Entomorph: Plague of the Darkfall
Entomorph: Plague of the Darkfall is a 1995 action-adventure role-playing video game by Strategic Simulations, Inc. It was re-released in 2013 on GOG.com.
Entomorph: Plague of the Darkfall | |
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Developer(s) | Cyberlore Studios |
Publisher(s) | Mindscape Inc. |
Producer(s) | Scott Cuthbertson |
Designer(s) | Jim DuBois Herb Perez |
Programmer(s) | Ken Grey |
Artist(s) | Rob Caswell |
Platform(s) | Windows, Mac OS |
Release | 10 September 1995 |
Genre(s) | Role-playing video game |
Mode(s) | Single player |
Gameplay
In Entomorph, the player controls the character Warrick.
Plot
Publication history
It is the second video game based in the fictional universe World of Aden, the first being World of Aden: Thunderscape. (Though both games share the same setting, Entomorph is not a sequel to Thunderscape.)
Reception
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Writing for PC Gamer US, Trent Ward called Entomorph "an attractive, innovative break from the usual RPG fare."[3] The reviewer for Next Generation called the game a "refreshing mixture" of mechanics and praised its graphics and music, but found fault with its control scheme and combat system.[1]
In Computer Gaming World, Scorpia wrote that the game "probably does not have enough of any one element to satisfy fans of a particular genre", but that it "does work fairly well with what it has".[9] The magazine included Entomorph in its holiday 1995 buyer's guide, where a writer noted that "the action and unique story will provide gamers with an interesting, and different, CRPG".[10]
Chris Anderson of PC Zone considered Entomorph to be an attempt to compete with Ultima VIII, and he found it unsuccessful in this regard. However, he summarized the game as "good and reasonably big, with a fairly engrossing storyline".[5] Fusion's Dave Harris called the game "a good beginner's RPG" and "an excellent adjunct to Thunderscape".[6] In PC Format, Mark Ramshaw agreed with Anderson that the game fell short of Ultima VIII, particularly in its graphics. However, he wrote, "That said, it's expansive, it's slick, the plot contains thrills, adventure and genuine humour, and the insect theme is a winner. Make no mistake, Entomorph really isn't half bad."[2]
Andy Butcher reviewed Entomorph: Plague of the Darkfall for Arcane magazine, rating it a 7 out of 10 overall.[4] Butcher comments that "Entomorph's a fun, engaging game that stresses puzzle-solving over endless combat, and the original (compared to most computer games, at least) story offers a lot more interest than yet another dungeon trek."[4]
In his book Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games (2008), the video game historian Matt Barton called Entomorph and its companion World of Aden: Thunderscape "well-crafted and highly playable games [that] attracted little interest from CRPG fans then or now."[11]
References
- Staff (February 1996). "Entomorph". Next Generation (14). 171, 172.
- Ramshaw, Mark (February 1996). "Entomorph: Plague of the Darkfall". PC Format (53): 71.
- Ward, Trent (January 1996). "Entomorph". PC Gamer US. Archived from the original on 10 March 2000.
- Butcher, Andy (January 1996). "Games Reviews". Arcane. Future Publishing (2): 72.
- Anderson, Chris (January 1996). "Entomorph". PC Zone (34). 106.
- Harris, Dave (January 1996). "Metamorphosis II". Fusion. 1 (6): 124.
- Snyder, Frank; Chapman, Ted; Kaiafas, Tasos (December 1995). "Kafka's Lament". Computer Game Review. Archived from the original on 21 December 1996. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- Klett, Steve (January 1996). "Entomorph: Plague of the Darkfall". PC Entertainment. Archived from the original on 18 October 1996. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
- Scorpia (January 1996). "Insectocide". Computer Gaming World (138). 201, 203-205.
- Schuytema, Paul C. (December 1995). "Santa's Little Software Helper; Entomorph". Computer Gaming World (137): 88.
- Barton, Matt (22 February 2008). Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games. A K Peters. p. 279. ISBN 1568814119.