Amstrad Computer User


Dream Warrior
By U. S. Gold
Amstrad CPC464

 
Published in Amstrad Computer User #48

Dream Warrior

It's not every day you get to save the world in a computer game - just every five minutes or so. Here we are quite firmly in the future; corporations controlled by the evil FOCUS Fellowships rule the Earth. These bright sparks can focus demons from the Dark Side into dissidents' minds.

No evil alliance is perfect; the infighting between the FOCUS groups has allowed your scientific team - ASMEN - to attempt to break the deadlock.

The attempt was partially successful in that it held off the unpleasant DREAM DEMON (yet more capitals), but three of the ASMEN were caught. Since their minds are slowly being pulped by the nastiest demon of the lot, you are quite keen on getting them back.

Dream Warrior

To enter the domain of the demons you must be asleep. You have to fend off the demi-demons, who carry pods which can be useful. Blue demi-demons carry parts of the trapped ASMEN's psyches; green ones keep your transport system happy; red ones give access cards to sleeping draughts: grey ones give lift passes.

Demi-demons zoom about in front of some rather pleasant background graphics. But all is not sweetness and light in the scrolling corridors, for there are floor mounted locks that operate barriers. These must be triggered in the right order.

Lifts allow access to the different floors, but are hard to spot as they look much like the rest of the scenery. Equally high in the difficult-to-see stakes are the sleeping draught lockers. Blue walls, blue character, blue floors and a few blue nasties keep the first level graphics feeling... blue.

Dream Warrior

The final conflict takes place in a black hole, where Ocular, the Big Chief Demon, is having fun with your pals. As his name implies, Ocular is well endowed in the visual department, and these eyes must be shot to close them. Once the eyes are closed, you and your pals are free to stop the world going insane.

Liz

The inlay card says "combining strategy and depth of gameplay...": this may require translation from hype-ese. The strategy element is determining the best way of rationalising the waste of your money on the game. The "depth of gameplay" is a carrot on a strong to keep you playing.

Contrary to what US Gold may say, graphics do not make a game. I doubt this one would rate much at two quid, so the asking price is a little over the odds. Any game whose object is to remain asleep is flawed somewhere. Me, I'd rather be delirious than have dreams like this game.