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.

ST Cheaters Unite

AtariCrypt Magazine #2

I’m not quite sure about that, but carry on reading as "I've done a thing". Back in the day, ST Action was superb and my favourite for games. A dedicated game magazine free from the negativity and lack of enthusiasm found in other publications. I’ve collected almost every issue and many of their fantastic cover disks.

Issue #53 came with a cover disk containing over 2000 hints, cheats, and level codes. It's only a couple of (large) text files, so I copied them to my Mac and wondered if there was a better way to view their contents than searching or manually scrolling through them. So, I compiled them into a magazine-style PDF. It’s nothing flashy, as I don’t have the design skills of Darren Doyle, but I’m pleased with the result.

Happy reading/cheating/gaming...

• Click here to download the PDF and get it printed (gimme some feedback!)
• Talking of magazines, have you seen AtariCrypt Magazine?
• I've made loads of other ST disks; click here to be blown away. Maybe!
• All credit to ST Action for this compilation (thx Atarimania).
• Yes, I used AI for the magazine cover (with a wonky ST), as I cannot draw for peanuts!

Titan

Bouncing to Glory

Titan is a clever twist of the Breakout formula released in 1989 by Titus. Use the ball to blast away the bricks, but instead of a paddle moving horizontally at the bottom of the screen, we are now viewing the action overhead. So, rather than controlling this paddle independently of the blocks in a separate part of the screen, we're in a scrollable arena twice the size of your typical screen (scrolls in all four directions).

We navigate a block around the screen (across both the X and Y axes) using the mouse or joystick (press F2 during the game for the much superior mouse). The walls, obstacles, and blocks are around us - rather than distantly placed. This also means the ball isn't knocked out of play and will bounce around the screen, waiting for your help to redirect it to the remaining blocks. The goal is the same - break every block to win. Later levels have power-ups and enemies, but I've played the first three levels and didn't see 'em!!

At first glance, Titan looks plain, but clear and uncluttered, making it easy to keep track of the ball. And if the tone doesn't suit, hit F4 and cycle through a variety of alternative palettes. Where Titan really struts its stuff is in the scrolling, which is buttery-smooth on either computer: older STf models have a slightly smaller playfield thanks to a chunky (but excellent) status panel, while the STe goes full show-off with its hardware scrolling. Either way, everything glides along at a rock-solid framerate - yes, on both computers.

The sound effects are rather basic, so brace yourself for a lot of "dink-dink" as the ball pings about the screen like a toolbox during an earthquake. The STe gets DMA music on the title, something I never expected for 1989. Okay, it's not the best quality you'll hear, but I appreciate the effort Titus put into this.

I'm not exactly a huge Breakout fan, but I still quite enjoyed it. Technically, Titus has transformed the game with some interesting mechanics and technical achievements, but sadly, it hasn't fully worked. There is no feeling of skill, as our task is to merely get in the way, so hitting the ball correctly felt like pure luck. That innocent thrill of "just one more go" isn't here, so by the third level, my interest had waned.

Sadly, I'm rating this a disheartening 65%. Am I right? Let me know in the comments below.

• Atari Legend has access to various (floppy) menu disks.
• Installing onto the hard drive is provided by 8BitChip.
• Don't leave without checking out other Enhanced Games for the Atari STe.
• There are better Breakout games listed in this section.

Cool loading screen with DMA music too!

The first level is dead easy. I like "dead easy"!

The second level is a long slog...

The third level is better, and we need to break the blocks so the ball can get through!

Hit F4 anytime you like to switch between a range of alternative palettes!

Bacon

Something to whet your appetite

If ever there was a short intro, this is it. Bacon (yum!) by Blind Io of Vulkteamet, released for Sommarhack 2015. It has lovely chip music and a fantastic plasma effect. In fact, it’s probably the shortest intro ever, but it contains some of the most profound poetry... You were a pig. Now you're bacon. That's pretty deep stuff, right?

YouTube is okay, but it's best to download and play it on a real ST. Enjoy this tiny intro...

