Friday, December 03, 2021

Galdregon's Domain (part one)



Hello ST world, it's been a while!

Let me begin by thanking my ST buddies from all over the world who sent messages the last few months - and cheers to those who bought me a beer!! It's been rough but I'm glad to begin my journey back into the glorious lands of Atari ST. Actually, my computer is looking quite sad and in need of a good clean, the poor thing.

Okay, dragging me back - kicking and screaming for luscious ST pleasure - is something that I bought years ago. For months it's been on my ST shelf... looking at me... and whispering subliminal messages like, "Psst, check me out!", "Hey you, come over here and play", "Stevie, I'm here", "Boot me up, baby". Erm, anyhow...

Galdregon's Domain is the temptress and first appears something of a Dungeon Master, which is never a bad thing. It's the product of Pandora and coded by Steve Briggs, who I've not heard of so perhaps this was his one and only ST venture? The graphics are stunning. Gorgeous and scenic with beautifully-drawn monsters and characters by Robin Chapman, Martin Severn and Martin Godbeer. Mike Brown provided the samples for the sound effects - used for creeky doors to frightening screams emitting distant places. A lot of love went into this game.

Weirdly, the box art is rather - suspect - but I've covered this before and it's always worth a laugh at Pandora's take on Conan. Inside the box, are three disks, (why would I wanna use those when the Automation boys have a belting one-disk version!), a rather flimsy manual, and a few sheets of A4 paper.

Hang on, did I say A4 paper? Yep, to my fascination, the original owner has fully mapped the opening stages along with the forest areas. I absolutely love finding snippets of ST history like this!!! I wonder who he was? Did he stay up each night carefully crawling and drawing the dungeon with each and every step? Did he complete the game? Are you sitting there right now and thinking to yourself, "Hey, I did that". Please, get in touch!

Okay, I bet that you're all dying to see these maps...





So what's the plan?

I love getting enthralled in a new world where I can enjoy the exploration. There's nothing better than discovering places, solving quests and fighting hideous monsters with a giant sword. Heck, I might even make a few friends in the local tavern? Who knows, this little-known game by Pandora might actually be something special?

Yep, I'm going to take a stab at conquering Galdregon's Doman as and when I get the spare time. At first glance, it's got what I'm longing for; a good mix of RPG, adventure and action. This should quench my cravings for a decent return to the Atari ST? Yes, I know I could have simply booted up Dungeon Master, Shadowlands, The Temple of Apshai Trilogy, The Curse of Rabenstein, etc/etc but I craved something new (well, new to me).

Okay, let's take a gander through a few screenshots taken from my first play...

Okay, here's the starting screen and the King is asking for our help.
His loyal subjects appear for a chinwag. I wonder what pearls of wisdom they possess?
The user interface is good to use for interaction and easy movements.
The only thing that's a little weird is the use of a scroller for chat and messages...


Anyhow, I went for a wander and came upon this little filly! I think she's hungry?

I've no time to eat so onwards I go and meet up with a guard. He seems nice!

I'm lost but it isn't long until two dolly birds help me out. I think they're twins!!

At last, the exit!! But the doorway is locked... how can I open it? Hmm...

Outside, I'm free to wander the lands. The weather is lovely and the king has a grand castle.


Oh great, the first place I find and it's haunted!! But wait, this ghost needs our help for a quest.


First impressions?

Galdregon's Domain looks very promising. Its world is incredibly diverse and ginormous plus the freedom to openly explore is both daunting and compelling. I've been attacked by soldiers, bitten by wolves, sent on a fruitless mission by a ghost, and chased out of a temple by a gang of cultists. Of course, I didn't last long, but it was only my first attempt. Perhaps I should look to clothe myself in armour and yield better weapons?

Exciting times are afoot and I'm going to enjoy slaying monsters and pillaging their rotting corpses. I'm wondering what other monsters and dark secrets are waiting to be discovered? Have you played it? What did you think? I'll be interested to hear your thoughts. Watch this space for the second part of this review coming "soon".

Merry Christmas everyone and all the best for 2022. STay Atari.

6 comments:

  1. Nice to see you writing again :) Never played the game myself, but it looks very polished.

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    1. Thank you matey, that means so much coming from an Atarian like you :)

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  2. This is one game i never thought id see rewieved. So cool!

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    1. It's pretty good mate. But... is it DM? Just what is it exactly?

      Still, it's got scary sounds!!! O_o

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  3. Grinding through character improvement in these ST RPGs is sometimes just as fun as the rest of the game. Good luck getting started again.

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