Review by: Jonathan Houghton
Published: November 29, 2000

Among the many role-playing titles created for our amusement, an overwhelming majority rely on the minds and hyperactive imaginations of talented writers to project us into fantastic worlds of fantasy and intrigue. Many of these worlds are somewhat pre-created for us in the form of stories like the Forgotten Realms saga, or the Might and Magic universe of Enroth. Tolkien’s works and ideals are now a permanent part of our subconscious, and every time we see an elf or halfling, we owe the credit to his genius and the innovation of others in the fantasy field. Long before Lovecraft sat down to spin the doomsday tales of Cthulu, or Terry Pratchett graced our desks with the humorous repartee of Rincewind, we had Arthur and the Grail romances. Rare are the occasions when modern companies bother to exploit some of the most valuable fictional material for the benefit of the average player. Earth’s history and epics are hardly remembered these days, with sagas like Gilgamesh and Beowulf replaced by DragonLance and the Wheel of Time. NetAmin Communication has released their attempt to break this mold of purely fictional fantasy by releasing Last Kingdom, a massively multiplayer online role playing game with a tablespoon of history and a dash of creative licensing.

Last Kingdom offers players the chance to dip into a pseudo-historical world where the exploits of Arthur Pendragon and his Knights of the Round Table are still fresh in the minds of the common folk. The story is a bit long and somewhat convoluted, but it goes as follows: Back when time was measured by different standards, the Black Demon — known also under the more common title of Lucifer — took control of the ‘Devil Realm’ where he gained eventual control over the Great Darkness, throwing down the Red Devil and beginning his plans to trouble the unhappy world. During this time, Arthur and Merlin were deposed by the likes of the evil enchantress Morgan, and Excalibur — sword of legend — was presumably lost to the mists of time, with the power of Camelot waning as a result.

Your quests take place during the reign of one King Grant, years after King Arthur’s time, and even after the demise of Merlin. Fate it seems has decided that a great battle between the forces of light and darkness should now come to pass; as such the wheels of destiny have begun to turn, setting in motion a string of events that will lead you into danger and quite possibly death. King Grant, fearing the powers that could be held over him, bans the use of all magic in his realm, both light and dark. Unfortunately, just as the servants of darkness use sorcery to further their vile machinations, so too do the clerics of the church call upon magic to perform healings and exorcisms. This ban has the effect of landing the high Archbishop of the land in prison. Tempted by the evil one, this former priest pledges his allegiance to Lucifer so that he can extract revenge on those who wrongfully detained him. Around the same time, the forces of balance see that the world is on a grandiose slide towards the powers of darkness, and thus one of Lucifer’s brothers is reborn against his will as an angel — the Guardian of Peace — who is to work with mortal folk so that the diabolical plans of the Devil can be stopped before they reach fruition. The king’s advisors have dispatched messengers into the Orient to seek the help of the Samurai and their kin in fighting the inevitable battle. Your task is to survive in this dangerous world where the power of Excalibur is being sought by every mercenary and noble order in the land, and the Black Devil is working at every turn to drag humanity down into chaos.