained his power and threw all the castle dwellers into a deep coma, creating hideous ghouls from their fevered dreams. But the Magister wasn't satisfied with this revenge; he sought to make the whole of humanity pay. So he did roam far from the castle, in a smelly coat to discomfort the victims he told tales before murdering. His latest outrage has been to kidnap one of the royal family - the prince or princess, depending on which sex you want to play as the rescuer.

You have twenty-four hours to find your twin, hidden in one of the castle's four towers, before he or she is forever turned into a ghost. But before you can free him/her you must also destroy all the spirits haunting the castle - their numbers are indicated by the spirit level. As not all the ghosts are so stupid as to jump out at you, a fair part of the game involves opening chests and suchlike to find the more cowardly ones. To help you, there are three potions and ten keys to be found. As with the other Freescape games, there's plenty of 3D puzzles and traps to strain your tactics.

You begin the quest outside the castle, and must find a way to lower the drawbridge to avoid the shark-infested moat. You are armed with a slingshot, and can run, walk, crawl, look all around, and even read plaques

I much preferred Total Eclipse to the previous Freescape games as the authentic period scenario gave it a believable atmosphere. The same applies to Castle Master only more so as the graphics are more sophisticated with detailed shading.

Like the previous Freescape games, I prefer the C64 version as the simpler colour scheme is somehow more atmospheric. However, both versions benefit from the exploratory freedom which allows you to roam the castle at will. This means puzzles are never frustrating as if you get stuck you can always go to another tower and approach the problem from another angle.

On the sonic front, both versions are good with a continuous Ghouls And Ghosts-style tune, although personally I preferred the old Dark Side music.

All in all, though, Castle Master is another excellent Incentive product, with well thought-out puzzles and those great 3D graphics.

Now you know what Stalag Zzap! is like! Well almost: this castle's a lot bigger and much easier to roam around (lax security - tut, tut!). The puzzle gameplay is much less abstract (and hence more enjoyable) than the earlier SF games like Driller.

The C64 game obviously can't match the Amiga's speed, the main problem is when you're under threat from a ghost and have to move ast - it's too easy to panic into pushing forward twice, say, instead of once. Practice soon puts this right, although allowing you to fully appreciate this technically excellent product.

All in all, for an utterly compelling quest which will take many weeks to complete, look no further!

I must say I was pleasantly surprised by this game. I've never really got into the previous Freescape games, and after the superlative graphics of Infestation, Amiga Castle Master especially looks disappointing.

It's also a pity the superb intro pic of the castle is spoilt by a mediocre selection screen, featuring an effeminate prince and a muscular princess! However, once you actually get into the game, its charm soon becomes persuasive.

Details such as the manacies in the dungeon, the spit in the kitchen fireplace, and the bell in the tower really help to create a good atmosphere.

Then there's how once weakened you can only crawl, the bizarre clues, and the slick way the controls work. The moving ghosts, unique to the Amiga, are undetailed and move slowly - but they rival anything in Infestation and show off the host machine.

C64 Castle Master compensates for the lack of moving ghosts with puzzles and hidden stationary ghosts which have to be spotted and shot quickly. By comparison with Infestation, Castle Master has less rooms and realism, but it's more fun, packed with many more puzzles and is very tough.

Presentation 86%
'Different' scene-setting verses by Mel Croucher, music/FX, save/load options, disappointing title page.

Graphics 94%
Surprisingly quick considering their complexity with lots of detail and atmosphere. The latter is even better than the Amiga.

Sound 80%
Quite good tune, if repetitive, and some good spot FX.

Hookability 85%
Not quite as easy to get into as the Amiga game, although the more convincing atmosphere (all muted colours) is entrancing.

Lastability 94%
A sizeable Amiga game has been shrunk down the C64, losing very little.

Overall 93%
The utterly unique 8-bit Freescape system provides a wonderful spooky world for you to explore.

Presentation 86%
Good title page, but comical "sex selection" sequence (rince or princess being taken off by massive claws!), save/load option, music/FX, Mel Croucher scenario.

Graphics 86%
Initially unimpressive, but attention to detail with plenty of nice touches soon grows on you.

Sound 80%
Spooky tune or atmospheric spot FX.

Hookability 88%
Surprisingly addictive, as soon as you walk through the drawbridge you start stumbling over little puzzles which get you into it.

Lastability 92%
Lots of puzzles, two slightly different ways of completing it depending on sex.

Overall 90%
Spookily special.