Dungeons & Dragons!
Heroes of the Lance is based on the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, taking place within the Dragonlance era (credits Margaret Weis and Tracy/Laura Hickman). The Atari ST game was released in 1988 by U.S. Gold for Strategic Simulations Inc. and is not an RPG game. It's more or less all action.
The ST has three Dragonlance games, but I (somehow) decided to play the third game first, Shadow Sorcerer. It's no biggie, but it's sometimes nice to play games in order, so I apologise for jumping ahead. Anyhow, shall we pretend that this mishap never happened and boot up Heroes Of The Lance? I hope you said yes!
The first of this ST trilogy takes place during a time when an evil queen (Takhisis) rules with her band of not-so-merry Draconians. There are eight hopeful heroes ready to battle against this tyranny by recovering the Disks of Mishakal. These floppies(!) are protected by a dragon called Khisanth, who needs slaying. The disks should help to please the ancient gods and defeat the queen. Humorously, the manual states that they are only heroes once they've defeated Takhisis! Well, that's true, I guess, but kinda mean if you ask me!
First things first, let's view the different companions with more information...
I adore the 'digitised' appearance of the characters. Excellent pixel art!!
Before we begin
The focus here is on fast-paced joystick action, hacking and slashing your way through anything that stands in your path. You can still grab items, uncover secret rooms, and cast magic. Don’t expect an RPG in the traditional sense, though: no character creation, stat juggling, or level-ups through a sprawling world of lore. At its heart, it’s pure, unadulterated action, sprinkled with just enough RPG to add the right tone.
With that out of the way, let's see a screenshot taken in the grungy dungeon...
This fella looks like a black knight, but it wasn't tough to kill, so now I feel brave!
Play the game
I find it interesting how everything works with a combination of a split-screen using both a joystick and a mouse (for the menu). At the top of your screen is a representation of the dungeon where all the gory action occurs, with the bottom part offering a direction compass and access to each of our eight brave warriors.
All eight companions are located in two rows in the lower part of the screen. Each can be moved at any time, and only those on the top row can participate in the action. The "active character" will be the one in the left slot on the top row. Those on the bottom row will follow but cannot take an active part (safe from damage).
Your interaction is controlled via a joystick and expanded by a menu system accessed by hitting the spacebar. This pauses the game and offers a wealth of options, like transferring characters, picking up items, healing members of the team, slinging a spell, and the like. Exiting this menu resumes play, along with executing the command you have issued, like firing a magic missile. It's quite a brilliant system.
However, that doesn't mean you can jump straight in. When you begin, Heroes Of The Lance takes some getting used to. This is due to the sluggish joystick controls and the compass. Thankfully, it's not long before you realise you can run, which is great for swift exploration, avoiding some traps, and escaping would-be fatal encounters. Also, the screen scrolls horizontally, which fudges with my mind because the compass changes itself depending on the path we are actually walking (even though we're shown as walking sideways).
Once you have mastered the compass confusion, take time to look at your party and possibly rearrange people to suit your preference. Put someone big & beefy up front, but don't forget about the need for assistance in range, magic, trap detection, and so on. Have a play and practice killing a few monsters and using the menu system before properly beginning your quest.
The dungeon is a labyrinth of monsters and danger. The opening area has a chasm nearby, but walking to the edge will reveal a faraway monster. He can't hurt you, so why not practice casting spells to get the feeling of how that works? Traps like these are common, and there is no obvious hint to provide a warning. Running might escape falling rocks, but is there a member of the party who can help to detect traps? Is there someone to cast spells to see the invisible (this only works in the visible region of the current room)?
It pays to be slow and careful, as the dungeons are full of helpful and (umm) not-so-helpful items. Take time to examine any item, as it could be something that increases your score or something far, far more beneficial. Also, scrolls are invaluable and should be handed over to Raistlin. Some potions come in different coloured bottles: blue/green heal wounds, yellow boosts your confidence(!), and red makes monsters sluggish.
If your initial attempts are anything other than slow and vigilant, then you're a fool. Practice the controls and be ready to hit that spacebar whenever you are confronted. Collectively, your team has a powerful arsenal to help survive most battles, if not win. Learning who the right person to utilise is half the battle!
Okay, enough of my boring yapping and let's view another screenshot...
Bozaks are fast, so I used a spell to capture it. Now, move closer to kill the beast!!
Companions
Remember, your party is represented by two rows of four characters, with the top/left slot being your leader. This means there are three additional active members for possible magic, range, and clerical options. Well, depending on who you've chosen, of course. Check out your band of merry men and women...
