SSI delivers their latest games based off the Dungeons & Dragons property with Deathkeep, a fine mix of Doom-esque action with traditional role-playing elements. Playing as one of three classes - either a dwarf fighter, elven mage, or a half-elf warrior - explore a huge fortress to discover the keys needed to bring down a powerful necromancer. Class differences chiefly boil down to physical versus magical attack types, though due to the intense difficulty of early areas, we found playing as the dwarf character is the best choice for novices. Navigating through the 25 dungeons is great fun due to the full 360-degree motion in rendered levels. Not as smooth as some first-person games, but solid, nonetheless.
Other than the high level of lethality players will surely encounter in the initial dungeons, a major hurdle in Deathkeep is undeniably game control. Imprecise movement and reaction time make it all but impossible to stop your character when in motion, leading to running head-first into an enemy spell attack or other obstacle. That aside, the gameplay is fast-moving, filled with creatively designed monsters, well-done stage layouts, and countless spells to learn. Be careful walking around those close corridors! All is accompanied by a spooky soundtrack which fits the atmosphere of the game nicely. A step above Slayer in all regards, 3DO owners should certainly consider adding this disc to their library.
Printed in Issue #36, April 1996
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