The Dark

A game by Oleg Origin.

Many years ago, in a far away and fantastical realm much different to our own, the army of The Dark crossed the border of the Land of Winds. They tore through everything, killing and destroying all in their path.

The brave few who survived managed to escape to the Northern lands, a frozen and inhospitable place far from the reaches of the Dark army.

Among them was a girl. A girl named Jane. In the bitter and unforgiving North, ar from the green fields of hope, she gave birth to a son, Alexander.

When he was old enough to understand, his mother told him the story of how the army of The Dark had destroyed and taken his homeland. As he grew to an adult, Alexander resolved to return and free his country. This is his story. Take the role of Alexander as he fights against the forces of evil with trident and pistol to reclaim the Land of Winds from The Dark in this exciting 3D arcade adventure for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum.

Instructions

The aim of each level is to reach the exit. However, this is different in two of the nine levels. On level four the player has to find and kill all enemies and on level 9 it is necessary to destroy all of the eggs to stop The Dark forever and free the Land of Winds.

During your quest, you will be attacked by many different enemies. Some can be killed but some are immune to your weaponry. Warning: Never gaze upon the flying death!

You have two attempts at each level. If you fail both attempts, you will be returned to the previous level to battle through it once again.

You can open and study the in-game map at any time using the chosen map key (Space or M depending on your choice). All objects on the map, including enemies, are shown as dots. The blinking dot shows the player's position. Orientation can be determined by the compass. The top of the map always points North.

If there is an exit from the level, it will also be marked on the map. While you are reading the map, events in the game world will be halted. If you encounter a difficult situation you can open the map to pause the game and plan your escape route.

In-Game Display

Health - Total loss of health leads to death
Armors - With armour, your health depletes more slowly
Ammo (bullets) - You will always use your firearm instead of your trident if you have Ammo

The maximum value of each of these indicators is 99. Each level begins with your armour and health at 80 units. Bullets carry over from the previous level.

The keys you have collected will be displayed on the right of the main game window. On the final level destroyed eggs will also be displayed here.

Collectibles

1. Green boxes with a yellow cross give 50 bullets.
2. Bright yellow boxes boost armour by 50 units
3. Hearts replenish health by 50 units
4. Light blue or white keys are used for the corresponding doors found in the current level Yellow doors require two keys; these keys bear the image of a hand and both parts must be found to open the door

Survival Tips

When firing on enemies, move back to avoid their attacks. This also applies when using the trident as there is a distance from which Alexander can strike his foes where they cannot reach to hit back.

It is only on level four where you must kill all the enemies. On all other levels you may avoid them if you wish. Sometimes this is a sensible tactic. As you push further into the stronghold of The Dark you will need to be careful of many immortal foes. These must be avoided as your conventional weapons will be unable to damage them.

Game Controls

O - Left, P - Right, Q - Up, A - Down, M/SPACE - Fire/Map

Pressing F swaps the function of keys M and SPACE (fire/map). It is also relevant if you use the joystick - for selection of a key for the map showing.

After the choice of controls, press Fire to begin the game.

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Game Credits

Game Design, Story, Programming & FX: Oleg Origin
Produced by: Bum Fun Software