Acorn User
1st February 1987
Author: Gavin Gillings
Publisher: Audiogenic
Machine: BBC/Electron
Published in Acorn User #055
Free At Last
In his dying breath, the elder-oid whispers, 'Clement, earth must be warned'.
Originally planets distant from earth were patrolled and maintained by the Ordanoids. To help with this task the Proleoids (are they good at taking pictures?) were produced and placed on these planets. Things started to go wrong, however. A fault developed in the Proleoids which caused them to dominate and ultimately destroy the Ordanoids. All but one, that is. And of course, it's you, Clement, that's the last of the Ordanoids, The Last of The Free! It is up to you to warn Earth about the fault. To do this you must first escape from your home planet, and the problems this creates are the basis of the game.
There is a number of rooms through which Clement must be guided. Within the rooms you will find objects which can be used to solve puzzles (e.g. keys for doors).
On most screens you will encounter various types of flying objects. These include dustbin lids, fish bones and bumble bees. You must also watch out for nasty creatures which scurry along the ground, inescapable pits of oil and fake floors, all of which reduce your energy. Clement starts off with five lives and loses one every time his energy reaches zero.
At present, the number of games for the BBC Micro which could be classified as arcade adventures is very small. Many are direct transfers from Spectrum games, and thus do not do the BBC Micro's graphics credit. This game, however, is different.
The use of the Mode 5 screen and the fact that most of the characters in the game are of a fair size (approximately 16 x 16 pixels) make the game pleasing to play and watch. Coupled with the smooth character movement, the result is one of the best of the genre.
The Last Of The Free also has music, but after a short while you come to the conclusion that its best feature is the fact that you can switch it off! The sound effects are not as bad, but nothing to brag about.
Overall, the game is worth buying, the good graphics outweighing its poor sound.
Other Acorn Electron Game Reviews By Gavin Gillings
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