Moomin Slaughter

Beware of Hattifatteners

The UK version of The Moomins was a children's TV show that ran right through the 1980s. It had a gentle pace, whimsical storytelling, with characters like Moomintroll, Moominmama, Moominpapa, and their quirky friends. Quite a captivating TV show; the kind that today’s kids sadly won’t have the pleasure of seeing!

With that in mind, here is a crosshair shooter where we get to kill all of the little bleeders!! Moomin Slaughter was released in 1994 by Scotty and has only one screen, with each character appearing, like a rather lame Operation Wolf clone. Using the mouse, move the crosshair around the screen, picking off Moomins as they appear, climbing down buildings, escaping through windows, or wandering about. The mouse makes killing these childhood memories rather snappy and surprisingly precise (best with a real ST/e).

The game works on the ST, but is "best" on the STe, thanks to the DMA audio being put to fine use for the Moomins’ hilarious squeals as they’re being killed. Also, if the realism option is enabled, the Moomins appear only for a short while - and when they're dead, it's game over. So, it's best to disable that realism option to cure the problem. Then the screen fills with the blighters, just waiting to be shot. Sadly, this is when you discover the annoying slowdown, which is odd considering there's not much to push your Atari ST.

This is a quick blaster and definitely good fun for a few minutes, but nothing more than that, really.

• Fancy 5 minutes killing Moomins, then grab the download at Atarimania.
• Look here for a few more crosshair shooters: "PD" and commercial.
• It uses the DMA audio, so this game is added to our list of enhanced STe games.

You can access this menu at any time by hitting the Spacebar.

Peace reigns through the land... How can I change that?

Kill 'em all, and be quick as they're trying to escape out the windows!!

Destructible scenery and all the Moomins are dead. I'm happy lol.

Ditching realism leads to an endless supply of Moomins for a blood bath!!

Battlemaster

A day in the life...

Battlemaster was released in 1990 by PSS, but I don't recall playing it. Which is a little odd, because I remember seeing the screenshots and being captivated by them. They showcased an overhead-action RPG featuring battles against insidious creatures, including Orcs, Spiders, Elves, giant insects, and more. These are the types of games that really appeal to me, so I'm baffled why I let it slip by. What a weirdo!

Booting it up for the first time presents an impressive title that sets the scene for what appears to be a festival of bloody gore. We can be any of 16 adventurers from four races: human, elf, dwarf, and orc. Some venture solo, whereas others are part of a clan. Beginning my first game was fun, with good graphics and a user interface I found intuitive and easy to grasp. Selecting the warrior seemed a great choice, but I made the foolish decision to touch the water, which is oddly deadly - instant death (and you only get one life).

So I restarted as an Orc; an utterly disastrous move, as I was hated by everyone, so I died quickly. Once again, I restarted, this time as an elf, which was confusing because this fella wasn't alone - his party ran around like maniacs. Then my elf fell into a pit that suddenly appeared without a warning. Instant death!

This wasn't going well. So, I did what no guy does: I read the manual. This pamphlet is short, but engaging, with a background story that is both predictable and intriguing. The gameplay basics are nicely explained, including a guide for newcomers, which I appreciated. Also explained are the differences in gameplay styles that concern commanding troops (if applicable) and negotiating with NPCs for items or safe passage.

Incidentally, I chuckled at a section of the manual about the four different races. It's humorously candid and helps you decide who you want to be. I cannot read this blunt piece of text without smiling...

Dwarves hate Elves and Orcs,

Elves hate Dwarves and Orcs,

Humans like no one but despise Orcs the most.

Orcs hate everyone!

I guess it pays to read the manual? Who'd have thunk it? Let's see the first screenshot...

The user interface isn't baffling at all. In fact, it's quite superb:

1) These are our main stats.
2) Depending on the situation, we can access weaponry and inventory.
3) The journey icon is replaced with Parley (returns when the quest is done).
4) The next three text options are relevant for commanding troops.

5) The green area is a scanner; we're the red cross/other characters are yellow.

6) There is an info box that provides location names and helpful tips.

A Cruel World

The first thing that struck me about Battlemaster was how you're hurled straight into the action without a hint of guidance. You then notice the frantic pace at which enemies move about. It's quite chaotic as they run into view, firing off missiles before legging it. The key to surviving is teasing them out and away in smaller groups. Otherwise, you will be mobbed by a bloodthirsty pack of medieval lunatics with a death wish.

