[{"TitleName":"Tower of Despair","Publisher":"Games Workshop","Author":"Jamie Thomson, Mike McKeown, Peter Martin, Russell Clarke, Steve Williams, Robin Hidden","YearOfRelease":"1984","ZxDbId":"0007126","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 11, Dec 1984","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1984-11-15","Editor":"Roger Kean","TotalPages":164,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Roger Kean\r\nConsultant Editor: Franco Frey\r\nProduction Designer: David Western\r\nArt Editor: Oliver Frey\r\nAdventure Editor: Derek Brewster\r\nStaff Writer: Lloyd Mangram\r\nContributing Writers: Matthew Uffindel, Chris Passey\r\nClient Liaison: John Edwards\r\nSubscription Manager: Denise Roberts\r\nCirculation Manager: Tom Hamilton\r\nAll circulation enquiries should ring [redacted]\r\n\r\n©1984 Newsfield Limited.\r\nCrash Micro is published monthly by Newsfield Ltd. [redacted]\r\n\r\nGeneral correspondence to: [redacted]\r\n\r\nTelephone numbers\r\nGeneral office [redacted]\r\nEditorial/studio [redacted]\r\nAdvertising [redacted]\r\nHot Line [redacted]\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent from the copyright holders.\r\n\r\nPhotosetting by SIOS [redacted]\r\nColour origination by Scan Studios, [redacted]\r\nPrinted in England by Carlisle Web Offset Ltd (Member of the BPCC Group), [redacted].\r\nDistribution by COMAG, [redacted]\r\n\r\nSubscriptions: 12 issues £10.50 (UK Mainland post free)\r\nEurope: 12 issues £17.50 (post free).\r\n\r\nWe cannot undertake to return any written or photographic material sent to CRASH Magazine unless accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope.\r\n\r\nCover by Oliver Frey"},"MainText":"TOWER OF DESPAIR\r\n\r\nProducer: Games Workshop\r\nRetail Price: £7.95\r\nAuthor: A. Clarke, J. Thompson, S. Williams, M. McKeown\r\n\r\nGames Workshop have evolved from a long history in role-playing games, with milestones such as the Fighting Fantasy Books and The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, but have waited until now to release computer games as a software house in their own right. All the authors contribute to White Dwarf magazine and one might expect their experience among the plethora of Dungeons and Dragons offshoots to add that little extra something to the adventuring world, and in many ways this is indeed the case. Should you locate it in your computer shop you will find the case lavishly illustrated with the magical and the mystical. An adventure guide accompanies the two cassettes and contains the history and map of the realm of Aelandor, and vital dues actually within the pictures of the guide, a most welcome advance to adventuring.\r\n\r\nThe now familiar outline of the whys and wherefores that supply much substance for reviews naturally enough adorns the packaging here, but unlike many such narratives those for this game are more lucid and, what is more, reading it actually adds to the game giving information which is of some use in your quest. In short, it has been intelligently thought out so as to be consistent with the theme as a whole.\r\n\r\nMalnor, Demonlord of Darkness, inhabits the Tower of Despair, amongst the Mountains of Undying Solitude, gathering evil forces about him by way of the Ring of Skulls, a wicked potent amulet. Legions of orc and demonkin await his command to infest the realm of Aelandor. You are the Warrior-Mage of Castle Argent, Keeper of the Silver Gauntlet and Wielder of Flamebolt, the Staff of Lightning Bolts. One summer morning, as you quietly work within Castle Argent, your Saying Sphere brings you baleful news. Malnor is powerful again, so you must seek Ellwood in the Eastern Wilderness to retrieve the Golden Gauntlet.\r\n\r\nYou set off from the inner sanctum of Castle Argent, a place of contemplation and preparation. Only after going east and then back again are you told of the two visible items; the Silver Gauntlet and the Lightning Staff which, as you should now be aware, are very necessary for your mission. Equally important are the items to be found in the chest in the main hallway. 'Inside are; A long, fine coil of rope. A leather canteen of water. A pack of dried field rations. An oil lantern.' Alas, you must GET every item individually as there is no equivalent GET EVERYTHING. Your progress at this point is aided by a neat little map in the booklet which soon has you out through the east gate with your mount Fiannabad amongst the familiar rolling downs of your native countryside. You hear the distant sound of flapping wings and you would be wise to hurry on your way lest you fall foul of the winged hordes that will certainly descend should you falter. You will know when you are safe as you will sense 'A supernatural howl of anger emanating from many leagues further east. Then you feel a momentous shaking through the ground. Malnor is incensed by your escape from his agents!'