Epic Fantasy!
A fun game with a lot of atmosphere packed into a fairly simple set of mechanics. I think there are a few areas that could use some work. That said the game is well worth the money.
Classic retro, polished perfectly
Lords of Midnight is one of the few old school games that I don't keep replaying for nostalgia, but because it is genuinely brilliant, even now. RPG, war game or both..you decide. Looks gorgeous and it is a real testament to the game that it is immensely playable now, and a huge achievement to Chillim Hugger to retain the same look and feel whilst still managing to make the game look new. A revamp to the same game feature means the game retains some challenge by removing the ability to save every move, which is always tempting, and adding undo a single move, and revert back to dawn. Well done Chris, and RIP Mike Singleton.
It is
It is
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Be warned - no proper save option
So the porter of this game is quoted as saying "We wanted you to have the ability to save but remove the temptation to just reload your game when something went wrong" and "But you have the ability to undo to dawn if you really mess up."
Well thanks buddy for completely ruining the game, even the original Spectrum version had an option to save and load at any point - it's meant to be a strategy game not a rougelike. The "undo" feature can only do so much - I lost Morkin after about an hour of play and can only go back to the dawn - he's gone permanently along with all that progress - great! Do I really feel like going back and repeating all my actions again just to get to the point where I lost Morkin? No - not really - so thanks for completely spoiling a classic game by omitting one of the bare bone features which makes it enjoyable to play. Hopefully an update can rectify this somewhat arrogant and time-wasting decision.
Well thanks buddy for completely ruining the game, even the original Spectrum version had an option to save and load at any point - it's meant to be a strategy game not a rougelike. The "undo" feature can only do so much - I lost Morkin after about an hour of play and can only go back to the dawn - he's gone permanently along with all that progress - great! Do I really feel like going back and repeating all my actions again just to get to the point where I lost Morkin? No - not really - so thanks for completely spoiling a classic game by omitting one of the bare bone features which makes it enjoyable to play. Hopefully an update can rectify this somewhat arrogant and time-wasting decision.
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Faithful conversion of the classic ZX Spectrum game
Brings back so many nostalgic memories. Excellent conversion that whilst faithful actually improves slightly on the original. There's just one hiccup - ungrouping Lords can be difficult on current version.
Obsessed again...
Oh my gosh; I used to rush home from school to play this. I even drew a map, covered it in clear plastic to plot the movements of my forces in felt tip. I was 14. It used to take about ten squealing minutes to load from the cassette player attached to my zx spectrum. 30 years later its all coming back to me. Brilliant.
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Unparalleled game, that every one should play.
I remember this from the 80's. Came in a beautiful box and the promise of many lost hours. 30 years later, it's still taking hours of my life. Ok, so the graphics won't blow you away (although they are better than the original Spectrum ones) but the gameplay! Wow! I never beat it years ago, but this time round I'm determined to do it. How's that for an achievement/trophy "30 years to complete game"
Gameplay is sublime, and totally draws you into the world of midnight. Plus you get the original novella too. Bargain, that you won't regret buying.
Gameplay is sublime, and totally draws you into the world of midnight. Plus you get the original novella too. Bargain, that you won't regret buying.
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It will awaken your imagination!
Epic is a very good description of what you'll find here!
Despite the retro graphics, it's a surprisingly believable world. They do recommend reading the novella first, but I suggest it should be mandatory. It adds so much to the experience. Without the back story you're missing 90% of the ambiance. It's what makes up for the lack of eye candy, and it does a great job of sucking you into it's "Lord of the Rings" like world. It's also free to read, so if you want to see what you're getting into before you buy the game, go check it out.
Even with the good back story, I really am surprised at how completely this game drew me in. Especially since it's barely "drawn" at all, lol. But like a good book, it's not what the words on the page look like that gets you, it's the images they paint in your head. That's where the real magic happens in this game too. This world really is surprisingly alive.
Speaking of what's going on in your head, your gray matter will be working overtime as you make your way through this game. There's an awful lot going on, and you really do get the sense that you've landed straight in the middle of an epic struggle to save the world from the forces of evil. You'll also sense that the situation has grown quite desperate, because by the time you arrive on the scene, things are already pretty hopeless. ... not quite there yet, but almost. Like all great games, they've left you a faint sliver of hope to keep you going, but you're gonna have to pull off one heck of a comeback if you're hoping to be victorious. If it's a challenge on an epic scale you're looking for, you've found it!
