Warlock the Avenger

Druid

Warlock the Avenger is the third and final chapter in the Druid trilogy. What trilogy, I hear you ask? Well, the first two games were on 8-bit machines, so you may have missed them before upgrading to the Atari ST. I certainly don’t recall either, although I do have fond memories of Electric Dreams’ Dandy (ZX Spectrum).

Warlock the Avenger is a top-down maze game, similar to Gauntlet. You explore labyrinths, blasting monsters with your wand, loot treasure chests, and desperately search for the exit while enemies respawn with irritating enthusiasm. Additionally, Millennium has included the original game, which is an incredible freebie!

Here, we play a druid spellcaster dude tasked with saving the land of Belorn from yet another surge of demonic chaos (I guess we didn't win in the other games?). Anyhow, an evil lord named Acamantor has clawed his way back from oblivion to enslave everyone. Our mission is to reawaken ancient elemental magic by navigating monster-infested mazes filled with passages, magical power-ups, and plenty of treasure.

Sounds pretty cool, right? Yeah, so let's see a screenshot...

The status bar shows what we have. Keep an eye on it, especially spells and keys.

Let's play!

The opening level plonks you into a woodland surrounded by roaming hordes. Some enemies go down easily, while others soak up multiple hits, encouraging you to switch wand types - some spells are more effective against specific foes. That is something you learn early on, with unobvious help from using the F6 key.

A status bar along the top of the screen shows your energy, keys, power-ups, and spells. Keep your eyes on this, especially the available firepower and keys. Sadly, you only get one life, and contact with an enemy drains your energy. Thankfully, there are special floor tiles that replenish it, but they’re pretty scarce.

Treasure chests are scattered throughout and are absolutely central to survival. Inside, you’ll find spells, keys, screen-clearing special powers, and occasionally a friendly Golem ally. But there's a catch: while a chest may contain several items, you can’t just grab everything and run. Only one thing may be taken, and once you've chosen, that’s it - the chest is gone forever. A poor choice can doom your entire run!

This decision-making is the real heart of Warlock: do you take more firepower, or stock up with keys, but risk running out of "ammo"? Early on, it feels forgiving, but later levels flood you with locked doors. No matter how many keys you think you’ve collected, it never seems to be enough. Arghh, so irritating.

Warlock transported me straight back to my 8-bit gaming days as it’s deceptively simple: explore, kill, loot and repeat. However, the real challenge lies in resource management, particularly looting treasure chests. While spells are often your primary weapon against beasts, keys are arguably the most crucial items.

Several levels in, I found myself completely stuck. The exit lay behind a locked door. I couldn't find any hidden passageways, and I had no keys left. Plus, every chest had already been looted. My only option was to backtrack to a previous level, in the blind hope of finding a chest I may have missed. Sigh.

So close, but no cigar? Well, maybe, but let's see another screenshot...

The ghouls are constantly spawning and are up for a chase. Relentless they are!

Big Tips

This is a maddening game, so do you fancy a few juicy tips? Of course, you do...

• Never open a chest unless the immediate area is clear of monsters.
• Different spells work better on certain enemies. So, switch if something took 2/3 shots to die!
• Hidden passageways are literally invisible, so stay close to a wall to find one.
• No matter how many goodies are inside a chest, only one item can be taken.
• Chests can only be opened once.
• Firepower is important, of course, but the keys are essential.
• Try to hug the walls, as there might be a hidden passage nearby.
• Forget the spells unless you have an abundance of keys!
• Control the wizard in the opening screen to access the original game.
• Did I mention how important keys and hidden passages are?

I already have loads of spells, so I chose the key from this treasure chest...

Ah, the chest screen with many goodies, but you're only allowed to pick one!

Aesthetics

Players who started their computing life on the Atari ST may find it looks dated. Those of us who upgraded from 8-bit machines will likely feel right at home. It has the look of a ZX Spectrum game without colour clash. The scrolling is always smooth, and the sprites generally look cool - especially on the later levels.

