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Firelord is the latest game from the magnificent Steve Crow, and his first for Hewson. He's the author of Wizard's Lair and the award-winning Starquake. Firelord! is his best yet.

The scenario is the magical and medieval - save for the odd lamppost - world of Torot, a blighted land where an evil queen has stolen the sacred Firestone from the local dragon, and is misusing its awesome power to terrorist the inhabitants. They're too scared to leave their houses, and the streets and forests are peopled instead with spectral doppelgangers.

Into this mystical mess strides bold Sir Galaheart, whose quest it is to free the land by first finding the four charms of Eternal Youth, and then trading these with the queen for the Firestone, which must then be returned to the dragon for safe-keeping. The Quest for the Holy Grail was a doddle in comparison.

The countryside and its villages are beautifully depicted; trees, plants, quarries, and the hop-fields, oast houses and gabled thatched dwellings of Steve's native Kent. Sir Galaheart trots through this rustic charm at speed, reacting smoothly and swiftly to your joystick control (no keyboard option), doing his best to avoid the ghostly peasantry, and picking up edibles along the way to boost his ever-decreasing energy. He must also pick up other objects to increase his bartering power.

Though the apparitions are fairly easy to sidestep, if Galaheart collects one of the Enchanted Crystals he can extinguish them at a distance. There are also rampant bubbles to contend with, as well as mobile energy pools (which destroy his Enchanted Crystals) and fireballs. And just in case you're thinking all this counds like child's play, there are secret passages marked by cobblestones and some exits are blocked by ice-flames and the occasional portcullis. Getting past the latter involves Galaheart throwing himself at them, and then instantly back-tracking before he's killed. This can eventually be mastered, after great loss of life. Galaheart has only five lives to begin with, though there are extra life charms to be found.

What elevates Firelord to another plane entirely, giving it the edge over most other arcade quests, is Steve's invention of a bartering economy. Inside the quaint cottages, inns and oast houses of Torot swell the trembling inhabitants - a motley collection of peasants, herbalists, gate-keepers, witches and wizards, knights, bishops and reeves, as well as dragons, an imprisoned princess and the Evil Queen herself. All of these offer services which are available at a price.

Peasants can tell Galaheart where he is, gate-keppers will let him travel through their toll-houses, while the wise old man and the hermit can reveal essential information - such as which characters hold the Eternal Youth charms, and what they will trade for them.

Galaheart can enter any of these dwellings, and, provided he has goods in his possession - an Enchanted Crystal, a bag of gold, a candlestick or similar - then he can purchase the occupant's services. Bartering takes place on an icon screen, with the occupant looking down on the transaction from top right. By moving the cursor, you can select which of Galaheart's goods you wish to pay with, and the service you require. If the deal is satisfactory, the occupant will make an offer by displaying an appropriate icon. You can accept or decline, and either barter again, or leave.

If the payment asked is too high, then Galaheart can wait until the occupant is looking the other way, and then try to filch it. This involves moving the cursor over the Steal icon, and then in quick succession, over the icons of the service desired, the goods to be traded, and the consequent offer - all before the householder turns round. And if Galaheart is caught stealing, he's sent before the Reeve to be tried. In the trial scene you'll need some deft joystick control to prevent him from losing a maximum of three lives.

Bartering is crucial to the gameplay, but has the advantage of giving the characters some personality they would not otherwise possess. Peasants are dim-witted and

Bill Scolding