\r\n\r\nAny difficulties you may encounter at this stage may be related either to the vocabulary, which uses the construction ENTER (DOOR) frequently, or to the unfamiliar terminology of the fantasy world where you must LOOK into orbs and to use a staff you must have its name. You will feel no doubt, like myself, feel hunger in the ancient wood of Aesweald where you eat, otherwise each step will take you further towards starvation, death and a new game. If you are proceeding well you move north to meet some superbly crafted atmospheric descriptions. 'You are in a small glade, the vale of Tranquil Enlightenment. There is a sense of enchantment in the air. At the centre stands a white stone statue at whose base lies a pile of ashes'.\r\n\r\nThe spell of the program is cast not only with the well constructed, lengthy descriptions but also in their presentation; the character set is wonderfully redesigned in the old world writing with ornate letters or symbols marking the beginning of each location description. This fine artistic talent also adorns the booklet where highly detailed and imaginative drawing in the style of White Dwarf is brought to bear on the project, giving the whole a classy, well-polished feel. These drawings not only add immensely to the pleasure derived from the game but are also a necessary part of it as within them lie clues to your progress. Perhaps the inability to examine or make use of all the objects in the drawings, just those that prove useful in some way, is more a reflection on the limits inherent in any computer adventure rather than a lack of insight on the part of the authors. An example is a picture in the booklet which you need once you've successfully negotiated the Door of Destiny. You see an innkeeper, and a ranger with a pouch full of arrows tied to his back but it is only the barrels in the corner that lead you deeper into the plot - the arrows cannot be collected.\r\n\r\nThe Door of Destiny is one of three such doors you meet once you've solved the problems at the white stone statue; the other two are Hope and Despair. On exploring these three I at first thought their names ironic because I despaired in Hope and was cheered in Despair, but once all the permutations became clear I found them apt enough.\r\n\r\nThe EXAMINE command is used often and its ramifications give rise to lengthy discourse. Through the Door of Destiny, and onto the inn, you find the body of the ranger is lying across the remains of the bar. 'His back is broken, and eyes stare out lifelessly from a face stricken with terror. From a chain around his neck hangs a delicately wrought silver locket.' A further EXAMINE leads you on even deeper into the plot. 'Opening the locket you find an inscription written in the Old High Script, known in these days to but a few. The words inside are Peel Bark.' For a Quilled game this adventure has some remarkably good, non-standard features.\r\n\r\nThe Tower of Despair is a Quilled text-only adventure. Were it not for the commendable acknowledgement on the packaging it would be almost impossible to prove that it had made use of the Quill. As such it is the best Quilled adventure I have yet seen, combining all the Quills advantages with a startlingly original and fresh approach. Fantasy fans will love this game.\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nDifficulty: moderate\r\nGraphics: none\r\nPresentation: very good\r\nInput facility: verb/noun\r\nResponse: very fast\r\nSpecial Features: pictures in a book","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: Superb atmosphere.","Page":"114,118,119","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Derek Brewster","Score":"8","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Atmosphere","Score":"9/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Vocabulary","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Logic","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Debugging","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall Value","Score":"8/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 34, Jan 1985","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1984-12-13","Editor":"Bill Scolding","TotalPages":212,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Bill Scolding\r\nDeputy Editor: John Gilbert\r\nConsultant Editor: Mike Johnston\r\nStaff Writer: Chris Bourne, Clare Edgeley\r\nIllustrator/Designer: Craig