King’s Quest II (1985) Review: Romancing the Throne, AGI-Era Sierra
Having spent an entire game recovering Daventry’s three stolen treasures, King Graham’s reward in the sequel is basically a paperwork […]
Fantasy
Dragonsphere (1994) Review: MicroProse’s Overlooked Fantasy Adventure
MicroProse’s name is synonymous with strategy and simulation: Civilization, X-COM, Sid Meier’s entire catalog. So it’s easy to forget the
God of Thunder (1993): Thor’s Puzzle-Box Norse Adventure
By 1993 the DOS action shelf was packed with corridors full of imps and Nazis to shoot, so a Norse-mythology
Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness (1995): The Sequel That Turned Blizzard Into a Powerhouse
Before StarCraft was a household name, and long before World of Warcraft turned Azeroth into a place millions of people
Ravenloft: Strahd’s Possession (1994): SSI Brings Gothic Horror to AD&D
Ravenloft: Strahd’s Possession first-person exploration. Screenshot via the Internet Archive. A Vampire Lord Built From Tabletop Dread By 1994 SSI
Stonekeep (1995): Interplay’s Long-Delayed, Ambitious Dungeon Crawler
Not many DOS RPGs can say they spent years stuck in development limbo before release, but Stonekeep can. Interplay’s first-person
Anvil of Dawn (1995): DreamForge’s Underappreciated Dungeon Crawler
Ask a room of DOS RPG fans to name the great first-person dungeon crawlers of the mid-90s and you’ll hear
Dark Sun: Shattered Lands (1993): SSI’s Boldest AD&D Gamble
Most Advanced Dungeons & Dragons computer games of the early 1990s dropped you into familiar territory: green forests, noble knights,
Eye of the Beholder II (1991): Westwood Gives the Dungeon Crawl a Story
By late 1991, SSI’s Advanced Dungeons & Dragons license had already produced one certified hit in the original Eye of
Might and Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen (1992): Half of One of DOS RPG’s Best Tricks
New World Computing had already released three Might and Magic games by 1992, but Clouds of Xeen is the one
Wizardry VII: Crusaders of the Dark Savant (1992): Sir-Tech’s Deepest RPG
By 1992 the Wizardry series had been running for a decade, and Sir-Tech used that decade of experience to build
Ultima V (1988) Review: When Britannia’s Own Virtues Become a Weapon
When a Tyrant Wears the Virtues as a Weapon What if the very ideals your hero stands for could be