A classic hath return-eth! Designed as a console-accessible iteration of the legendary home computer game, Eye of the Beholder is now available for both SEGA CD and Super NES. This title based on the expansive world of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons will have players build a party of four adventurers composed of thieves, fighters, and magic users. These warriors have been gathered by the Lords of Waterdeep to take on an ancient evil rebirthed beneath the City of Splendors. Crawl through a myriad of dungeons in first-person view and begin a search which may end in glory and fame, or a gruesome death. In each console version, Beholder operates on a point-and-click system that may feel a bit unintuitive.
In this age of free-scrolling games like Doom, Beholder is a dusty alternative. Yet, the array of puzzles and perils found in and beyond the sewers of Waterdeep remain fresh and chock full of mystery. Exploration is the main highlight within Beholder. Finding your way around the dungeons will entail picking up and throwing items, tapping levers to open doors, searching behind grates and within pipes, and discovering secret passageways. Combat is real-time, not turn-based. Brawl as you wish, or back away from monsters and rethink your strategy. You can luckily save at any time, thus reducing the stress of falling in an inescapable trap. The SNES version is fair, but CD features voice acting and cosmetic adjustments.
Printed in Issue #17, September 1994
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