Amstrad Computer User


Lancelot

Categories: Review: Software
Publisher: Level 9 Computing
Machine: Amstrad CPC464

 
Published in Amstrad Computer User #51

Lancelot

There are many stories and legends surrounding King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Although glamourised over the years, many of the principal characters might well have existed. They may even have had some of the adventures we read of.

Among the knights recruited by King Arthur, the most well known is Lancelot. His was the example others tried to imitate. His prowess at arms and his devotion to Arthur's ideals of chivalry have given us the archetypal "knight in shining armour".

In this adventure you must guide Lancelot along his perfunctory path of perfection to the ultimate goal of finding the Holy Grail.

Lancelot

In addition to basic instructions and hints for the novice adventurer, the booklet which comes with the game includes a short piece on the background and the books you could read to learn more about the subject. There is also a very readable section giving a resume of the Arthurian saga.

The adventure is divided into three parts. The first deals with Lancelot's journey and arrival at Camelot. Once elevated to knighthood you automatically move on to part two. This is the longest, and involves the search for a number of wrongly imprisoned knights.

Their rescue will test Lancelot to the full; only a successful outcome will prove that he is worthy of the highest honours. Some of the knights he rescues will help him for a while, but all will eventually return to Camelot to join the Order of the Round Table.

Having gained such an enviable reputation, Lancelot can at last claim to be Guinevere's champion. His love for Arthur's wife is well documented and is a terrible burden he has to bear for the rest of his life. Penance and a devotion to the code of chivalry barely balance his passion for the Queen of England.

The third part, which can be played independently of the first two, continues the story some 20 years later, where your goal is to help Lancelot to find the Holy Grail.

Many years have passed. Lancelot, while still loving Guinevere, has come to accept the inevitability of his situation. He has, if anything, stronger leanings towards the absolute code of chivalry laid down by Arthur and has seen his son Galahad, the most perfect knight of all, be given the last vacant position on the Round Table.

For his part, Galahad has only a supreme belief in Divine intervention, so Lancelot must call the tune all the way. Part three is effectively one long quest and the puzzles must be completed in the correct order.

As you might expect from Level 9, the location descriptions and responses to examine are often detailed, adding dramatically to the atmosphere of the game.

Graphics - only available to disc users - are colourful and well drawn. Game play is slowed slightly because they are called in from disc. But the graphics do add to the already highly charged text. There are plenty of locations to explore and most objects of interest are clearly indicated in the way the text is constructed. While having the right object at the right time is important, character interaction also is a vital part of the game.

This was a time when the age of chivalry had its beginnings. With but one imperfection, Lancelot the man has always been held as "ye parfait knight". Lancelot the adventure is Level 9's best yet.

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