textfiles/games/REVIEWS/hillsfar.rev

 HILLSFAR

 HILLSFAR is an AD&D "Forgotten Realms" role-playing game from Westwood
Associates (QUESTRON II, MARS SAGA) and Strategic Simulations. The game combines
the rigors of role-playing with adventure and arcade action, and offers colorful
3-D and overhead-view graphics, a large city and countryside to explore, quests
that depend on the nature of your character, arcade sequences, character
transfer from POOL OF RADIANCE or CURSE OF THE AZURE BONDS, keyboard and
joystick control, and a save-game feature. The Commodore 64 version is the basis
of this review; Amiga and Atari ST version notes follow.

 Taken as a whole, HILLSFAR is a fine game. The graphics are very good on the
C64, the arcade sequences are smoothly done, and there is plenty to keep you
busy. The only drawback is the save-game feature, which can be used only while
in Camp. Unfortunately, there is only one Camp, and more often than not, it's a
zillion miles away.

 Several options are available from the Camp, where the game begins: Characters
can be generated, saved, loaded, or removed from the Save disk (which can be
prepared in Camp). Also, characters can be transferred from other "Forgotten
Realms" adventures. Creating a new character consists of selecting a race
(dwarf, elf, gnome, half-elf, halfling, human), gender, class (cleric, fighter,
magic-user, thief, and multiple-class for non-humans), name, and alignment.

 The computer generates scores, ranging from 3 to 19, for strength,
intelligence, wisdom, dexterity, constitution, and charisma. Scores can be
re-rolled until you've found a suitable character. Hit points are derived from a
character's constitution and class, as well as experience level, which in turn
is derived from successful adventuring and the accumulation of treasure.

 Once you've created and saved a character, the only place to go is Hillsfar.
This is accomplished on horseback. The road is short, but danger presents itself
in the form of fences, holes, bales of hay, puddles, tree stumps, and low-flying
birds. Should you lose your horse, you can walk ahead, walk back to Camp, look
for a replacement horse, or just hang around and wait for help. In all cases,
you run the risk of being attacked by bandits.

 On reaching Hillsfar, you'll be in the stables in the northeast section of the
city. You have to make your way through the streets to the Guild for your
character's class, and from there, your adventures in the Forgotten Realms
begin.

 Hillsfar consists of streets, alleys, sewers, mazes, pubs, and a variety of
special buildings, such as the Arena, Archery Range, Cemetary, Book Store, and
Haunted Mansion. Some are always open; others only at certain times. All can be
explored and most have valuable items.

 You can enter the Archery Range anytime during the day to either Practice or
Compete. Weapons are slings, daggers, darts, arrows, or wands (mages only).
Practice is free; competition costs a fee to enter, but can bring greater
rewards.

 You can enter the Arena to fight for fame or wealth, or perhaps to pay for a
crime you've committed, such as getting caught in a building you've broken into.
You won't necessarily be killed in Arena combat, although it is a possibility.

 Buildings can be broken into or otherwise entered, and you'll usually have a
finite amount of time to search the area, open chests and doors, pick locks,
avoid the Red Plume guards, and escape with whatever treasure you might find.
Should the guards catch you, you'll most often go to the Arena.

 The C64 screen display consists of three-dimensional and overhead views of
Hillsfar, a message window, and character information. Each graphic display
scrolls as you move through the streets. Entering areas of interest accesses the
disk for new pictures, information, and options. The Archery screen consists of
a hanging target; birds fly across your vision, and rats crawl out of bales of
hay. The weapon cursor wavers as you aim each of your 10 allotted shots. In the
Arena, you're given a staff as a weapon, after which you and your opponent slug
it out until one is knocked unconscious.

 With the exception of the keystrokes needed to use a healing potion, pause,
toggle sound, recall a clue, and pick a lock, HILLSFAR is entirely
joystick-controlled. The particular use depends on what you're doing. While
riding the horse, you can jump over obstacles (duck under them) and speed up or
slow down. In Hillsfar, you can turn right, left, or completely around, move
forward, or search the immediate area by pressing the button. In the Arena, the
stick controls blocking maneuvers and, with the button held, various attacks.
Keystrokes are available in place of the joystick.

 The Lock Picking screen consists of the tumblers within the lock, and a set of
tools that look like surgical instruments. A fuse burns at the top of the
screen, indicating how much time you have to pick the lock. Using the stick, you
can select a tool that matches a particular tumbler. The tool can be flipped
over with fire button or Spacebar; the Return key does the picking. Choosing and
using the wrong pick usually breaks it. If you fail to pick the lock, a trap
might go off. Locks can also be forced, or opened with magical knock rings or
chimes.

 HILLSFAR looks very good on the C64. Scrolling is smooth, as are the arcade
sequences. The city is large; new overhead views are periodically loaded from
the disk. The package comes with a Translation Wheel, which is used to enter the
Guilds. The game is copy-protected.

 The best thing about HILLSFAR is that it's different from the usual AD&D quest:
Neither weapons nor magic items are allowed inside the city, so you have to rely
on your wits and adventuring ability. Noteworthy as well is the Arena; although
there is combat, it is not always mandatory. Mini-quests send you around the
city and the surrounding areas, which not only makes the game longer and more
difficult, but points out the bogus save-game feature, the program's only
drawback.

 As mentioned earlier, the Camp is the only place where a character can be
saved: Game positions aren't saved, only a character's status. (The first two
offerings in THE BARD'S TALE series suffered from a similar save "feature.") On
being given a quest, you can leave Hillsfar to re-enter the Camp and save, but
while on the actual quest, saves cannot be performed. This is unfortunate, as it
takes the edge off an otherwise good game by making you play for a save rather
than a quest. You might weigh this factor when deciding whether to purchase
HILLSFAR.

 AMIGA VERSION NOTES

 HILLSFAR has been criticized often for its inclusion of arcade elements, but I
have to confess that I liked the game quite a bit. It's immense, and allows for
many different quest possibilities. The "role-playing" element is not the type
that fans of classic RPGs will necessarily find familiar or acceptable, but I
certainly experienced plenty of role-playing thrills in the various action
scenes!

 The game comes on one copyable floppy and uses code-wheel protection, which
occurs partway through play. It's multi-tasking if your Amiga has more than 1MB
of RAM, and can thus be played from the Workbench (and windowed into the
background while running other software). Hard drive installation is simple.
Games can be saved on the backup disk, or you can make a save-game disk if
you're running out of room. Sound and graphics are unexceptional but effective.

 The manual, as seems to be the case with all SSI products for the Amiga,
includes no specific instructions for the Amiga version; instead, these are on a
separate data card. There are only a couple of notable differences: Sound can be
toggled off with Control-S, and some clarification on how to handle the
lock-picking sequences is offered.

 ATARI ST VERSION NOTES

 The Atari ST version of SSI's HILLSFAR is more or less the same as the C64
version. The graphics are brighter and more clear, as expected, and the few
differences have nothing to do with gameplay.

 The HILLSFAR disks are not copy-protected in the usual way, but any backups you
make will need Twister (available from Antic or CompuServe), a utility that
performs a 400K format on a single-sided, 3-1/2" floppy. Format two Twister
disks, then copy the files; the backups will be playable game disks. You may
also use a commercial copy program, or you can copy all files to a hard drive,
which virtually eliminates disk access. A second disk drive is supported as
well.

 As I mentioned above, HILLSFAR on the ST is identical to HILLSFAR on the
Commodore -- including the not so good save-game feature. It's best to keep this
in mind.

 HILLSFAR is published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. and distributed by
Electronic Arts.

*****DWONLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253