The Temple of Apshai Trilogy is actually a stand alone game, entitled the Temple of Apshai, as well as its two add ons (the Upper Reaches of Apshai and Curse of Ra), both of which require the original in order to run. The original was both developed and published by Epyx and was featured on numerous platforms, including the Commodore 64, the Apple II, and of course, the personal computer boasting a DOS operating system. It was released in the very late seventies as a single player, classic dungeon crawl type of games, one of the most notable of the decade.
It used the keyboard as an input device, and was featured on many early systems besides the personal computer, such as the Commodore 64, the Atari 8 Bit, and the Macintosh. The TRS-80 was the lead platform. Epyx also created a prequel, known as Gateway to Apshai and a sequel called Hellfire Warrior.
The gamer will play the part of a classic adventurer who is exploring the Temple of Apshai ruins. The player will fight several different kinds of monsters, but is mainly in the temple to discover untold treasures and wealth. As he meanders through the countless catacombs, he will discover a variety of weapons and armor that will help him on his journey. Similar to many role playing games,
the player will earn higher statistics and become more powerful in several categories as he successfully completes combats and ventures. To escape from the dungeon, the user will have to greatly build his adventure’s attributes.
The Temple of Apshai was an unusual game at the time of its release because it relied heavily on printed material to accent and detail the descriptions found within the game itself. The player can match an on-screen room number with some vivid descriptions within the manual, making it a wonderful idea to download the manual with the game.
The add-ons that create the remainder of the trilogy expand the play of the original game by offering the user more levels, more detailed rooms, and an extra assortment of monsters and enemies. Overall, it was a successful series, although the game play of the add ons was not novel or overly innovative compared to the original.
The Temple of Apshai Trilogy is a good series of dungeon crawls with a very Advanced Dungeons and Dragons or other pen and paper game feel to it.
