Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor Critic Reviews

The only thing preventing me from scoring this graphics masterpiece in the 90’s was the somewhat weak storyline and the tedium that got me down on more then one occasion.

The way Stormfront has chosen to apply the new rules of gameplay has essentially neutered the most exciting part of 3rd Edition.

A nice-looking and solid dungeon crawl that offers a viable alternative to the excellent range of PC RPGs out there.

A disk full of bugs, striving to be a slow "Diablo" based on AD&D third edition rules.

a paradox. Buried deep beneath the myriad of technical and gameplay issues is a real gem of a game that is worth playing.

The interface is also not particularly logical with many character actions being accessible only after you have waded through a number of submenus. This is annoying and will drive you to distraction in combat, until you get the hang of the hot keys.

Features some good graphics and a decent adaptation of D&D's turn-based tactical combat, but the game is primarily an uninspired dungeon crawl, burdened by repetitive gameplay, a cumbersome interface, and some serious technical issues.

Unfortunately by offering little to no role-playing experience and by being based on an outmoded and poorly accessed combat system PoR is anything but radiant.

Its uninspired dungeons, two-dimensional characters, repetitive gameplay and frustrating technical problems make this one not worth the time or the money.

While there are some bright spots here and there Pool of Radiance seems uninspired and even a little unsure of itself.

Be prepared to watch hours of repetitive combat animation.

The game just has so many problems that I don’t think future patches will help it any.

Although the vagaries of the combat system will test some players, you will get used to it. Despite my grumbles some of the battles towards the end are quite challenging and require a well thought out strategy to get through.

Most significantly, Ruins of Myth Drannor does not accomplish the depth of story, the detail of character customization, or the engulfing campaign world that made the original Pool of Radiance such a memorable adventure.

Too much turn-based combat to be fun.

The rules are poorly applied, the interface is clumsy, and the pacing is very, very slow.

The tedium, bugs, and simplicity of the game itself outweigh much of the value the game offers in its size or even its faithful translation of the 3rd Edition rules, making this Pool of Radiance but a shallow reflection of the earlier classic.

Looks like a tremendous mistake.

If the mind-numbing battles and drab scenery haven’t already turned you off, don’t worry—there’s still the annoying interface to send you over the edge.