Talking of 8-bit, the original original game never made it to the Atari ST, but it's included, which is a fantastic addition. It plays the same, but I might be brave enough to say it's better. The game looks great with gorgeous backgrounds and sprites. Yep, I might actually prefer this!!

The audio is less impressive, with a decent piece of chip music on the title screen. But in-game, you’re left with sound effects - most of which consist of your wand firing endlessly at respawning monsters.

Let's break up the reading with (you guessed it) another screenshot...

See that daft symbol on the floor? Walk over and stand on it for a while.

CryptO'pinion

I have mixed feelings about Warlock the Avenger. On one hand, it captures the joy of old-school maze games beautifully: rushed exploration, constant combat, and panicked scrambles for the exit. Plus, we get the original game, which wasn’t released on the ST – a fantastic bonus that I wish more games offered.

However, it tries too hard to be different with multiple spells, unnecessary power-ups and a largely unwanted Golem. This muddies what should have been a simple arcade-style game. The single life and brutal energy meter also force you to cheat, which is frustrating. The worst part is having to press F1 to open doors - and only when you’re perfectly aligned with the doorway. Try doing that when monsters are spawning around you!

I’ve enjoyed Warlock, and the inclusion of the original game is a brilliant move by Millennium. Both games play well, though the one-life restriction is a bit of a downer for me. For that reason alone, it falls short. A seriously tough game that forces you to cheat, which isn't good, right? I still enjoyed Warlock, though.

• Dream Weavers #22 is the disk I used, which I downloaded from Atari Legend.
• Atarimania have a download (my greetings to Marko!!)
• Warlock can be installed onto your hard drive thanks to D-Bug and 8BitChip.
• If you enjoyed this, we have a "overhead" shooters group with loads more!

Shoot the snakes and see what treasures lie ahead.

This is as far as I got. I think that I was about 7/8 levels in, but I ran out of keys, and there were no hidden walls or chests. Must admit, I was more than a bit gutted by that. I need a cheat with 99 keys lol

These next four screenshots are from the original game...

The objective appears the same: run/fight/kill/panic/die!

Oh no, skeletons make their way towards me - Thriller style!!

This old game might be better than its sequel. What, really? Yup, I think so.

Storm 94

Alien Breeding

Storm 94 is an overhead shooter by Marcus Platt/Fugitive Freelancers, released by LAPD in 1994 for the Atari STe. It's obviously based on the Alien Storm theme, and reminiscent of Alien Blast and Alien Thing.

Like other similarly inspired games, we explore a spaceship whilst suffering a constant onslaught by the ravenous aliens. They are relentless, so shoot first and never ask questions!! Ammo, health, and security keys are scattered throughout the levels, but if you need more, they can be purchased from the computer terminals. Our job is to find key cards to operate the airlock, allowing us to escape this Sci-Fi hell.

This game is superb. However, my quibble is the unnecessary time limit. So, if you notice the screen turning red, you're near death!! It doesn't need a timer, so it spoils everything good about the game. I hope somebody gets a hold of this and adapts/removes its timer. Then we should be able to see more of the game.

I thoroughly enjoyed Storm ’94; its action and strategic elements are simply superb. However, the timer severely hindered my progress and prevented me from fully appreciating it. I genuinely hope someone reading this can hack it and remove the timer! Grab this game from the Hang Loose archive on PigWa.

The Chaos Engine

Another cheap ripoff

Not too dissimilar to Gauntlet, The Chaos Engine, by the Bitmap Bros, was released in 1993. It's a top-down arcade shooter where you choose from a selection of characters before running around levels with one purpose: killing baddies! Okay, there is a [minor] puzzle element, but this is about reaping death!!

