Hillsfar Download (1989 Amiga Game)

There's no RPG system more famous than the AD&D one and SSI have spent the last couple of years trying to capture if not the whole system, then at least the feel of it, on computer. Heroes of the Lance was the first to appear and turned out to be more of an arcade adventure than anything else, then Pool of Radiance came out and was much more like the original system. And now Hillsfar, the second in the series to appear on the Amiga.

The game takes its name from the town around which the game is set and basically it's a mix of two different game styles: adventuring and arcade action.

The arcade side of things plays a less important role in the game and include such things as combat in the arena against various enemies like lizard men and minotaurs, riding your horse from one location to another, improving your aim on the archery range and running around searching for treasure and other goodies in the various mazes that appear to be in almost every house.

If you're more interested in the adventuring then you'll find yourself wandering around trying to complete various quests. Of course before you start you'll have to create a character, deciding what race he/she should be (human, elf, dwarf and so on), then the person's occupation (fighter, thief, cleric and so on). Once you've done all that, it's down you to decide just what to do - visiting the guild hall of your chosen occupation is always a good place to start - but whatever you decide to do it's largely up to you just how you go about it. Whatever path you take, though, it won't be long before you have to have a go at both sorts of game.

GRAPHICS AND SOUND

The screen is split into three for the most part, the major portion being taken up with a plan view of the town with a small window to the left showing the town through your eyes. The remaining window is reserved for cameos of the various people you'll come across and text messages. Overall the graphics are less than impressive, but they serve their purpose well enough. Sound, as well, is disappointing but it doesn't impair your enjoyment of the game.

JUDGEMENT

It's always difficult to produce a good game that's a distinct mix of two very different styles without upsetting the purists. SSI have tried very hard - and succeeded -at doing just that. For arcade fans who fancy a bash at something else in between the action events and for adventurers who fancy a slice of the action then this is just the sort of thing.

How to run this game on modern Windows PC?

People who downloaded Hillsfar have also downloaded:
Zool