Silver Download (1999 Role playing Game)

If not for a few flaws, both major and minor, Silver might be the greatest game I have ever played. The game has a tremendous plot, great action and so many surprises I found myself totally entranced. Silver is one of those games where hours slip by unnoticed and just when you think you've reached an impasse, figure out how to advance deeper into the adventure. Although an extremely good game, there are nagging problems that keep it from being perfect.

Graphically, Silver is above average but not spectacular. The on-screen characters look a lot like the human figurines you get in Lego sets (this is not to say they are necessarily bad-looking). The animation is fluid but because the characters are polygon-based, there are times when odd gaps and overlaps appear. Silver has a diverse cast of characters and each has a unique personality and skill set.

The background scenery in Silver is quite good and varies from scene to scene and town to town. The cold gloom in Raine contrasts nicely with the rolling meadows in Haven. Each island in Silver presents different terrain and challenges. Each is also amazingly complex with dozens of paths and passageways and I found myself exploring new territory each time I returned to an island.

While the graphics could be improved upon, Silver's sound team hit its mark perfectly. With a soundtrack that reminded me The Usual Suspects and dozens of well-acted voice characterizations, this is a great sounding game. The sound effects that accompanied weapons clashing, animals growling or weather churning were done superbly. If you are the kind of gamer who listens to the radio or a CD while you play, turn them off and turn up your PC speakers as sound plays an important role in Silver. Listening to characters speak is essential. They constantly reveal important clues you need to know to get through the game.

Silver's action is awesome. It is your basic good-versus-evil scenario but with demons, werewolves, rock monsters and frozen Vikings attacking, it is hard to get bored. The myriad of weapons, magic items, potions and special moves that David and the other heroes find and use also keep the action fresh. The deeper you get into the game, the more powerful the heroes (and their enemies) become. Action is exciting and addictive and will keep you playing.

Silver is a great game and it is one that any action RPG fan should play, however, its few flaws keep it from being perfect.

First, there is no player-controlled save feature. At certain points throughout the adventure, a character known as The Chronicler appears and allows players to save games. At the beginning stages of the game, it seems that The Chronicler appears every few scenes. Later, he is almost never around. According to Silver's manual, The Chronicler is supposed to always be in the Rebel Camp but he is not. So, if you have managed to gather quite a bit of inventory or defeat a particularly difficult enemy, it is quite disconcerting when you cannot save the game, especially if you get killed before The Chronicler strolls in again.

Second, Silver's mapping system is not very good. Navigating the islands would be far easier if you could tell where you were and where you have already been. The system in Silver allows you to advance to key points on the map but not in real-time. Plus, there are a few glitch-ridden areas where characters leave the screen moving right and reenter the screen moving left. This makes it difficult to know which way to travel next and can bog the game down.

Finally, during combat scenes, it is very difficult to avoid clicking on one of the heroes when enemies are in close proximity. This removes the other heroes from the battle and can cost you dearly. An auto-attack mode or "lock heroes" feature would help here. It is extremely frustrating when you accidentally click on one hero when trying to attack an enemy.

Overall, Silver is an amazing game. It has a great plot, great action and more than a few surprises. It is not perfect but its developers came close.

Graphics: The characters are polygon-based and have a few awkward overlaps. The scenery is spectacular and the animation is fluid.

Sound: The sound is superb with great music and effects. Sound is also an essential element in completing your mission as the hero due to the amount of clues and hints you receive.

Enjoyment: Apart from a few glitches in the software and design, the game holds your interest due to the in-depth storyline, exploration and solid gameplay.

Replay Value: You can always find something new, so replaying is definitely an option.

How to run this game on modern Windows PC?

People who downloaded Silver have also downloaded:
Soulbringer, Silverfall, Septerra Core: Legacy of the Creator, Silverfall: Earth Awakening, Spells of Gold, Siege of Avalon, SpellForce: The Order of Dawn, Return to Krondor