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Things had been fairly cushy around the Fallen World for a century or two. As Doomlord of all things despicable, you had filled the post with admirable efficiency and ease. That is until the army of light, led by that pussy-foot, The Light Wizard, started butting in where they weren't welcome - namely in your backyard!

Not only has that horrid band of goody-goodies penetrated the defences of your castle, 'Doomrock' but they've even had the affrontary to convert most of your faithful and evil staff to the light. Ugh! Patently this can't go on, something must be done before it's too late.

So now the army of light, not to mention half your trusted demons and ghosts (you just can't get the staff these days!), are out to get you, and banish the Darkness from the Fallen World forever - perish the thought. And so, single-handed you are about to boldly take on the hoards of Good.

Luckily, you had an inkling something was afoot so, just in case, you've left a number of changing potions dotted about the castle. These marvelous concoctions allow you to change from one of your three forms to another, depending on the colour of the bottle. Thus you can change from your current state as a warlock, into a troll or a goblin, each of which has differing powers and weaknesses.

The main difference between your three states lies in the amount you can throw your weight about versus your strength in the magic department. As a troll, for instance, you could take on Geoff Capes with your little finger but couldn't pop the proverbial rabbit out of a hat. As a warlock, however, you could probably give Paul Daniels a good run for his money but you're blessed with margarine muscles!

One problem remains, where did you leave that 'Orb of Power' thingy? If only you could find it, the White Wizard would be putty in your hands...

Warlock is a pretty, isometric arcade adventure in which you must take The Doomlord around his castle picking up objects along the way, until you find the Orb. Then it's off to find and defeat The White Wizard, then home for tea.

Unlike Fairlight, also from The Edge, almost the entire screen in Warlock is taken up by some of the larger locations in the castle, but the refresh time between screens is still a little slow.

The effect is one of being deep down in a dingy dungeon flanked by solid walls made out of immovable granite - very atmospheric. Sometimes, though, it's a little difficult to see, or line up in front of, a few of the exits.

In the bottom corners of the screen are the remaining lives and inventory displays together with 'Magic' and 'Might' meters which help you decide when to take on all-comers and when to back away and look for something tasty to give you more energy.

Castle rooms are often divided by walls, made from lines of stone blocks. In some cases these blocks can be destroyed to make a path through to the other side of the room. Trap doors allow you to drop down to the floor below, while stepping on a pentagram will send you back up again. Other Intense Magic Places act as transporters to other parts of the castle but, be warned, these are not always reversible.

Although some objects supplement your might or magic levels, others have the opposite effect and it is important to discover which objects do which to stand any chance of defeating The White Wizard. Some room exits are locked and can only be negotiated with the aid of a key. Unfortunately the door locks again afterwards, so another key is needed to go that way again. Some doors are only locked in one direction and can be freely used when going the other way.

With reasonable sound and music, good graphic design, easy keyboard or joystick control, Warlock is yet another in a string of professionally put together titles from The Edge who seem to go from strength to strength.