This instantly means you must practice with the controls to get anywhere. Battlemaster employs 8-way movement using the keyboard, mouse, or joystick. The mouse is terrible, and I got nowhere with my joystick, but I need a new one, so that could be why. However, I instantly took to the keyboard, which you can redefine with 8-way controls via the numeric pad. I preferred keeping it simple, using the cursor keys.

Exploration is always fun and part of what makes any RPG a fascinating experience. What's better than discovering a new place with potential for enemies, people, treasure, weapons, etc? Well, hold your horses and slow down because you won't get very far without keeping your eyes on the scanner...

• Use it to get an idea of where the enemy is, and begin walking towards them - with a ranged weapon at the ready. If they get close, hit the spacebar to pause and flip to a melee weapon.
• Sounds like real-time with pause? Kinda, and you should use that!!
• Hidden traps are a big thing in Battlemaster, but there is never any indication of where they might be. It's stupid because you only get one life, so falling into a chasm that appears from nowhere is infuriating! So tread softly. Thankfully, their locations are static and easy to remember.

Let's take a break and view a lovely woodland scene where life is peaceful and quiet...

There is an option to parley, but wait, I see a bottle on the ground?
Should I take that, or will it anger the locals into a frenzy?

Riverdale

Battlemaster's world is massive and splits into dozens of sections accessed via a world map. Once you muddle through the initial confusion of the first level, which generously teaches you the joys of hidden traps and punishes you for paddling in a stream (groan), you will blast through the following early stages pretty quickly. Every area is not only visually different but also moves the story forward in its own unique way.

It’s always worth exploring thoroughly to see who is waiting for a chat and whether there is anything remotely helpful, like armour or food. Each zone is fairly compact and has a specific task you’ll need to complete before progressing (use the journey icon, which remains greyed out until the tasks are completed).

Don't expect this game to be a pushover, as most battles devolve into chaotic scuffles where you're hammering the fire button and praying for a win. But think before raising your sword, not everyone is ready to fight. Assuming you win and don't fall victim to a hidden trap, then you will enjoy making progress because each area is uniquely interesting. That said, not everything makes complete sense, like stumbling across food the locals left lying around, hoping you'd politely ignore it. Erm, no! Why would anyone do that???

Once back in the world map, you can move to another adjacent area to continue pillaging! As you can see in the next screenshot, the game shows the available places you can (currently) travel. It's like Baldur's Gate, as you cannot travel huge distances without traversing through. And I liked that a lot!

A huge number of places are waiting for you, dear adventurer. Let's pause for a screenshot...

This map displays the various locations linked via currently available stages.

Graphics & Sounds

I'm not usually bothered by flashy visual effects in an RPG, as the adventure lies in the storyline, characters, action, and exploration. But let's be honest, they're good to have, and Battlemaster's landscapes range from lush woodlands to rocky deserts, and they look impressive. However, it’s the monster sprites that I really love. They’re fantastic and very much in the style of Dungeons & Dragons, constantly providing a 16-bit feast for the eyes to highlight the ghouls encountered, and this is where Battlemaster pleases me.

Sadly, the gameplay window is only about half the screen, with the user interface occupying the other half. That's understandable for a game like this (and helpful), but I'd have expected better scrolling in return. Don't get me wrong, it's good enough, but still a little bit disappointing if I'm honest.

The audio is a mixed bag. There is no title music, but PSS didn't skimp on the sound effects by using crunchy samples. I like the cries of people dying with such elaborate samples, which is hugely entertaining.

One last screenshot of me avoiding death (for once) before the gripping conclusion...

From the start, Battlemaster shows how cruel it can be. Hidden traps!

CryptO'pinion

Battlemaster certainly plunges you into the thick of the action from the very start. The manual gives a few helpful nudges and starter tips, but nothing really prepares you for the sheer brutality of the first area. Choose your character wisely based on their skills, weapon types, and whether you want backup or to go solo. Then spend a little time mastering the controls and getting used to scrapping with the enemy.

