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AVADON: THE BLACK FORTRESS
There’s no school like the old school
The gameplay and story are cool, but the locales could use an interior decorator.
Spiderweb Software
spiderwebsoftware.com
Price: $25
Requirements: 800MHz or faster
processor ( 1.6GHz recommended),
Mac OS 10. 4 or later, 512MB RAM,
200MB free disk space, video card
or graphics processor with OpenGL
support and 32MB video RAM (64MB
recommended)
Offers a classic RPG experience.
Engrossing narrative. Hours of
enjoyable gameplay.
1999 called: They want their
graphics back. The UI made our
eyes bleed just a little bit.
AVADON: THE
BLACK FORTRESS
Mac|Life
RATED
GREAT
Avadon: The Black Fortress is an old-school role-playing
experience, and we mean oooooold school. It’s cut from
the same cloth as Baldur’s Gate, Fallout, and Icewind
Dale, and that, friends, is a very good thing. A top-down, third-person, isometric affair, the game is set in
a dangerous fantasy world full of strange creatures,
barbarian hordes, and jealous emperors bent on the
destruction of your homeland.
After choosing from one of four character classes,
you’ll be called upon to play the part of an agent of
The Hand, a powerful cadre of warriors, priests, and
wizards who carry out the decrees of The Black Fortress.
Powerful, hidden enemies conspire against your people,
and it’s your job to root them out. With your small band
of followers, you’ll question and slaughter your way
through over 20 levels in a quest to gain power and
influence and ultimately secure the future of the land
and its people.
Developed by Spiderweb Software, Avadon: The Black
Fortress is chock-full of the bits we’ve come to expect
from a role-playing experience. Spells and potions?
They’re in there. Armor and weapon upgrades? It’s got
those too. That’s fortunate, because you’re going to
need them. Unlike titles such as Dragon Age II, where
you can simply pound on your opponents until they fall
down, the foes in Avadon not only become tougher as
you proceed deeper into the game, but also grow more
complex, demanding you that think about the tactics
you employ in battle. Fortunately, thanks to the game’s
turn-based combat system, there’s always enough time
to suss out your next move.
74 JUL• 11 maclife.com
