Betrayal in Antara - PC Review - Gamecenter

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Betrayal in Antara

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Tiptoe
Often there is a fine line between adventure games and role-playing games. Antara rides that dangerous line on a unicycle with no net below. The fact that you are given predefined characters leans toward adventure. The fact that characters have incrementing statistics leans toward RPG. The fact that the game is broken into chapters with story-progressing cut scenes leans back toward adventure. The fact that the player is free to travel the world in any direction or order (albeit without progressing the story) leans again to RPG. In the end, Antara definitely falls on the RPG side, but some of the quests make it feel like a bad adventure game. For example, a mage won't teach Aren magic until you bring him some special tea. This is a ridiculous plot device in itself, especially since the mage works for William's father. It becomes truly annoying, however, when the party is forced to embark on a quest that takes at least two weeks before you're able to find the tea.
My final complaints with Antara are the gremlins that pop up now and again. Unfortunately, these are not gremlins you can fight. Antara needed more playtesting. It is possible for characters to climb onto places from which they can't climb down, and since there is no way to jump, the game must be reloaded. Reproducible crashes are also a problem. Hopefully Sierra will issue a patch in the near future.
The secret to enjoying Antara is balance. It is a very good game hiding some inner demons. If you can balance the bad elements with the many good elements, you will find personal peace. If you can resolve the inner conflict between RPG and adventure, you will attain enlightenment. Like Kwai Chang Caine, you must travel, Grasshopper, to a faraway land and fight many battles. Only then can your yin and yang talk reasonably to each other.
Tips
-In battle, try to attack any magic users first. They can be deadly from a distance if left alone. Also, there is a good chance that the others will flee once their resident mage is killed.
-When shooting arrows, aim for enemies in the front. If you miss, there is still a chance you will hit one of the enemies in the back.
-The answer to the word puzzle on page 2 is "Cutlass."

If you like this game, you might want to check out Diablo or Lighthouse.

Hugh Falk believes that all video games are really tests in which the best players will one day be swept up by aliens to fight for the freedom of the universe. He has dedicated his life to critiquing and hopefully improving games for the sake of Earth and the universe. Agree or disagree with the review? Let us know.

Facts

Betrayal in Antara
Sierra On-Line, 800/757-7707
Price: $50.00
486DX4/100, 16MB RAM, 80MB disk space, SVGA, 4X CD-ROM drive, Windows 3.1 or higher; Windows-compatible sound card with DAC

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