LANCELOT is the latest adventure from Mandarin Software and sadly it signals the end of the company's short but useful collaboration with top adventure writers, Level 9. The game is based on the historical and legendary accounts surrounding King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Apart from King Arthur, the best recognised name linked with that era is Lancelot. It is as this shining example of knighthood that you will adventure through mediaeval Britain.
The adventure is loosely divided into three parts. The first concerns the arrival of Lancelot at Camelot and the court of King Arthur and his elevation to knighthood. This achieved, the second section involves his exploits to prove himself worthy of his knighthood by rescuing a number of wrongly imprisoned knights. These in turn return to Camelot to swell the ranks of the Order of the Round Table. The third part follows on some 20 years later where your goal is to help Lancelot in his attempt to find the Holy Grail. The third part may be played independently of the first two.
As with all adventures from Level 9, the descriptive text is full and highly atmospheric. The command interpreter is an improved version of what was already a very acceptable system used in its previous games, Knight Orc and Gnome Ranger. The high quality graphics complement the flavour of the text.
CHARACTER interaction is a vital part of the game. Cooperation between Lancelot and others who are with him is necessary on a number of occasions. Level 9's command Wait X means that characters can be instructed to perform an act at a particular time. For example, if a rock is too heavy for one man to move, it is pointless to tell others to move it without coordinating their push with yours. Gawain, wait 2, push rock. Ector, wait, push rock, and finally push rock; would ensure that all three of you would be pushing the rock at the same time.
A small scale map showing the major places you will need to visit in parts one and two of the adventure is supplied with the game. The command goto xxxx (or run to xxxx) will take you to that area. You should still draw your own maps to ensure that you explore all possible locations.
Remember throughout that Lancelot has always been depicted as the perfect knight. This was the time when chivalry grew of age and was the watchword of the Knights of the Round Table. To succeed in either part of the adventure, manners, honesty, mercy and honour must be interpreted correctly. His relationship with Queen Guinevere proving to be an exception. There is no room in this game for today's lager lout.
At the beginning, when Squire Lancelot first visits Camelot, he is unable to see the king straight away. He must wander around the town and find somewhere to rest for the night. While here visit Merlin. Although he has no major role in the adventure, his books are worth reading. On the following day be certain to end up at the court of King Arthur.
Having felt the touch of Arthur's sword upon your shoulder, remain in his presence until dismissed. You will now have a clue as to where you should go next. A number of quests have to be completed and several hints will be supplied to send you in the right direction. The completion of individual quests is not easy. It is possible to perform some quests out of sequence, but only when you have tackled all of them will the program automatically lead into part three - The Quest for the Holy Grail. This final section introduces Lancelot's son Galahad. It is only with his help that the quest may be accomplished. Again cooperation between Lancelot and others is vital to success.
The instructions are clear and explicit with a number of hints to novice adventurers. There is also a very readable section giving a resume of the Arthurian saga. Lancelot is one of Level 9's finest adventures. It is not easy but for those that falter, an excellent hint sheet is available. Used sensibly this will enhance the enjoyment and elation at solving the many puzzles.
How to run this game on modern Windows PC?
People who downloaded Lancelot have also downloaded:
Legend of Kyrandia, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Loom, Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, Joan of Arc, Lure of the Temptress, Last Ninja Remix, King's Quest 1
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