Even once you've got the basics down, you're still likely to meet a quick and ridiculous end, which is hard to grasp at first. It might be a mob of goons hiding in a cave who leave you no chance to react, or maybe it’s an arrow from off-screen, or the classic blunder of sipping water from a deadly river. Worse still, death may come because of a perfectly hidden trap that you had no way on God's green Earth to detect.

Every step you take will be like walking on eggshells, and you will suspect everyone and be wary of everything. Nothing scares me more than a bottomless pit suddenly appearing from out of thin air, but these are always located in the same place(!). Once you grasp how pointlessly illogical these initial traps are, then progress will be made to other areas. Regardless, save your game regularly, as you will be reloading a lot.

Battlemaster's emphasis is always on action and solving obscure puzzles. Discovering new lands is very exciting, as you see the story unfold with new places, tales, and people. Plus, there is a myriad of different beasts just waiting to be killed. Also, if you’ve built a good team, the squad mechanic actually works quite well - even if the AI is a bit thick. Controlling them feels a bit clunky at times, but I enjoyed giving the orders!

When I first played Battlemaster, I didn't care for it. You're thrown in at the deep end, and the pointless traps become tiresome. However, I liked the setting and the opportunity to travel to unique places, so I stuck with it. I'm glad I did. You will get to wander strange lands, slay monsters galore, and do it all in the name of a baloney storyline. It's fantastic, so I’m giving it a trapdoor-dodging, monster-mashing 85%.

• Here are a few screenshots and download links from Atari Legend or Atari FTP Archive.
• I have an RPG Quest group listed on the right, and many other "Quest" groups!

I love going into other people's homes uninvited.

Hey, I see a ladder. I'm sure nobody will mind if I take that...

I found a hidden cave and went inside. This is a dangerous place!!

I only took this screenshot because I liked the graphics so much lol

This is where I'm currently up to, and stuck. How can I get through the door?

Utopos

Gravity, Guns, and Glorious STe Action

Yet another game I love, but without a write-up here on AtariCrypt. Which is just weird! Well, from my point of view... Developed in 1993+ by Jani Penttinen and Jan Achrenius, Utopos is a slick "Gravitar"-style shooter specifically designed for the Atari STe. And when I say slick, I mean greasy-spoon slick!!

We are dropped into the cockpit of a nimble spaceship, trapped in a series of cavernous levels. As with Oids, Rotor, Thrust, etc, we are still fighting gravity and inertia, but you can alter these settings to your own tastes. Warning: the learning curve is massive, so it pays to tinker with them!! Once you're happy, things become more forgiving, and you will be zipping about, dodging obstacles, and blasting stuff like a pro.

Utopos takes inspiration from games I've just mentioned, but with a more arcade-like approach that favours speed and action over realism. What makes Utopos really stand out is its (overscan) presentation and superfast frame rate. It glides like warm butter on a non-stick frying pan in zero gravity! The backgrounds are subtle but effective, and the STe’s enhanced sound chip gets a proper workout with music and effects.

"This joystick feels like it came from the war." – My daughter, after 30 seconds.

As a single player, it's incredibly tough. Perhaps too tough? It doesn't appear to have the playability or strategic depth of Oids, as it prefers a fast-paced, arcade-style over realism. Personally, I think it's best as a two-player, even though nobody here (ahem) can control their ship. In fact, my daughter hated this game, so I'm left to go it alone - but don't listen to her, she's mad and wrong about this stupendous Atari STe game.

• Atarimania appears to have every version (demo and registered), but it seems that the one-player mode was dropped from the final release? I had to use version 1.52
• A must-watch video by Maarten/Atari Legend.
• A remake appears to be in the works, even supporting the Mac!!
• Being an STe game automatically enters it into the Enhanced List. Check that out!!
• This post is dedicated to our eldest daughter, Katie. 🤍
• If you are one of the few visitors to look back through the Crypt's archives, you’ll see an old recording of mine that I posted all the way back in October 2014. How has over a decade passed so quickly? Anyhow, the link is on the right-hand side if you scroll down a bit (or click here!) :^)

The one-player game is next to impossible without altering the gravity...

...and even then, it's next to impossible!

The two-player game is an absolute killer...

...well, if your family can get their head around the controls.