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A multi-level dungeon, populated with ghouls, ghosts and long-legged things awaits you. Treading a precarious path through the maze of darkened tunnels and caves, prepare to meet a variety of monsters and hazards in your search for the famed sword. This quest combines graphics and fantasy, and provides ample helpings of magic, mystery and mayhem.

Overcoming all perils, your quest is to seek out the Sword of Fargoal, which lies somewhere between the 15th and 20th level of the dungeon. You begin your journey equipped only with a smattering of spells, skill and strength. You can add to these attributes by defeating nasties, finding goodies, and making donations to your neighbourhood temple. Once you have found the sword, you have 33 minutes to get the heck out of there as every baddie and its brother will be gunning for you.

A title page with suitable medieval lettering is displayed, to the strains of lute-like music. Your attributes and possessions are shown just before you start at the first level.

You may well bump headlong into a monster out for a stroll. Monsters are shown as tiny sprites, each having a different appearance. Unless you have a 50in TV, you are unlikely to make out all of the detail. Human nasties resemble you, except their sword is in the other hand. Battle is met by you jumping on the enemy or the enemy on you.

Text messages and scores are displayed in medieval characters. Occasionally some messages disappear before you have time to digest them.

Traps cause rocks to fall on your head, pits to open beneath your feet, bombs to go off by your ankles and teleports to zoom you off to other levels.

Stairs are there for descent or retreat. When moving to another level (or playing a new game), the locations of everything are randomly juggled around. Since most of the program is in Basic, this leads to a wait before the program lets you continue your journey. Every few moves some sinister chords throb out, rather like an old mystery movie. This adds to the atmosphere, but as everything stops while the chords play, it soon gets a bit irritating.

Enchanting weapons and beacons may be discovered, as can magical maps which light up a whole level.

Sword Of Fargoal is an absorbing fantasy game, just the thing for a wet winter's night. Nice graphics and easy to play.