Kennedy\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Rob Cameron\r\nDeputy Advertisement Manager: Louise Fanthorpe\r\nAdvertisement Sales Executive: Kathy McLennan\r\nProduction Assistant: James McClure\r\nAdvertisement Secretary: Claudia Viertel\r\nEditorial Assistant: Colette McDermott\r\nSubscriptions Manager: Carl Dunne\r\nAssistant Publisher: Neil Wood\r\nPublisher: Gerry Murray\r\n\r\nSinclair User is published monthly by EMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n\r\n96,271 Jan-June 1984\r\n\r\nTelephone\r\nEditorial and advertising departments\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nIf you would like to contribute to Sinclair User please send programs or articles:\r\nSinclair User\r\nEMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nOriginal programs should be on cassette and articles should be typed. We cannot undertake to return them unless a stamped-addressed envelope is included.\r\n\r\nWe pay £20 for the copyright of each program published and £50 for star programs.\r\n\r\nAll subscription enquiries to\r\nMagazine Services,\r\nEMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\n©Copyright 1985\r\nSinclair User\r\nISSN NO. 0262-5458\r\n\r\nPrinted and typeset by Cradley Print PLC, [redacted]\r\n\r\nDistributed by EMAP Publications Ltd."},"MainText":"HEROICS FOR HE-MEN\r\n\r\nMemory: 48K\r\nPrice: £7.95\r\n\r\nThe usual lantern-jawed, muscle-bound hero adorns the cover of Tower of Despair from Games Workshop. A swift reading of the background history reveals a plot and setting not too far removed from Lord of the Rings - the hellish and very nasty sorcerer has resurfaced and orcs are abroad.\r\n\r\nThe Wizards' Council is extremely worried and has summoned you, the warrior-mage of Castle Argent and part-time weight lifter, to remove this Malnor chap and his demonic legions.\r\n\r\nTo do that you must find the Golden Gauntlet, currently in the possession of another elderly ex-hero. Journey through the wilderness, survive many perils, find the Tower, rub out Malnor. So much for the plot.\r\n\r\nThe adventure contains two complete sections. The program is written on the Quill and is text-only, though the character set has been changed to a pleasant medieval script with the occasional illuminated capital.\r\n\r\nNaturally enough there are assorted monsters to overcome and care will need to be taken with the magical artifacts you encounter.\r\n\r\nD & D devotees will probably feel at home in the land of Aelandor but more reluctant heroes may find they have been there too many times already.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"42","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Richard Price","Score":"5","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Gilbert Factor","Score":"5/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Personal Computer Games Issue 14, Jan 1985","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-12-13","Editor":"Chris Anderson","TotalPages":172,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Chris Anderson\r\nDeputy Editor: Steve Cooke\r\nProduction Editor: Roderick George\r\nArt Editor: Ian Findlay\r\nStaff Writers: Peter Connor, Bob Wade\r\nEditorial Assistant: Samantha Hemens\r\nCartoons: Kipper Williams\r\nScreenshots: Chris Bell\r\nArt Director: Jim Dansie\r\nGroup Publisher: John Cade\r\nPublisher: Tony Harris\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Peter Goldstein\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Sarah Barron\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Phil Pratt\r\nSenior Sales Executive: Ian Cross\r\nProduction Manager: Noel O'Sullivan\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Andrea Lawrence\r\n\r\nPublished by VNU Business Publications, [redacted]. Typesetting by Spectrum Typesetting, [redacted] Origination by Fourmost Colour [redacted]. Printed and bound by Chase Web Offset [redacted]. © VNU Business Publications 1984."},"MainText":"MACHINE: Spectrum, Commodore 64\r\nPRICE: £7.95\r\n\r\nAnother very attractive new release for the Spectrum has arrived from Games Workshop. Tower of Despair has a woefully unoriginal plot, but is excellently presented, has a large vocabulary, and comes nicely packaged with a booklet complete with illustrations.\r\n\r\nAs Keeper of the Silver Gauntlet and Wielder of Flamebolt you must rid the land of the evil Malnor. Here yet again we have a super-baddie, who controls some awesome source of power (in this case the Ring of Skulls) and who must be defeated by yours truly, armed with some equally legendary artefact.