The Summoning was the very first computer came I got it in 1992, and it was still on the hard drive in 2004. Only the fact that the game doesn’t support a laptop mouse has stopped me (temporarily) playing it.
The game involves a hero trying to fight, puzzle and magic their way through a maze. The maze is littered with useful items such as weapons, a smaller number of essential weapons (which I won’t reveal) and Non Player Characters (NCP’s), some helpful some less so, and eventually confronting the shadow weaver at the end.
The maze is HUGE, with lots of exploring to be done. There are numerous sub-quests to undertake, some of which are crucial to the plot, which add both depth and richness to the game. The story, starts in the Manuel, is developed right through the game, until the interesting twist at the end.
The came also comes complete with a wide selection of unpleasant characters which the hero must fight (or run past, depending on your bravery…), each with their own strengths and weaknesses, so just hacking away with a war axe won’t work (on some), and you actually need to think about the right weapon or spell for the job. The fighting side is supported by a number of puzzles
(ranging from the obvious to the infuriating, see below) which need to be solved to complete the quest – how stupid I felt, half way up the citadel, when I realized just why I needed that rusty sword…
As is standard in RPG’s your character increases their various skills in order to be able to defeat the more powerful enemies later on. The character also develops ‘attitude’, so later in the came they are less ‘hello my friend’ and more ‘what do you want?’ This is a nice touch which helped me to ‘engage’ with my character.
Given the age of the game, the graphics and game-play are extremely good. There are some points where the game gets irritating- I remember spending some months stuck in beginner two; with a horde of spiders between me and my quest (see comment on running away!). These ‘hold up periods’ tended to put me off playing for a while, though I always came back for more!
Overall this is a very playable game. The game world is huge, and the sub-quests add richness to the game. The interface is easy to master and use (though it took me a couple of games to work out how to use my sword…). Many hours of fun can be had lost in the shadow Weaver’s labyrinth, but unless you seek out the sub-quests, the came can be very linear.
