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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Decapitations! Showers of blood! Spilled entrails! Squashed bodyparts! If zany, over-the-top gore is your kind of thing, then look no further than Moonstone: A Hard Day's Knight. This game is best described as a mixture of a little bit of beat'em up, a snippet of RPG and a tiny lick of turn-based strategy on top. The result is a wonderfully atmospheric title that can be played by up to four human players (or, in case your mates aren't around, the unused player spots will be taken up by CPU controlled toons), who, in their quest for dominance, must traverse the world looking for better weapons, artefacts, and of course, enemies to slay.
Played on a sizeable world map that is roughly divided up into four sections, each with their distinct terrain (hilly wasteland, swamp, forest and plains), the players (taking on the roles of knights) must search the many dark caves and foul-smelling dwellings for the keys that will give access to the fabled Moonstone. He who manages to find all four keys first, gains immortality. Immortality! I mean, c'mon ... who doesn't want to live forever?
It isn't as simple as that, however. Other than having to compete with each other, there are the many dangers of the world to consider, as well. Entering any cave will take you to the battlefield, where the valorous knight must combat some of the most gruesome creatures, each one more grotesque than the last. The battles are always fast and furious, and never fair. For example, it isn't uncommon to find the lone knight being assaulted by 6-7 foes at the same time, and it would be a vast understatement to call these foes simply 'ferocious': they're fierce, they're ultra-aggressive, and they're out for blood. Your blood. The fights themselves flow beautifully, with thrusts and swings following one another like a dance. Before long, metal will find flesh, limbs start to fly, blood sprays everywhere and guts are spilled like there's no tomorrow - all of it accompanied by fantastically sampled grunts, gurgling and squealing that is sure to chill you to the bone the first time you hear it. Slicing through hordes of rat men is addictive and hugely satisfying, but beware: one moment of weakness and you'll find yourself impaled upon a spear. The enemies won't just stand there - they're smart, and they never let up. Regardless of the outcome of a battle, however, the battlefield will likely be unrecognisable at the end of such an orgy of violence - doubly so because monster corpses don't vanish - they just continue to pile up one after another. It's simply crazy - sickening, yet compelling to watch.
Speaking of foes, props must go to the developers for their wonderful monster designs. Ranging from hideous rat men to frightening mud monsters, from dragons the size of buildings to ferocious baloks, none of the creatures fail to impress nor instil a genuine sense of dread in the player when seeing them on screen, screaming out as they charge at you with their cruel weapons. The animation is extremely well done, the landscapes are painted beautifully, everything just oozes atmosphere. Add to that bone-chilling sound effects and a creepy soundtrack, and you have a package that is sure to leave a lasting impression on you.
Inbetween sessions of bloody butchery, players can take part in a plethora of other activities, such as shopping for meatier equipment, expanding one's stats, doing some dicing in the city, visiting the healer, or, if one prefers, stealing another player's equipment by assaulting them and fighting them one-on-one! There's always something to do in the world of Moonstone, another foul corner of the wastelands to explore, another monster's head to cut off. Just remember not to dawdle TOO long, however: the other knights are always on the move, always on the lookout for the moonstone, and should they be lucky enough to find it first, it's game over. This constant sense of urgency is what makes Moonstone so thrilling - if you want to succeed, you have to be aggressive, and be prepared to do anything. Yes, even confronting other players so as to reduce their chances of victory, for every time you manage to beat them in battle, you can steal their money and equipment, and more importantly, any key they might've found so far. Just beware of fights breaking out between you and your pals should such a robbery occur one time too often! Even so, it's doubtful such a fight would ever be as bloody as the ones in the game ... quite fortunately so.
For all the positive things that can be mentioned about this fantastic little game, there is one major issue that ought to be pointed out, however - and that is the frequent crashing. There are some people who've never even been able to finish the game properly. It's a shame that Mindscape couldn't fix this bug in the Amiga version before official release, especially considering the fact that there is no Save Game feature present.
Despite this, Moonstone is a game not to be missed. Whether you're an RPG fan, a hack & flash lover, or simply in for a bit of harmless violence, this game has it all: fantastic graphics, exquisite music, thrilling, fast-paced gameplay and blood by the boatloads... it's a rare phenomenon to see something as outlandish, even by today's standards. What's left to say, then? Go and give it a try, now! You won't be disappointed.
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| Overall rating: |
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8.5 |
| Graphics: |
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8.0 |
| Sound: |
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8.0 |
| Gameplay: |
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9.0 |
| Lifespan: |
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9.0 |
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