\r\n\r\nIf it all sounds too like the Lord of the Rings you're right, but to give Tower of Despair its due, the accompanying blurb is excellently written and the game is very high on excitement.\r\n\r\nAlthough the imaginative scope of this game is enormous, the adventure itself is not so complex. There are one or two very difficult puzzles, not all of which seem to have logical solutions. A group of winged nasties, for example, will follow you and tear you to pieces if you go in one direction, but are rapidly left behind if you go in another.\r\n\r\nPuzzles like this sometimes assume monumental significance, because this is one of those games where you sometimes can't explore any further until you've got past someone or something that's blocking your way.\r\n\r\nNevertheless, Tower of Despair is a gripping adventure, deserving a place in any fantasy fan's collection.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"114,115","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Steve Cooke","Score":"7","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Atmosphere","Score":"8/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Complexity","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Interaction","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"7/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Micro Adventurer Issue 15, Jan 1985","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-12-13","Editor":"Brendon Gore","TotalPages":52,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Brendon Gore\r\nAssistant Editor: Martin Croft\r\nSoftware Editor: Graham Taylor\r\nMaster Adventurers: Tony Bridge, Mike Grace, Ken Matthews\r\nEditorial Secretary: Geraldine Smyth\r\nAdvertisement Manager: David Lake\r\nAdvertisement Executive: Simon Langston\r\nAdministration: Theresa Lacy\r\nManaging Editor: Brendon Gore\r\nPublishing Director: Jenny Ireland\r\nTelephone number (all departments): [redacted]\r\nUK Address: [redacted]\r\nUS Address: [redacted]\r\nSubscriptions: UK £10.00 for 12 issues, overseas surface (excluding US and Canada) £16 for 12 issues, US and Canada air-lifted US$33.95 for 12 issues.\r\n\r\nMicro Adventurer is published monthly by Sunshine Books, Scot Press Ltd. Typesetting by In-Step Ltd, [redacted]. Printed by Eden Fisher (Southend) Ltd, [redacted]. Distributed by SM Distribution, [redacted].\r\n\r\nISSN 0265-4156. Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper.\r\n\r\n© Sunshine Books 1984"},"MainText":"A NEW FORCE IN ADVENTURES?\r\n\r\nMICRO: Spectrum 48K\r\nPRICE: £7.95\r\nFORMAT: Cassette\r\nSUPPLIER: Games Workshop, [redacted]\r\n\r\nKen Matthews reviews Games Workshop's Tower of Despair.\r\n\r\nYour hands trmble with emotion as you remove the Staff, Flamebolt and the Silver Gauntlet from their place of honour in your Inner Sanctum. Despite their antiquity, not a mote of dust mars their magical surfaces and the High Runes inlaid in the Staff seem to shimmer with supernatural force.\r\n\r\nIt is many years since your late father, Thorvald, and his fellow warrior-mage Ellwood challenged and defeated the evil Malnor and his loathsome hell-spawn, banishing them to Limbo. Disaster has struck! Malnor has escaped and you, alone, must seek out the aging Ellwood and recover the Gold Gauntlet which is in his safe-keeping. Only then will you, the sole hope of the Free Peoples, be strong enough to seek out Malnor in his lair and consign him to Eternity.\r\n\r\nCleansed in mind and body by ancient sorcerous rituals you cross the tapestried Hall of Castle Argent to the Chapel of the White Goddess, the deity of your family for untold generations. Prostrate on Her altar and completing the act of worship, a blinding light fills the chamber and a Holy Dagger, laced with fiery runes, appears before your startled gaze. This manifestation of power heartens you as it is clear that even the gods support your quest against the forces of Chaos. Your happiness is short-lived however, as you peer into your scrying sphere in search of a message from the Council of wizards. After a brief moment, the globe shows Malnor as his mind reaches out and becomes aware of you and your mission. The sphere is riven and a thousand glittering shards spray the Chapel as you avert your eyes.\r\n\r\nNow Malnor is alerted, time is short and, pausing only to sign your mute servant that you are leaving, you grab your equipment, fling yourself into the saddle and thunder into the east to your Destiny...\r\n\r\nWINNER\r\n\r\nTower of Despair is a winner from the cover of the case on through, and gives weight to the Games Workshop slogan 'A New Force in Software'.\r\n\r\nI'm obliged to say that - just in case the programmer resembles the hero on the game's cover! Seriously though, Games Workshop's first computer adventure is excellent and typical of what I'd expect from a world leader in fantasy games.