- Tanis – A level-headed leader; good in a fight but not a spellcaster.
- Caramon – Big, strong, melee powerhouse; front-line brawler.
- Raistlin – Frail but deadly spellcaster; keep him protected.
- Sturm – Honourable knight; swings swords with courage and flair.
- Goldmoon – Healer and support; keeps the party alive with divine magic.
- Riverwind – Solid fighter; can guard the party and dish out attacks.
- Tasslehoff – Mischievous Kender; finds secrets and items, but is pretty much fragile.
- Flint – Sturdy dwarf; tanky front-liner who hits hard and deserves a front row place?
Right then, we need to break up this yapping with another screenshot, so here you go...
This area poses a threat - how do I get across the chasm that blasts out magic?
Monsters
- Human Thugs – Basic enemies that you should kill quickly.
- Baaz/Bozak – Draconians that have an extra trick up their sleeves even when dying.
- Spiders – Creepy arachnids that can attack very fast.
- Black Knights – Armoured warriors with strong melee capabilities.
- Trolls – Extremely tough creatures that will take teamwork to defeat.
- Aghar – Aggressive dwarves are a pain, but wait, we have Flint!
- Wraiths – Ethereal beings that drain health and have good protection from melee.
- Dragons – Powerful creatures that can run faster than Usain Bolt.
- Spectrals – Powerful ghosts, so magic is your only answer!
This RPG (oops), this action game is full of monsters! Let's take a break for a screenshot...
Oh no, a dragon!! Yup, this is me, running away like a coward!
Handy tips
- Remember, placing Goldmoon and Raistlin on the top layer means they can assist.
- Use someone strong as your active character. Is Caramon a good choice?
- Smaller enemies are hard to hit, except for Flint, for obvious reasons.
- If someone's health is suffering, put them on the back four to keep them safe(r).
- Different characters can alter performance. For example, Flint is quick, and Raistlin can float.
- Hit detection is flimsy, so practice getting the correct space between you and the enemy!
- Spells aren't stackable, but menu commands can be timed to compensate.
- Running might avoid some traps, but you won't escape damage from nearby enemies.
- Then again, death does mean they've dropped their goodies on the floor!
- Keep an eye on the compass for exits and possible secrets.
- Goldmoon's staff is more precious than you might first believe.
- Learn to use that compass.
- Not the bravest adventurer? Run away, heal, and then return.
- Save regularly. Save. Save. Save!!
There you go, I love big tips, me. With that in mind, let's pause for yet another screenshot...
This is the first secret room, and the magical waterfall cures everyone's injuries!
Aesthetics
Heroes of the Lance looks great; the dungeon’s gothic, medieval mood is perfect. Both the companions and monsters are beautifully drawn and nicely animated. Where it wobbles is the scrolling; it's average at best, but you soon discover that running compensates for the judder experienced when slowly walking.
The audio is strong with a cracking title tune that is perfectly apt for the adventure ahead. Things are different in-game with no background music, which is good. Instead, sampled effects for the hits, yelps, spell whooshes, and the odd clatter of falling rocks. Sparse, yes, but the samples are good and very satisfying.
Unless you're a crawler, you might disagree with me. Let me know. Hey, it's screenshot time...
We have valiantly braved the dangers and found the exit to the next level.
CryptO'pinion
I think the essence of what Heroes of the Lance sets out to do is ambitious, and anyone after a serious challenge will lap it up. It's brutally hard, though, and the endless waves of enemies can be annoying. Especially if you didn't spend a few minutes to grasp the fudgy sword controls before setting off on your quest.
As it's not an RPG (arghh) without the levelling/progression/etc/etc, exploration is key to your success, so look for helpful items and hidden secrets. Alongside all this, your thoughts and actions cannot be static, as you are always questioning who and what is best for any given moment, by adjusting your party/skills.
Will I ever make it to Khisanth’s lair and reclaim the Disks of Mishakal? Probably not. But that doesn’t stop me from firing it up for brutal sword-swinging, as I enjoy crawling through its infested dungeons. Also, I appreciate the lack of a linear path, which means it has a massive replay value. Heroes of the Lance isn’t perfect, but it’s far from the clunker some old magazines made it out to be, so I'm rating it a merciless 75%.
- Zuul #225 is a superb menu disk over on Atari Legend.
- Of course, this game is best from your hard drive thanks to 8BitChip.
- Our Quest sections now include an AD&D group you might like to check out.
Dragons are strong. Made worse by a skeleton attacking from behind.
My team is toast, but don't underestimate this action/adventure!!
