The Crypt: Valhalla Classics Episode One

Overall score:

Available through Vulcan Software. http://www.vulcan-portal.co.uk/

The Valhalla Classics were a series of adventure games for the Amiga. The original makers of the games have revamped them for the PC, and are now using them as part of their hook to get people involved in their digital-speech-based chat software, the Vulcan Portal. (Or maybe they’re using the Portal as a hook to get people to buy the games. . .I’m not really sure.)

The Vulcan Portal is a souped-up voice synthesizer that one would use to read email and chat through a little animated 3D head that uses ‘real time 3d lip synch and facial expression.’ Personally, I think the heads are a little freaky-looking--especially when they read things to you using their Mac OS-style digitized voices.

What does this have to do with the game? Well, you need the Portal to play it. The portal has a little window in it through which you play, while the little floating head explains things to you. The game itself is about a prince whose uncle usurped his throne. It’s an adventure game (ala monkey island or Myst.) However, it’s an overhead view--kind of like the SNES Zelda.

In play, it’s very much like most adventure games. You’re in a dungeon, and you wander around collecting items, using them with various other items, and solving riddles. No fighting is involved--only thinking. The little prince guy is rather amusing; some of the things he says are witty, and he always talks to you by looking straight up into the air (since it’s an overhead view.)

This one is pretty cut and dry--if you like adventure games, you’ll probably like it. If you hate walking around in circles for hours trying to figure out where to put that #)!@ red gem you picked up, then you probably won’t think very highly of the game. Adventure games require you to cover the same ground over and over again as you think over puzzles and search for any clues you might have missed. You’ll spend most of your time trying out different combinations of items.

It’s well-designed, and the puzzles are challenging. The biggest drawback is it’s length--it probably won’t take more than an hour or two for you to solve all of the puzzles. (Assuming you’ve played adventure games before.) There are 12 episodes in all, but only the first one is free. (The rest cost 2.50 British--sorry, no ‘Pounds’ sign on my keyboard and I’m too lazy to cut and paste one.)

Written by EUOL on September 10th, 2002