\r\n\r\nThe development team of Russell Clarke, Mike McKeown, Steve Williams and Jamie Thompson are all contributors to the venerable White Dwarf magazine and, consequently, the support material with the game is of a very high standard. This takes the form of a superbly illustrated booklet (by Peter Martin) containing scenes from the adventure. These are very detailed and not entirely decorative as some important clues are contained in the drawings. Also included is Brian Cumming's map of Aelandor, which gives a good idea of where you are and want to go - if not how to get there!\r\n\r\nThe game itself, or rather, the games, fill both sides of the cassette to give something like 96K of adventure. On reaching the end of the first half of the game (this is possible with a score of less than 50% - but you'll have missed some very useful information), the White Goddess gives you a password which won't work until you've SAVEd and then loaded this position into side two. Both loading and saving are very quick so save often to avoid retracing your steps - it's pretty easy to die in Aelandor.\r\n\r\nThe adventure was written with the Quill and this is freely admitted during loading. If GW had kept quiet about it (like some more well-known software houses), it would have been difficult to spot since the Spectrum character set has been altered to give location descriptions in a sort of italic script. This is pleasant and surprisingly easy to read.\r\n\r\nCommand input is, of course, verb/noun although sometimes three words are sometimes understood'. The commands appear in a very clear Gothic style script and responses are commendably quick.\r\n\r\nThe game is, naturally, all-text and the details of location descriptions and events are enough to satisfy even the most hardened purists. For general movement and manipulation, a wide range of commands and synonyms are understood although certain situations need the exact word.\r\n\r\nThese are not so obscure as to detract from the game as a whole and the cryptic clues from characters, objects and, occasionally, the HELP command will often help avoid problems.\r\n\r\nThe game begins in earnest as you race across your land, pursued by some of Malnor's legions. The challenges are many and by no means simple. This should ensure lasting interest for any adventurer worth his - or her salt.\r\n\r\nANGEL OF DEATH\r\n\r\nYou will encounter line after line of defence as Malnor attempts to thwart your mission. Some, like the encounter with three unearthly doors, are relatively simple but others, like facing the Angel of Death himself, require much more thought and careful handling and completing the first half with a full 50% is no mean achievement.\r\n\r\nMEDUSAE\r\n\r\nMedusae, Ogres and even little Wood Sprites appear to challenge your every step throughout part two and, if you miss valuable items or information, there are few opportunities to retrace your steps, so tread carefully and SAVE often.\r\n\r\nYou will follow the blood-stained path of Malnor's minions through to the shattered remains of Ellwood's home. There he coughs out his life blood as an ogre calmly plunders the treasures Ellwood gained from a lifetime of honour and bravery. Rage overwhelms you but the slaughter of the ogre affords little as you discover that Malnor's foulest servant, the dreaded Hellgaunt, has beset the old man and wrested the Gold Gauntlet from his care. Even now the creature speeds to his vile master with the artifact that would leave you helpless and give him total dominion over Earth.\r\n\r\nThe race is on as you pursue the Hellgaunt to a dramatic confrontation on the frail rope bridge high above the River Coldfloe.\r\n\r\nIf you succeed the end is in sight, but by no means easy to reach. Almost every move forbids returning - you are rightly told there's no time for that - and offers another challenge to provide hours more careful thought before Malnor is thrown down and your Destiny complete.\r\n\r\nThere is little left to say, except to commend Games Workshop for a highly enjoyable first adventure that lives up to all the claims made for it. Commodore owners won't miss out either, since GW are now working, with a modified version of the Quill, on a version for your machine. Better watch out!\r\n\r\nFinally, I would like to mention that Games Workshop's software co-ordinator, Angus Ryall, is inviting adventure writers to submit their work for evaluation. The address is Games Workshop, [redacted].\r\n\r\nAny of you talented enough to succeed should be proud to see your adventure given the Games Workshop treatment.