Lure Of The Temptress

An Adventure To Lose Yourself In

Every so often, a game is released that breaks the mould and blows you away. Virgin Games released this remarkable point-and-click adventure in 1992, a game of great charm with much lore and character. Interestingly, it was developed by David Sykes and Tony Warriner of Revolution Software and appears to be their only Atari ST game. A shame, as I cannot help but wonder what else they might have made.

The story begins with you waking one day to find yourself locked in a dungeon. You are a nobody, a peasant named Diermot, who were part of an attempt to free the village of Turnvale from Selena and her army of Orc lookalikes, the Skorls. That campaign ended in tragedy, and everyone was killed! Whilst the bloodshed raged, you bumped your noggin and were knocked unconscious, only to be captured.

Rubbing away the sleep from our eyes, we awake in jail with a bad-tempered Skorl as our guard...

The intro is fascinating to watch. Like a 16-bit mini-movie!

I love the opening scenes, which nicely introduce you to the world you're in.

As you begin to explore, you meet new people like this old chap idly relaxing...

It's Like Having A Second Life!

Before you immerse yourself in this wonderful adventure set in a gorgeous Olde English setting, let's see the basics: this point-and-click adventure is controlled with the mouse: the left button moves you around the screen and also displays status and object information. The right button is used to command and interact with characters /etc. This system is well-designed, intuitive, and easy for this old man to master.

Having woken up in jail, your first task is to escape, so it's fortunate Skorl's aren't the brightest bulbs in the box (by a long shot!). Your progress hinges on careful exploration, examination and communication. So pick up every object; you never know when you might need it. Talk to everyone and see what information they can share. Sometimes someone might ask you a favour before revealing anything.

What sets Lure of the Temptress apart from other games of this ilk is its Dynamic Hint System. The gameplay is experienced in real-time, with the populous merrily going about their business while you go about yours. This creates a believable living world where events continue whether you are present or not.

This world is populated by some of the most entertaining and delightful characters that will win your heart. Just start a chat with someone in a tavern, for example, a dialogue guaranteed to entertain! This charm and charisma are evident from the start when you rescue a fellow inmate named Ratpouch, who instantly becomes a loyal friend. Well, when he's not in the pub! But watch out because he doesn't half get himself into trouble by saying the silliest of things to other characters. Such a mischievous guy and a best friend.

Unlike many graphic adventures that can leave you hopelessly stuck, progression often feels logical and rewarding. Solutions usually arise from observing the world, understanding character relationships and making use of information gathered. While some challenges will still test your patience (trust me on that), the game rarely descends into the sort of obscure puzzle design that plagues other adventures.

Let's take a look at a few more screenshots with subtle hints...

It's worth exploring everywhere and chatting with everybody... Even the half-naked man!

Or you could play dress-up and enjoy being a dude in a dress. Incognito is fun!

Relax. Have a beer and chill with your mate Ratpouch. Maybe you'll hear something interesting?

Looks And Audio

This adventure is visually stunning, and the artwork is a pure delight, perfectly capturing the enchanting medieval setting. The characters move with smooth animation, and I adore the intricate details, such as the bird perched on the fence for a few moments before taking flight. Such a delicate touch adds to the scene’s beauty and is impressive to witness during play. It’s these little details that enhance the atmosphere.

The sound effects are the only weakness, but don’t misunderstand me - they’re beautiful and crafted from high-quality sampled sounds. However, some screens lack background audio, which, in my opinion, slightly detracts from the game's overall beauty. Perhaps that’s the floppy disk’s capacity limitation?

I'm moaning about, right? Let's take a look at a screen, you will see a lot of...

Oh no, it's game over for another fallen adventurer. They think it's all over? It is now!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Undeniably an impressive adventure that you’ll thoroughly enjoy. It’s hilarious, captivating and incredibly addictive, so I recommend making time for this game. Take notes and engage with everyone - yes, even those who might seem like a bum or a pub wacko knitting. Everyone has a story to share.

It keeps you on your toes with its unpredictable twists and turns cleverly woven into the storyline. It’s a massive adventure that might even lead you to fall in love (you'll see). Personally, I’d rank Lure Of The Temptress as one of the best adventures for the Atari ST, just a hair’s breadth away from absolute perfection.

• I found this cool image on the internet which maps the village.
• 8BitChip has adapted a version for Ultrasatan/hard drive users.
• No hard drive? Then instead check out Atari Legend for the floppy version.
• ST Format featured a superb walk-through [issue #67 / page 83].

One of the best adventures ever and easily an AtariCrypt SMASH!!