The Final Battle

Interesting but wasted potential

Interesting but wasted potential. Here’s my modest contribution to the Legend of the Sword series. This is the second chapter, although playing the first game is not necessary. You find yourself in quite a pickle here: having completed your previous quest, you are captured, stripped of your possessions, and thrown into a cell by the series’ archvillain. The premise may be classic, but it is promising. The detailed graphics evoke plenty of nostalgia. Several display modes are available; I like the monochrome one, although the color mode is clearer and more practical. GOG users and emulator-savvy players should note that the Atari ST and Amiga versions look considerably better. The locations are detailed and atmospheric, but the interface is the game’s major weakness. On screen, you have icons such as a question mark, an arm, and a mouth. You might expect the mouth to mean “talk” and the a…