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Normally, we don't tell you much about the plot of a game. It usually isn't worth it. The plot is often tagged on an afterthought and doesn't contribute to how good or bad a game is. Well, it's time to break the rules because everything in Keys To Maramon hinges on the plot. Playing one of four adventurer characters, you're hired by the mayor to police the town at night.

Maramon is built around five towers. These lead down to catacombs that run through the whole city and these are inhabited by evil monsters. Every night, the monsters pour into the city and trash every building they can. So it begins simply enough.

You wander around the scrolling screen, equipping yourself with weapons and potions from shops and waiting for nightfall. When the monsters come out, all you have to do is run up to them, fire button them to death and wait for morning. If you successfully wiped out last night's raiders (earing some gold off them in the process), you're doing your job. Worn down weapons can be fixed, better ones bought. Potions can cure wounds and so on. Do well and the mayor throws a few extra bob your way, too. But if that was all there was to Keys To Maramon, it would be pretty bland.

But it isn't. You soon realise that the monsters emerge from certain towers on certain days of the week. There are keys to let you into the towers as well (but some doors have more than one lock on them so more than one key is needed to open those). So you can set traps, venture down into the catacombs and turn the tables on the monsters themselves.

It's a linear adventure. By that I mean there's no opportunity to turn away from the storyline and experiment. But this enables the play balance to stay really tight. Keys To Maramon is action-packed but well paced, quite deep but not complex. Maramon seems to go out of the way to make itself appeal to role-playing newcomers.

Go on, unlock the adventure ahead. Maramon needs you.

1. Excellent storyline can be closely followed in play
2. Ideal for beginners
3. Choice of four characters
4. Wide choice of weapons
5. Weapons can wear down but they can be fixed too
6. Well-hidden clues to the solution of the adventure
7. Plenty of magic items to get to grips with
8. The town is full of interesting people to interrogate
9. The cycles of day and night break up the styles of play so you don't get bored
10. Very good documentation

1. Linear plot
2. Wouldn't last long in the hands of an experienced adventurer