Computer Gamer
1st July 1985Komplex
In Komplex, you play the part of a ship commander on one of the strangest planets ever devised. The idea is to progress through the various different levels of the planet that is Komplex. Opposing you in this task are various denizens of the planet such as monitors, wardens and the millions of surface lazers.
The screen display is of a window looking out onto the planet. At the bottom of the screen is a large bar chart that shows the levels of all the defensive shields that your craft is equipped with. In the centre of the screen is the all-important lazer which is used to blast the monitors and wardens into little bits should they be so foolish as to wander into your sights. Another feature of the planet are the motion detectors and also loads of black slabs (a la 2010). If you fly over a motion detector or into a black slab, this sets off an alarm and even more of the wardens and monitors begin to assail you!
As the game is called "Komplex" it could not be as simple as this - it isn't. There is a central control computer that can only be destroyed after the letters K O M P L E X have all been found, there is docking procedure and for some unknown reason, if you let the dust from the monitors that you have just blasted settle, then your shield strength increases!
Also included is the Komplex Editor. This is, Legend claim, a collection of all the pokes that people would have thought up anyway! Thus, this allows you to switch off all the nasties, and various other useless things.
Graphics are good, sound is as good as can be expected from a Spectrum, but the game itself lacks any lasting appeal. The pictures are all very nice but it just doesn't add up to a good game.