Lands Of Lore: The Throne of Chaos – Old Hag Terror

It was finally time to play and finish one of the classic RPG blobbers: namely Lands Of Lore – The Throne of Chaos by the legendary Westwood Studios. Now, while it’s certainly an RPG by design, I can’t help feeling that it plays more like an advanced adventure title, than a “true” RPG. This might sound heretical to some, and I don’t blame the people throwing that word my way. However, I felt it lacked story decisions when it comes to the plot, stats to gawk at, and character building when it comes to the combat.

Not D&D
If you compare Lands of Lore to Eye of the Beholder (one of Westwood’s older blobbers), you’ll notice it has far fewer engaging mechanics. Such as leveling your party members, due to the lack of a compelling ruleset like the one used in Dungeons & Dragons. In Lands of Lore, you just whack, blast with magic, or shoot with range to level up your character, and depending on what you kill with, the representative stat will go up. Melee for Fighter, ranged for Rogue, and magic for Mage. It’s very simplified in contrast to Eye of the Beholder, and other RPGs, which I think lessens the RPG experience a fair bit. 

The same goes for companions, as everyone works the same as your main character. Some even leave the party at story crossroads. It makes any kind of investment feel like a waste in the beginning. There are hints, though, as I remember one rogue I picked up mentioning she will leave at the end of the dungeon. Sure, that’s fair, but why must she nick my loot I have given her? These characters come and go throughout the campaign, which leaves the party in question splintered and random, except for your pick of hero. 

Then we have the loot, and they come without stats, or identifying characteristics. You have to equip the things to see what they do, what stats they increase (if any), and if they have any magical properties. Nothing of the three things I mentioned is exactly bad per se. However, it’s just stuff that I feel is missing to have it truly feel like an RPG. In other words: a clear sense of progression, without too much guess work when it comes to stats.

So, it has no fun leveling, fleeting companions (first half), and a lack of item descriptions or stats. There is also no flair to the loot, except for a magical jacket that got explained to me by an NPC. This all makes it feel like an advanced adventure game to me, with clicking on monsters to kill as its main pull. But the big question remains: does it affect the game and the enjoyment? 

Dungeon adventure
Honestly, I wouldn’t have brought it up if it didn’t impact my view, or feeling of the game. Yet, at large, I enjoyed my time in Lands of Lore – especially when I finally realized what I wouldn’t be getting. The setting is fun and whimsical, with many locations to explore throughout the adventure. Some better than others, some outright horrifying, like the top-level of the White Tower! I could die happy if I never ever have to fight another ghost in any RPG.

Despite me complaining about it not feeling like a “true” RPG, I had a good time killing monsters, while the story had no real trouble pulling me along. There were moments of confusion, as there are a couple of obtuse puzzles. It was not always easy to follow exactly what to do, either, seeing as you have no quest journal. However, in most of the game (at least the second half of it) it’s fairly linear, with one dungeon taking you to the next. But you got to pay attention to the characters you meet, because they will only say what needs doing once (for the most part). 

Fabulous pixel graphics
One of the most charming factors of Lands Of Lore to me is the excellent presentation and retro pixel-art visuals. It’s very clean, and in combination with the cool animations and sounds, it had a mesmerizing allure. If the RPG aspect wasn’t enough, the visual style sure is. It’s very nostalgic, and pretty, even in a modern sense, seeing as any indie-blobber developer would dream of reaching a picturesque splendor like this. 

The sound is on the same level, with the game having a lot of surprising voice acted parts, which all felt very immersive and charming. Frank Klepacki has to be mentioned once again on my site, as he, in his genius, made another stellar soundtrack. Take a listen to music that plays while strolling through the forest area:

Conclusion
While Lands of Lore disappointed me with its pretty weak RPG elements, it’s nonetheless a fun adventure game in a whimsical fantasy world filled with strange wonders. It for sure felt like the 90s, when things didn’t always have to be so serious, reflected through its awesome visuals and sound. I will recommend Lands of Lore, but know what you get into. It’s far from any D&D or similar style of game!

Thanks for reading.

/Thomas