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Hewson's medieval magic arcade adventure has out reviewer under its spell

Firelord has all the elements we have to expect from Steve Crow, author of Starquake and Wizard's Lair, but it's also a dazzling progression from his previous work.

The plot is fairly standard - you play Sir Galaheart and must collect the charms and free the land from the Evil Queen who has put a fiery curse on the land with the power of the magical Firestone. Don't be put off by a familiar plot as Firelord is executed faultlessly and will provide days of entertainment on many different levels.

There are a multitude of things to do in this 512 screen feudal world but you won't get very far unless you first locate an enchanted crystal which will give you some firepower against the bands of knights who roam the land. Objects are scattered throughout the landscape and these are necessary to give you bartering clout to obtain the spells you need. So it's not just a matter of "collect the right objects and you are home and dry" and the barter sequences are a very clever addition. Enter a house and you are transferred to an icon-driven screen which shows you the house owner (witch, peasant, etc) by way of an animated inset picture of a face, what objects you have and what objects are on offer.

You could of course go for a straight transaction but there is also an icon which gives you the chance to get away with what you are after for nothing. You have to be pretty fast with the cursor to do this and if you mistime it, retribution is swift!

If you get caught red-handed you are brought before the judge and may forfeit up to three of your five lives if you fail to come through a sub game that requires even greater split-second timing than carrying off the crime itself, which is a nice touch of poetic justice.

Even after long periods of play, I found I'd barely scratched the surface of the game but had been enthralled throughout and that to me is a sure sign that Firelord wil be returned to again and again.

The game features very attractive graphics, smooth animated figures and a complexity of gameplay that is pitched at just the right frustration level. It holds more than enough surprises to captivate even the most accomplished arcade adventurer.