Publisher: Pyramid Games
Developer: Amaranth Games
System requirements: Windows 98 or better, 256 MB RAM
Genre: RPG
Release date: Available now

While 8-bit RPGs such as the original Final Fantasy on NES look and feel a bit outdated for gamers reared on more recent titles, those of us who played them remember with fondness the many hours we spent with them. So imagine my pleasant surprise when I installed Aveyond: The Lost Orb and found old-school graphics, interface and gameplay. Lost Orb is another installment in a sequence of RPGs depicting the adventures of a young lady named Mel who has a dark past and lineage. This episode by Amaranth Games sees our protagonist jilted on her wedding day, so she leaves the handsome prince behind and pursues her own destiny in finding and destroying a lost magical orb with the power to make life miserable for the people of her world.

Aveyond has a fantasy setting. Mel, the protagonist, is a rogue-like character with a variety of non-magical skills (it’s important in the plot that she have no magical abilities). While Mel can improve her skills, she cannot be any kind of character you want. However, as she advances the plot, she can acquire friends with more combat and magic-oriented abilities to assist her in her battle against evil. As time goes on, you can build a well rounded party whose abilities improve as they advance the plot.

And there is plenty of evil to fight. Combat is initiated from the strategic map, from which Mel’s movement is directed, and is turn-based, but involves no movement. During each round, each combatant chooses whether to attack, use a spell/skill, or heal themselves and others. As there is no tactical movement, members of the party can be rotated in and out of reserve status during battle. Enemies are looted for both cash and XP, although your party can be leveled up fairly quickly by also using “level eggs,” which reduce the need to grind enemies.

The interface, true to its 8-bit roots, is menu-driven. While the mouse can be used, it’s a simple matter to use the keyboard to navigate the various menus to use items or initiate an attack. Navigating the world is simple, too, but only one object can occupy a tile on the strategic map at a time. This means every once in awhile you have to wait for NPCs to get out of your way inside the more populated cities.

While the game evokes a feeling of nostalgia for me, it’s only fair to point out that when I say it has 2D graphics, I really mean it. The graphics make the original Diablo look state of the art. I do not feel this is a strike against the game, for it doesn’t bill itself as an expensive, top-of-the-line RPG, but gamers who have a craving for eye candy should probably look elsewhere. Also, the game is about as long as you might expect for a title that costs $10. Aveyond is the kind of game you might enjoy in a day or two, not one you might be playing for months.

Still, it doesn’t claim to be anything more than it is. Taking retro-gameplay and packaging it in a small, sequentially-released unit, Aveyond: The Lost Orb provides a solid third installment in a series that has a certain charm. It only costs $10 and it has a free demo available, so anyone who remembers 8-bit RPGs with fondness should pick up a copy.

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