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"31,33","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Ken Matthews","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"The map from the booklet which helps you plan your route to despair..."},{"Text":"The programmer perchance?"},{"Text":"The Tower of Despair team - from left, Steve Williams, Jamie Thomson, Russell Clarke, Mike McKeown."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Computer Issue 2, Feb 1985","Price":"£0.9","ReleaseDate":"1985-01-17","Editor":"Toby Wolpe","TotalPages":156,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Toby Wolpe\r\nAssistant Editor: Meirion Jones\r\nProduction Editor: Ian Vallely\r\nSoftware Editor: Simon Beesley\r\nSub-Editor: Paul Bond\r\nEditorial Assistant: Lee Paddon\r\nEditorial Secretary: Lynn Dawson\r\nEditorial: [redacted]\r\nSubscriptions: U.K. £12.50 for 12 issues.\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Nick Ratnieks\r\nSenior Sales Executive: Julian Bidlake\r\nAdvertisement Executives: Nigel Borrell, Kay Filbin\r\nNorthern Office: Geoff Parker\r\nAdvertisement Secretary: Maxine Gill\r\nClassified: Lucy O'Sullivan\r\nPublishing Director: Chris Hipwell\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Shobhan Gajjar\r\n\r\nYour Computer, [redacted]\r\n©Business Press International Ltd 1985\r\n\r\nPrinted in Great Britain for the proprietors of Business Press International Ltd, [redacted].\r\nISSN 0263-0885\r\nPrinted by Riverside Press Ltd, [redacted], and typeset by Instep Ltd, [redacted]\r\n\r\nABC 154,334 January-June, 1984."},"MainText":"Spectrum\r\nGames Workshop\r\n£7.95\r\n\r\nSpectrum owners should keep a sharp eye out for this. It is a text-only adventure with a big difference. For instance, the character set has been immaculately redesigned and decorated so that the text appears like a monastic illuminated manuscript. Very attractive.\r\n\r\nThe adventure is an enthralling atmosphere and is imaginatively detailed,. This is an adventure where examining objects will pay rich dividends. A glossy booklet sets the scene and includes a couple of maps and a number of pictures of the major locations.\r\n\r\nYou must first find the Gold Gauntlet before journey to The Tower of Despair, there to overcome the owner of the King of Skulls, the evil Malnor, who once more threatened the land.\r\n\r\nTower of Despair is just the program for those who like thick and tick detail, oodles of atmosphere and plenty of challenge. Games Workshop are perhaps better known for their expertise in other areas of the fantasy game world.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"43","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Hugo North","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Personal Computer News Issue 106, Apr 1985","Price":"","ReleaseDate":"1985-04-06","Editor":"Peter Worlock","TotalPages":62,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editorial\r\nEditor: Peter Worlock\r\nDeputy Editor: David Guest\r\nProduction Editor: Lauraine Turner\r\nDeputy Production Editor: Harriet Arnold\r\nEditor's Assistant: Karen Isaac\r\nFeatures Editor: John Lettice\r\nSoftware Editor: Bryan Skinner\r\nPeripherals Editor: Kenn Garroch\r\nHardware Editor: Stuart Cooke\r\nArt Editor: Dave Alexander\r\nPublisher: Cyndy Miles\r\nPublishing Manager: Peter Goldstein\r\n\r\nAdvertising\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Sarah Barron\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Laura Cade\r\nSales Executives: Phil Benson, Mike Blackman, Jacqui Edmiston, Andrew Flint, Sarah Musgrave, Tony O'Reilly\r\nProduction: Richard Gaffrey\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Andrea Laurence\r\nSubscription Enquiries: Gill Stevens\r\nSubscription Address: [redacted]\r\nEditorial Address: [redacted]\r\nAdvertising Address: [redacted]\r\n\r\nPublished by VNU Business Publications, [redacted]\r\n© VNU 1983. No material maybe reproduced in whole or in part without written consent from the copyright holders.\r\nPhotoset by Quickset, [redacted]\r\nPrinted by Chase Web Offset, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by Seymour Press, [redacted]\r\nRegistered at the PO as a newspaper"},"MainText":"TOWER ABOVE THE REST\r\n\r\nA big, absorbing adventure kept Bob Chappell glued to his computer.\r\n\r\nOne of the great things about adventures is that they let you escape for an hour or two from the worries and monotonies of everyday life. One minute you're plain and simple Fred Bloggs of Mafeking Terrace, doing nothing more exciting than crazy paving your window box or cleaning out a blocked drain. The next minute you could be Zon, uncrowned King of the Silver Mountains, single-handedly bashing up a band of Orcs with a rusty dagger and an unlit oil lamp.