Set in a twisted steampunk version of Victorian England, The Chaos Engine tells the story of a baron whose experimental machine (designed to harness chaos energy) spirals out of control. Of course, it does. It mutated both the land and its inhabitants into something monstrous. Enter the heroes: a band of hardened mercenaries is assembled to venture into the wilderness, battle through wave after wave of grotesque creatures, and destroy the machine. You will be one of six mercenaries, each with their own skill set.

Take a read and make sure you choose wisely...

 

 

 
So who are you gonna be? Let me know in the comments who you choose.

Who ya gonna be?

Each character has unique skills, so I advise that you play each one to find out what you prefer. Personally, I tend to prefer the Mercenary or Thug, but here's the list of all six badass dudes...

• The Mercenary is a good, dependable fighter with strong weapon power and overall toughness. He is less refined in technical ability than some others. His straightforward offensive capabilities make him an effective and dependable choice. A great option to run & gun!
• The Brigand is a nimble and technically gifted character, often suited to players who prefer careful positioning and tactical movement. I feel he is a character for the gifted game! He might feel underpowered in direct firefights, but he is agile and rewards determination.
• The Gentleman is a well-balanced all-rounder and one of the easiest characters for new players. I think he has good speed, firepower and decent resilience. Although he lacks the specialist traits of some of the other mercenaries. Why not start your first game with this guy?
• The Navvie is the brute-force option! A massive guy, packing tremendous physical strength. He can absorb punishment and dish out serious damage, but at the expense of speed. His sluggish movement makes avoiding enemy fire and navigating hectic situations more difficult.
• The Thug is fast, aggressive and built for direct confrontation, with strong mobility and attack power. His main weakness is lower resilience, meaning careless play can get him overwhelmed quickly if trapped. Kinda like the Navvie in many ways.
• The Preacher is the most unusual and often challenging choice. He is useful for interacting with terminals and is an efficient killer, but his weaker combat performance means he demands a skilled player. Even with God on his side, he's hard to recommend.

Each environment is extremely interesting, with wicked mechanics and beautiful visuals, helping create a wonderful Victorian England theme. Movement and positioning are crucial, as simply charging forward will quickly get you overwhelmed by the relentless waves of enemies. Along the way, fallen enemies drop cash, which can be collected and spent between levels on upgrades: speed, weapon power, health and intelligence. This allows you to strengthen your character for the increasingly brutal stages ahead.

Co-op is enabled whether you play solo or not - and is a treat. I love having a computer-controlled player alongside you, and that extra firepower comes in handy. Especially in the later levels, it is implemented well without ever taking over. However, it's embarrassing when he grabs the coins so quickly!! Argh, this is one of those games that demands practice before you can even think about beating it!

Hey, let's take another break for a couple of screenshots...

The first level is brilliant and works well with the computer-controlled guy.



Level two increases the difficulty, but it's still damn good fun!

Bitmap aesthetics!

The graphics are literally outstanding. From start to end, beautiful artwork, detailed sprites, and gorgeous landscapes. I love each of the environments, which have all been enhanced for the lovely Atari STe by using the hardware scrolling and extra colours. One of the best-looking games on the Atari ST/e. Period!!

All audio is cool - the chip music will stay playing in your head all day, and the sound effects do their job well. However, I must admit to being a little disappointed that this talented bunch failed to use the DMA audio for sampled sound effects. They're already utilising the STe, so why not use the DMA for samples?

So, it looks and sounds great, especially on the Atari STe. Agree or disagree? Let me know...

I struggled with the third level, or rather, my old man reactions did!



...and again for the frantic fourth. So tough!!

The CryptO'pinion?

I’ve always ranked the Bitmap Brothers among the finest developers of the 16-bit era, and this game helps to prove that. It's a surreal steampunk world with slick presentation, and an addictive blend of action and strategy makes it far more than a mere Gauntlet clone. Comparisons are going to happen, but while both look similar, The Chaos Engine has its own identity, atmosphere, characters, and great action.

My only gripe is the difficulty on later levels, which I fear is over the top and pushes even the most skilled players to cheat. Thankfully, the passcode system softens that disappointment somewhat.

