Dragontorc: The Lost Realms

Description

Dragontorc: The Lost Realms is the sequel to Avalon, it follows the levitating Maroc the Mage as he attempts to prevent Morag the Shape-Shifter from rebuilding the legendary Dragontorc. Morag has manipulated the Saxons into attacking Britain’s kingdoms so that she can seize their five crowns. Maroc must destroy the remaining crowns, rescue his enchanted mentor Merlyn, and ultimately defeat Morag within her citadel. Maroc floats through interconnected rooms containing locked doors, keys, objects, characters, traps, and hostile creatures.

Gameplay uses a rotating command menu to provide actions including movement, healing, protection, and offensive magic. The Servant spell creates a controllable spirit that can collect objects, interact with characters, and manipulate parts of the environment, while later discoveries expand Maroc’s available commands. He can carry only two items, making inventory selection and knowledge of the world important. Enemies include demons, skeletons, spiders, and other creatures capable of pursuing Maroc through doors, while recruited characters can assist with particular obstacles or puzzles.

The CPC conversion retains the ambitious scale, atmosphere, and complicated systems of the original Spectrum game, although sprites can flicker and the rotating menu initially feels awkward. Its obscure object functions, aggressive enemies, and large map make early progress difficult without careful experimentation and note-taking. Reception was nevertheless highly positive, praising its graphics, puzzles, atmosphere, and balance of challenge and discovery. Overall it is demanding and not immediately accessible, but remains an unusually deep and inventive action-adventure for an 8-bit computer.