Druid for Atari 8-bit computers | Review
6 min read
views
Druid is an adventure game where the player takes the role of Hasrinaxx, the Last of the Great Druids, who seeks to free the world from the evil Acamantor and his army of demons. To achieve his goal, Hasrinaxx must destroy waves of monsters and four great "demon princes" in eight different levels.
The first takes place in the open field; but from then on, all the others are underground labyrinths, each one deeper and more complex than the last. Ghosts, snakes, giant insects and creatures of all kinds make up Acamantor's army. To confront them, our hero can use three types of weapons: water, fire and electricity.The wizard can also summon the Golem to aid him, or turn invisible for a short period. All of these powers are available in limited quantities; fortunately, you'll find a few chests scattered along your path with which to replenish your weapons, obtain new spells, and obtain essential keys that will allow you to advance on your journey.
DRUID
Posted by:Firebird, 1986.Gender: Arcade / Adventure.
Extra: 1 player, joystick and keyboard.
INSTRUCTIONS
You move around the stage with thejoystickand you fire your weapons with the button. To open a chest, just touch it from the front.Whenyou open a trunk, you will be shown thelist of itemsavailable. Use the joystick to choose the item you want to take and press the fire button to activate the selection.
Additionally, you canPress the following keysto activate the desired powers:
P- to switch between weapons (water, fire and electricity).
1- to use a key on a locked door.
2- Activate invisibility; your enemies will not be able to locate you for about 15 seconds.
3- Activates the Golem: a figure that accompanies the druid and destroys enemies that touch it. It has its own energy bar.
4- Activate Chaos: Destroy all enemies on screen and restore all lost energy.
Press the "A" keyforControl the Golem, making it follow you or stay still in a certain place.
According to thelevel of advancementthat you achieve,end of the gameyou will receivea rating: halfwit, apprentice, acolyte, seer, lore seeker, spirit master, cleric, potion master, lore master, priest, illusionist, magic master, conjurer, high priest, high druid, and light master.
THE ENEMIES
There iseight different typesof enemies: ghosts, giant insects, snakes, slugs, skeletons, bats, gargoyles and furies. Thecontact with anyonefrom your enemies youwill subtract energyOn the other hand, it is evident thatkind of "logic"in ituse of weaponsto combat certain enemies: each one will beaffected differentlyby water, fire or electricity.
The following table details thenumber of shotsthat requires acertain powerto end thecorresponding enemy
| Enemy/Power | Water | Fire | Electricity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Insect | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Slug | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Skeleton | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Bat | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Snake | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Gargoyle | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Rage | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Besides,from the fifth level onwardsyou mustconfront the Demon Princes-that they will throw at youfireballs. Forannihilateto a Demon Princeyou must touch itand thenactivate the chaos spell
Besides,touch or walk on waterIt will take away your energy, just like havingContact with some evil symbolson the ground.
Canget your energy backplacing yourself on one of thePentagrams of Lifescattered in the labyrinths.
STRATEGIES
The key isaccumulate enough keysand maintain abalance of the different "ammunition", givingpriority to fire and water-which are effective against most enemies.
It is not always necessary to confront enemies; sometimes,you just have to avoid them
Another important point isdetermine the best route to the trunks-as you need them-, to the stavesand to the respective exits. This isfundamental at level 4where there is only one exit that will allow you to move on to the next level.
The trunks are locatedin the same place and always contain the same items. You must be careful when selecting what you will take from each trunk becauseYou can only take one item/power at a time. Then the trunk will close forever.
It is convenientuse the chaos spellto restore lost energy whenin critical moments-although without abusing it, since this power is required to finish off the four "bosses".
It is recommendedLearn to use the Golem as a bodyguard; be careful because sometimes it can hinder your progress.
Canreturn by stairs to the previous level, but keep in mind thatall the doorsthat you have opened beforewill be closed again
He"dark" sideof the faces on the floorThey will not harm the protagonist
LEVEL MAPS
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Level 6
Level 7
Level 8
PROS AND CONS
Pros
Druid possesses ahigh degree of addictivenessEight (8) levels may sound like a bit of a challenge for some players, but each one is well thought out and has aincreasing degree of difficultyMastering the use of spells-in particular, the Golem- represents aadditional challenge
Cons
Therepetition in the contents of the trunksmakes the game feel quite linear. There is no clarity regarding the "rating" system that the player achieves at the end of a match.
EVALUATION
Finally, we would like to clarify thatDruid is not-as many claim-a mere clone of the classic Gauntlet. On the contrary, it is abouthis predecessor. Unfortunately, its version for different platforms was released almost at the same time as other "true" Gauntlet clones -like theremarkable stormPosted by
Please comment politely. Spam comments will be moderated. Thank you.