DoMark's release of this Freescape compilation neatly ties in to their 3D Construction Kit system reviewed on page 50. Is this a clever marketing ploy? Maybe, maybe not, but it hardly matters when a set of games this polished is released in one box.

The four games in theis pack are Castle Master, its sequel The Crypt, Total Eclipse, and Driller. All the (at the time) revolutionary Freescape system games are here. with only Dark Side missing, which is a bloomin' shame. This system uses polygons to represent the areas to be explored - this graphical style is usually only seen in flight sims and the like. So let's have a look at each game in turn...

CASTLE MASTER

This is the most recent of the games in the set, and has a distinctly supernatural bent. Set in a castle (quelle surprise!) populated by evil spirits with bad attitudes. The aim of the game (as Brucie would say) is to rescue your twin, either male or female, from the sweaty clutches of the Magister.

As you explore the landscape, discovering secret rooms and collecting keys, your spirit level (groan) keeps you informed of your health. If this drops too low it's curtains for you, blue eyes. The Freescape system allows you to look at the floor or celling, and even crawl under beds and run screaming from the castle!

The puzzles are rather cunning, and deserves to have been such a hit the first time round. It's a strong contender for top dog in this collection, with a nippy feel to the play. The graphics are simply lavish, and they don't get any better than this on the Spectrum.

DRILLER

This game was the ver4y first Freescape game, and I'm afraid it shows. Set in the far future, the colony of Evath is in great danger. One of its moons, Mitral, is full of explosive gas (like Steve), and an impending meteor strike is threatening to shower the hapless Evathians with debris. Somebody has to travel to Mitral and drill out the gas before the meteor arrives. Guess who gets "volunteered" for this mission? That's right, it's you, you poor git.

The task in hand is to locate the areas of gas build-up and call in the drill to free the noxious stuff. All this is against the clock, and failure obviously means death. On top of the time limit, there are violent laser beacons and skanners (sic) intent in frying your whatsits.

Driller lacks a basic level of excitement and atmosphere (ho ho), but still manages to be a workman-like game. It's fun for a short while, but doesn't have the thrills of Castle Master or Total Eclipse. Every compilation has a weak game, and this is not nearly as poor as some.

TOTAL ECLIPSE

Those zany Egyptians certainly knew how to screw things up for future inhabitants of Earth. Thousands of years ago, the priest of Re the Sun God decided that the pyramid needed that extra zing to make it interesting. So he put a curse on the building, if it was ever hidden from the sun during the day, whatever caused the obstruction would be annihilated. Unfortunately, there's an eclipse on the way...

Set in the 1930's, the star of the show is an archaeologist who has discovered the curse and and is racing to destroy the shrine of Re before the big bang. A revolver and compass help him on his way, but dehydration is a major worry - keep an eye out for troughs to replenish supplies. The pyramid isn't completely deserted, of course, and various nasties lurk in his dark passages waiting to cause aggro. Luckily this is counterbalanced by the presence of enormous quantities of treasure, all ripe for the plucking.

Total Eclipse is a highly original game, with a true feel of the period and location. The time limit helps to keep things moving at a brisk pace, and a heart beat is used to measure health - a novel idea which works effectively. This is probably the best game in the compilation.

THE CRYPT - CASTLE MASTER II

This is the sequel to Castle Master, and was previously unreleased on the Speccy. This time Magister has captured you, and the horrific fate you've been assigned is to become a ghoul yourself. There's only one thing to - escape from his catacombs and avoid this terrifying prospect!

This uses the same system as Castle Master, and so it's best to tackle its forerunner first. The puzzles avoid being just more of the same, and the graphics have been tweaked to give a greater variety of locations. As before, keys are vital to success, as is accurate exploration of all the nooks and crannies of the rooms.

Basically, if you like Castle Master you'll love this. It's more than a data disk and virtually (nyup nyup) a complete a in itself. Obviously it seems that the game is easier than its predecessor, but that's because you get used to solving them as you play. Either way, a worthy addition to an excellent compilation.

Label: Domark Memory: 48K/128K Price: £19.99 Tape, N/A Disk Reviewer: Matt Regan

This really offers value for money. Adventure fans won't believe their luck when they see what's available here, and should rush out and purchase the collection immediately - or get their heads tested.