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The most important thing to know about Greyfell is that this is another 'Ultimate' type game. By which I mean it is a 3D multi-screen effort. You, and everything else, walk around on what could probably best be described as the surface of a cube drawn in perspective.

When you reach one side of the screen the next one is drawn, and so on, until you reach the edge of the playing area. Instead of falling off you simply turn around and go back.

Greyfell is probably more substantial and therefore more complicated than the average game of this type. There's an icon-driven command window via which most actions, other than moving around, are carried out. But first, you want to hear all that nice story stuff they print on the cassette box, don't you?

Well, to cut a long and familiar story very short indeed, the baddy is called Mauron (ha ha) and the goody is called Norman and he's a cat. Mauron has the 'orb' and Norman has to get it to make Greyfell once more a land where laughter is heard and children can play joyfully. In doing this he will, incidentally, become a hero of legendary proportions. That's all you need to know really.

The icon window is accessed by pressing the Fire button twice. There are icons for picking things up, using them and putting them down, for pausing and saving the game, and for casting spells.

You're given three different types of spell: a sort of cloud, something that looks like a cannon ball, and a cube. Certain spells are effective against certain meanies, but you have only a limited supply of each so it pays not to go wild.

You also have a limited supply of energy, indicated by the Staminameter. Energy can be replenished by walking into certain flowers which will boost your stamina as they disappear. Lives are limited too but, being a cat, you get a generous nine of them.

The supply of meanies (i.e. friends of Mauron) include rats, wolves, killer tomatoes, a Minotaur and crocodiles. There are also a few arrows and other missiles flying around which will do away with anything whether good or bad, that gets in their way.

It's not all bad news. You have a few friends who will help and assist you, but only in return for certain items, to be found elsewhere it seems.

Take Offalorien, for example. He's described as the 'shady spy' who won't spill the beans unless you give him some bananas. Getting the bananas is another question altogether. Then there's Blotto the drunk rabbit, Potbellius the bear landlord, Willy the pig policeman, and now through the square window...

When one of these characters does decide to speak to you, its graphic appears on a platform just below the playing area and a speech bubble then pops up. This can contain vital information (worth a banana) or just idle chat (not worth a banana).

Greyfell is undoubtedly a very good game, probably one of the best of its type. It's got the right combination of arcade features and adventure type puzzles which will really get you thinking.

The graphics are excellent, if a little on the slow side. Having said that, if you've already done the likes of Underwurlde or any of its clones, this one won't exactly drive you wild with excitement.