\r\n\r\nThe greater the attention to detail and atmosphere, the easier it is to absorb yourself in the fantasy. A good example is Tower Of Despair (£7.95, Spectrum), a superb new text adventure from Games Workshop. It positively overpowered me with its lovingly created atmosphere and carefully detailed prose.\r\n\r\nThere I was, a jaded, bloodshot-eyed reviewer with not so much as an Esquire after my name. But with one bound (to the keyboard) I became Warrior Mage of Castle Argent, Warden of the Eastern Marches of Aelandor, Keeper of the Silver Gauntlet, Wielder of Flamebolt the Staff of Lightning Bolts, son of Thorvald the hero.\r\n\r\nThorvald, my pater, had been killed by the evil sorcery of Malnor, the Screaming Shadow, but not before Pop had sealed Malnor in Limbo. Wouldn't you just know it - Malnor has somehow danced out of Limbo (sorry) and is once again plotting dark deeds from his lair in the Tower of Despair. You must reunite the Silver Gauntlet with the Gold Gauntlet that lies in the Eastern Wilderness - only then will you be strong enough to toddle along to the Tower and marmalise Malnor.\r\n\r\nTOWER ILLUMINATIONS\r\n\r\nAlthough this is supposed to be a Quill-based adventure, you'd have a hard time recognising it as such. For example, the redefined character set has been beautifully designed, with some capital letters decorated like those in old illuminated manuscripts. A small shield appears as your non-flashing prompt.\r\n\r\nThe descriptions are full and imaginative and the command analyser fast, flexible and comprehensive.\r\n\r\nI began in the inner Sanctum of Castle Argent. The accompanying booklet provided maps of both the castle and Eastern Aelandor, as well as giving background information and 16 black and white pictures of major scenes. Being lazy, the first thing I typed was HELP and was told 'I can't help you this side of the river. Sorry.' Well, that's better than the usual 'You're on your own here.'\r\n\r\nAlthough the instructions say that LOOK will repeat the location description, you actually have to say LOOK ROOM, while LOOK object-name often reveals further information about an item - a repeat look at the inner Sanctum revealed .something not previously exposed.\r\n\r\nRUNE JUICE\r\n\r\nEven though I hadn't seen one, I tried GET ROPE only to be told 'Find it then!' Games Workshop is obviously on its toes. I did find a blue dagger though, and LOOK DAGGER revealed 'The dagger is perfectly balanced and intricately decorated, and is inscribed with Old High Runes reading \"Stealth Conquers Fate\" - juicy stuff, eh?\r\n\r\nYou are not told what exits there are from a location so experimentation is the order of the day. Upstairs I found the main bedroom: 'You are in the main bedroom which is a veritable mess as you did not sleep well. One of the servants is in here, cleaning up'. Aha! Methinks I'll SAY HELLO to this fellow. 'You can't, I'm afraid: Donnchadh your valet is a deaf-mute.' Foiled! - or was I? There's more cunning to this program than meets the eye.\r\n\r\nElsewhere I discovered a strange-looking globe. Being an inquisitive cove, I just had to take a closer look at it and, shades of Tolkien's Silmarillion, was met with: 'You place your hand upon the orb and sense the Council's message, still resonating within... but wait! It is gone. Malevolence rushes through you, deepening as the sphere blackens throughout. Eyes, redly glowing like dying coals, glare balefully at you. Malnor is 'listening'! A hideous ululating scream rends the air and...' - and that's all I'm prepared to divulge.\r\n\r\nTower Of Despair should appeal to all adventurers. The plot is strong, the atmosphere thick, the puzzles punishing. The adventure is big, so big it's in two parts, one to each side of the cassette. One of the most absorbing adventures around and excellent value for money.\r\n\r\nDUNGEON AID\r\n\r\nPoor Conn Iggalden of Ruislip is bogged down at the start of Phipp's Knight Quest. I have some sympathy - it's a great adventure but a tough one. Try this:\r\n\r\n1. DROW SWAR DTSU MOUY THGI FUOY EROF EB\r\n\r\n2. RAB LEETS HTIW GNITARG NEPO RSIRP DNA SEVAEL EVOM TSEROF NI\r\n\r\nFor those newly awake in the coffin in Level 9's Snowball:\r\n\r\n1. NRUT NISN OTTU B3HS UP;N ;TUO;REV ELHS UO\r\n\r\n2. TUO; ROOD NEPO ;TIA W;N; YRAU TROM OTPU ;NIF FOCO TNOP U;S","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"28","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Bob Chappell","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]