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After the success of the brilliant Knight Lore, this follow-up from Ultimate has been eagerly awaited.

Nightshade is a hidden village that has succumbed to the forces of darkness. The villagers have either fled or been transformed into hideous creatures that prowl the grim remains, pouncing on unwary adventurers who have been foolish enough to attempt to defeat the evil overlord.

Needless to say, this is precisely what you are about to do. Lured by tales of the riches and power to be had in the Nightshade village, undaunted by rumours of foul fiends and deadly plagues, you set forth...

The scenario is irresistible, and many of the successful ingredients of Knight Lore are to be found in Nightshade. The graphics are superb, from the familiar adventurer in his safari hat who thankfully does not keep turning into a werewolf, to the marvellous 3D locations.

But the game is not so immediately enjoyable as Knight Lore, which was engrossing from the first moment. It takes a long, long time to get into the game and find out what is going on, with no puzzles to keep you amused along the way.

There are items to be collected, ghouls to be dodged or destroyed, locations to be explored and antibodies to be gathered and fired at germs and other nasties, but after a while this game loses its interest.

The game's splendid packaging promises unlimited treats, mad monks, acid pools, Mr. Grimreaper, goblins, skeletons and so on, but I didn't find them. The program is undoubtedly huge, but the author should have ensured that the early stages of the game were interesting enough to hold the player's attention. After Knight Lore, Nightshade is initially disappointing.