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Whatever you might say or thing about Dungeons & Dragons games, there's no denying that when you get one of SSI's conversions on sale at under eight quid you're talking phenomenal value for money.

If you've ever thought that D&D stuff sounds quite intriguing, but that there are so many of them you don't really know where to start (and anyway, you don't fancy risking £25.99 on something you might not enjoy much), this is the answer. Close your eyes for a moment, and picture yourself in the land of Krynn...

What's happened is that the Queen of Darkness is in control of the land, having awoken the evil dragons and so on, and only a small band of adventurers known as the 'Companions of the Lance' stand in opposition. Your job is to lead the Companions in a quest to recover the mystical Disks of Mishakal (yes, it's one of those sort of games) which can then be used to help restore faith in the old gods, and thereby bring about the Queen's downfall.

Or something.

It has to be said that, if you're the sort of person who reacts badly to 'the ruins of Xak Tsaroth', evil dragons called 'Khisanth' and so on, you're going to have a pretty aggravating time here.

It also has to be said, however, that the game does give you the feeling that you're adventuring into a strange, dangerous land which threatens you at every turn. The graphics are good and the sounds of doing battle with evil are very effective - especially the cries of pain from the servants of evil when you plunge your sword into them! From concealed magic potions or hidden weapons to look out for to muh flipping between straight joystick control (for movement and combat) and magical menus selected by simply hitting the space bar, there'll be plenty to occupy you.

Unless you're a 100 percent committed D&D hater, you'll get lost for hours in this.

A varied D&D release - not the most sophisticated in the world, but at eight quid well worth a punt - you may like it!