Hexplore

The Good
Apart from anything else, this game is actually a lot of fun. Despite what it looks like on the surface, this is not a RPG game - it's an advanced platform game. There are lots of puzzles which are (for the most part) entertaining to solve. And whenever a character dies you have to walk his (or her) ghost back to the "resurrection steel". I like this. In fact you can use the ghost to explore ahead and scout out the enemy. Very useful!

You start off as a single character, quickly build up a party of four and head off on a roller-coaster ride of an adventure story. And that's the key to this game - the story. It's well thought out and keeps leading you on and on - compulsive playing.

The graphics are pretty sweet too. Sure, the quality is poor and more than a little cartoony by today's standards, but the full 3D view allows you to see whatever you need when you need. The sound and music are fully adequate for the game and add to the atmosphere.

It has a multi-player option which is fun too. As the game has 4 characters, you choose which one(s) to play. If there's 4 of you, then it's pretty easy. If there's 2 of you, take 2 characters each (1 melee & 1 ranged each). But if there's 3 of you .... well, you see the problem. It's pretty fun to play, and makes the game a little smoother since you don't have to deal with four characters all the time. Also, since there is no real character development to speak of you can swap characters at will to try it out. Definitely adds to the game.

The Bad
Well I mostly liked this game, but one thing really annoyed me. I never finished this game because it kept crashing at a certain point. I re-started the game several times (seriously) and it always crashed at the same place. I know, it was probably something I did, but I do wish I'd seen the ending. Maybe I should try it again...

To be honest, this game is also a little simplistic and doesn't really offer a tough challenge. Personally, I don't mind this too much - I often like something a little less intense from time to time, but I guess some people might not.

The Bottom Line
Pretty good overall. A little dated, perhaps, but still fun to play. The puzzles are intriguing and (mostly) don't get too tired. You can jump right in and play and it's pretty simple, but you will need to set aside some time to have a good crack at it. In all honesty, multi-player is probably the best way to play - makes the game a little more enjoyable.