Simon had a problem finding an angle to this review, but there was no lack of them in the game. Unlike crystals, strangely enough...

Does anyone remember the 3D Construction Kit from Incentive? The idea was that the user builds their own 3D landscape using a series of shapes supplied by the Kit (mainly rectangles). and the program then lets you wander around and interact with that landscape. Viewing everything in perspective - this system was known as Freescape. Of course, game writers, being what they were, you interact with the blocks by shooting them, but that's pretty much the only reason you've got a gun - here are no bad guys to slaughter.

Anyway, looking at Time Crystal, I reckon Parallel Logic have got a copy of 3DCK. The plot could be anything from 'crystal sucking time out of universe, find and destroy', though, 'villainous bloke steals crystal, get it back', to 'throw crystal into Time Well' - it's not important, because this, like all Freescape games, is about a player wandering around a landscape wandering around a landscape wondering what they're supposed to be doing. In this case, the landscape's a castle.

The movement controls are very simple - forward, backward, rotate left or right, with a few more complex manoeuvres, such as leaning forward or backwards, tilting to one side and gaining a higher viewpoint. But if you've ever played a Freescape game, you'd know that.

Bearing in mind that all Freescape games are to the great extent identical, there isn't all that much to review - most of the comments you could make would be true of all Freescape games, as pretty much the only thing that changes from game to game is the environment you're exploring.

And what a nice little environment it is. The designer seems to be a fan of walking in circles, as some of the rooms have spiralling walkways around them, whether they're visible or not.

Did I mention the invisible blocks?

Obviously not. The idea that a lot of the platforms you're walking on are completely invisible is quite a good one - it's not used excessively, so you can judge roughly where they're going to be (as opposed to wandering around a maze of invisible walls) but this simple little idea does add quite a lot to the gameplay. Well, it would add a lot to the gameplay if the whole thing wasn't so damned slow.

That's right - I'd left out that little point up until now, but we do have to face the fact that Freescape games on the 8-bits really are incredibly slow, aren't they? In fact, it's the total lack of speed that puts most people off this type of thing - no-one wants to turn to the right and wait 10 seconds for the screen to redraw before turning another step to the right, and having to wait again. Whatever gameplay The Time Crystal had gleaned through cunning layout, fun puzzles, interesting structures and the like has trickled slowly away down the plughole of obscurity. Really bloody slowly.

This lack of speed isn't too much of a problem in flat, featureless areas (you can even increase your step distance to let you move further on each redraw), but it plays hell with the exploration aspect; by the time the screen's redrawn ten times, you'll have forgotten what you were looking for. It's also very disorientating. You might as well play it by post!

But horrific speed problems are a curse of all Freescape games on the C64, so all credit to Parallel Logic, who have undeniably used 3DCK to its full capacity. But, no matter who designed the landscape, there comes a point at which you have to say it's a Freescape game, and knock quite a few marks off the final percentage just for that.

1. Wonderfully designed environment.
2. Original puzzles for a Freescape game.

1. Oh so slooooooooooooooow.
2. Well, it's a Freescape game, basically.
3. The colours are pretty vile as well.