My only gripe with this game is it's battery usage. This thing sucked my phone dry in what felt like a matter of minutes! That really shocked me, but not nearly as much as that time when my phone auto-shutdown because of said battery being completely drained. Worse, was finding that my "auto-saved" game was completely auto-lost! It still gave me the option to continue my game ...but it put me back at the very beginning - all progress lost! Hopefully they'll fix the auto save so it saves after each turn instead of only when you leave the game. Until then, KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR BATTERY!!
Despite the retro graphics, it's a surprisingly believable world. They do recommend reading the novella first, but I suggest it should be mandatory. It adds so much to the experience. Without the back story you're missing 90% of the ambiance. It's what makes up for the lack of eye candy, and it does a great job of sucking you into it's "Lord of the Rings" like world. It's also free to read, so if you want to see what you're getting into before you buy the game, go check it out.
Even with the good back story, I really am surprised at how completely this game drew me in. Especially since it's barely "drawn" at all, lol. But like a good book, it's not what the words on the page look like that gets you, it's the images they paint in your head. That's where the real magic happens in this game too. This world really is surprisingly alive.
Speaking of what's going on in your head, your gray matter will be working overtime as you make your way through this game. There's an awful lot going on, and you really do get the sense that you've landed straight in the middle of an epic struggle to save the world from the forces of evil. You'll also sense that the situation has grown quite desperate, because by the time you arrive on the scene, things are already pretty hopeless. ... not quite there yet, but almost. Like all great games, they've left you a faint sliver of hope to keep you going, but you're gonna have to pull off one heck of a comeback if you're hoping to be victorious. If it's a challenge on an epic scale you're looking for, you've found it!
My only gripe with this game is it's battery usage. This thing sucked my phone dry in what felt like a matter of minutes! That really shocked me, but not nearly as much as that time when my phone auto-shutdown because of said battery being completely drained. Worse, was finding that my "auto-saved" game was completely auto-lost! It still gave me the option to continue my game ...but it put me back at the very beginning - all progress lost! Hopefully they'll fix the auto save so it saves after each turn instead of only when you leave the game. Until then, KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR BATTERY!!
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Very good
A must buy. I've never played the original (or owned anything older than a Pentium) but this is a very good game, even by a modern standards. I also recommend looking at The Lost Treasures of Infocom, it was released recently.
New to it, and already in love
Having never played this game first time round I was worried it would be impenetrable. Far from it! Although it takes a little getting used to (since the gameplay is very unusual - possibly unique?) the in game help is excellent.
Oh and also the game is amazing! The graphics are an amazing re-creation of the tone of the spectrum visuals - but super-slick! The game feels like you're playing with the map from the front of your old paperback edition of Lord Of The Rings.
Exploring the world is endlessly compelling.
The quest (if you chose to take it on) is challenging and a great way to take a tour of the world.
The war (if you chose to take part) is tough, strategically satisfying and exciting!
The perfect way to re-live or discover an important classic from the history of video games.
The Proust of fantasy exploration war adventure games.
Oh and also the game is amazing! The graphics are an amazing re-creation of the tone of the spectrum visuals - but super-slick! The game feels like you're playing with the map from the front of your old paperback edition of Lord Of The Rings.
Exploring the world is endlessly compelling.
The quest (if you chose to take it on) is challenging and a great way to take a tour of the world.
The war (if you chose to take part) is tough, strategically satisfying and exciting!
The perfect way to re-live or discover an important classic from the history of video games.
The Proust of fantasy exploration war adventure games.
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Rather tedious...
I'm always pleased to see old games revisited and released on the iPad. I was a bit too young for this game when it first came out on the ZX Spectrum, but saw the good reviews for this version so decided to buy it. Have to say, wish I hadn't bothered. It looks good, in that it is in keeping with the original, but the gameplay is just tedious: wander about, change character, get in a fight. Whether you win or lose a battle seems entirely arbitrary. Your character dies, tough luck, undo or start again. And Repeat. Those that 'got' the game first time around will enjoy it I'm sure, others may well wonder what the fuss is about.
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