This is a remarkable and addictive shooter stuffed full of action. Glad I bought this - I love it!!

8BitChip and D-Bug have created superb hard drive installable games!!

Chaos Engine floppy disks: Adrenalin #37A  #37B disks.

LEVEL CODES

World Two = T6MV6J4LGLCZ (Thug + Mercenary)

World Two = 73VBPXY1PZV1 (Brigand + Navvie)

World Two = QLVKM4YKJQVS (my own code!)

World Three = 4WQZTTRG61MZ (Navvie + Gentleman)

World Three = 2#YNLN7SR94W (Navvie + Brigand)

World Three = JSP99G416LY2 (I've no idea where I found this!)

World Four = PK2R9J6G5W4K (Navvie + Gentleman)

World Four = C8737KFPBCDB (Navvie + Preacher)

ST Format has a guide and a walk-through solution (issues: #51 #52 #53 #54)

Bitmap Bros have a cool website with maps, guides, and more.

Let's Play has a great page with loads of info.

Time Bandit

HiSToric gaming!

Microdeal released Time Bandit in 1985, ranking as one of the first Atari ST games. Programmed by Bill Dunlevy, long before any developers knew how to push our 16-bit computer. However, my first impressions weren't good, as I felt this was a cheap Gauntlet ripoff. I continued to play until my sanity returned.

Ignore my foolish first impressions, as I fear there might be a funky game lurking behind the 8bit visuals? Fwiw, Time Bandit was released for the TRS-80 a couple of years before Gauntlet.

Time Bandit is an isometric arcade adventure where we play as a roguish thief hopping through different eras of time in search of valuable artefacts. We begin in The Timegates, a place that permits access to the many strange worlds. Each one is a compact, monster-infested, trap-filled place where the objective is simple: grab the loot, avoid or outwit the enemies, and make it to the exit alive. Simple stuff, right?

These different words help make this game weird, as they range from ancient Egypt to a bomb-making factory and other surprises - like Pac-Man land. They have their own style and objectives with gameplay reminiscent of Gauntlet. This is quite unique, blending genres: primarily an action-adventure, it incorporates puzzle-solving elements and even short text-adventure segments, depending on the world we are exploring.

For each world, the exit is blocked, so we need to find the key(s) or complete tasks to escape. Interestingly, each world can be played again with increased difficulty and fascinating design changes, all of which keep the gameplay engaging and progressively challenging. Battles are fought using a rocket launcher and, best of all, you've been blessed with unlimited ammo too!! Very nice, and that suits me just dandy.

Time Bandit is a cracker with superb levels to plunder, each offering a unique charm. It might look like Gauntlet, which it predates, but it's so much more!! Additionally, each world is distinct, offering a wide variety of gameplay that grows more difficult with each attempt. No other similar game comes close to offering so many styles, yet it retains its own uniqueness, making it a true Atari ST classic you shouldn't miss.

Yes, I said all that, and (wow) for a 1985 game, too!! One of the best Atari ST games.

• Budding time lords should download this game for floppy or your hard disk!!

- Sixteen wacky worlds -

 
Underworld Arena has many spectators, and Darkside Dare is incredibly odd with unexpected twists.

 
Castle Greymoon is one of my favourite levels, as is the dingy Excalibur spaceship!

 
Shadowland? Nah, this is a Pac-Man ripoff lol. Welkin Island looks rubbish, but is so cool.

 
Omega Complex, one vowel off being blocked. The Sentinel reminded me a little of Tutankhamun.

 
Gridville appears to have rude tomatoes, but Hotel California allows us to play as John Wayne!!

 
Watch out for strange aliens in Major Hazard, but the Old Bomb Factory takes that to another level!!

 
Cheops' Curse offers more than you think, but there's a spooky graveyard in Ghost Town.

Guardian is tough even on the first attempt. Watch out for the creepy crawlies in King's Crown.