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Catharism was a religious movement that thrived in Southern France between the 12th to 14th centuries. The Roman Catholic church persecuted the Cathars for their heretical belief in the concept of two gods - one good, the other evil. During the period, tens of thousands were killed indiscriminately.

History lesson over. You play Jean Raymond, on the run from the crusaders. In the process of attempting to escape, he barricades himself inside an abandoned church. Unfortunately, his troubles are not over - the church was built above an ancient evil; an evil waiting to consume anyone foolish enough to unlock and explore the subterranean caverns. With the only obvious exit being slowly broken down by the crusaders, you have little choice but to press on down.

Jean is a spritely fellow: he can jump, crawl and fall from heights without damage, but you need all your wits to navigate the platforms, avoid fire, solve puzzles, trigger switches and collect the crosses from fellow Cathars who perished beneath the surface. Thankfully, hints are available in the form of scrolls to guide you beyond what you believe and can see. Think the trials at the end of Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade here - only the penitent man will pass.

Evil comes in many forms, be it skeletons, archers, fish, spiders, unholy water, a large fire-breathing dragon... and even Death itself. Needless to say, touching any of them loses a life, although there are extra lives dotted about the caverns, and a secret level available where more can be earned. Dying sends you back to the last checkpoint triggered. Once all twelve crosses are collected, you can then reach the final hall and defeat what lurks beneath.

I've not played the PC original, but this port intrigued me due to its themes and presentation, and on those counts it doesn't disappoint: an appropriate end sequence and some well-used speech emphasise proceedings. L'Abbaye is an above-average platformer, not afraid to unintentionally crib a little from other classic titles.

One screen reminded me of something Matthew Smith would have conjured up, and then there's the ghost which fulfils the same role as the black ball from Impossible Mission.

The difficulty gradient is fair, and the last few screens take some thinking to navigate. There are a couple of ingenious tricks to solve, thankfully hinted at via the scrolls, but most of the crosses are not that hard to acquire, and therein lies the sole issue with the game. It's just not long enough and probably won't take a lot of goes to complete.

Antonio Savona once again shows his mastery of the hardware, ably assisted by the talents of Saul Cross. From the intro sequence thunder to the fire-breathing dragon, this looks immaculate and actually improves on the PC original (which took its cue from the ZX Spectrum's graphics) in some ways.

The dark and mysterious music captures the right mood. The precise controls mean if you miss a jump it's your fault. Puzzling out a route through the game to find all twelve crosses is a pleasure, although some screens (with hidden platforms and difficult-to-reach switches) are initially frustrating - and it is not the largest game around, with just 23 screens. I delight in the clever touches, from the rattling abbey door as the crusaders try to break in, to the hidden scrolling section where you can earn extra lives. A heavenly platform game that deserves high praise.

Locomalito is probably my favourite indie PC game developer, so it's great to see a game hit the C64, even if the original was designed to look like one for the Spectrum!

Fortunately, Antonio Savona and Saul Cross have worked their magic on the sprites, and upscaled it to seem like it was designed especially for our favourite 8-bit. L'Abbaye Des Morts is a beautiful little gem... with the emphasis on 'little'. With only 23 screens to explore, it won't be long until you reach the end, and with no score to improve upon there's little incentive to return.

Maybe a speedrun competition with your mates? L'Abbaye Des Morts is small but perfectly formed... expanded into a full-length game, it could have been something really special.

Presentation 75%
No options, but it all looks very clean, and there are a few nice touches.

Graphics 81%
Some lovely sprites but the rooms are basic, though effective.

Sound 84%
Clear intro screen, nicely atmospheric tunes and SFX.

Hookability 86%
Familiar gameplay is easy to grasp and fun to play.

Lastability 63%
Just as you're really getting into it, you've finished it!

Overall 80%
A beautiful, but brief, adventure which leaves you wanting a lot more.