Dungeons and Dragons: Eye of the Beholder (GBA) (Dungeons and Dragons: Eye of the Beholder (GBA))

Member Name: thole09

Product:	Dungeons and Dragons: Eye of the Beholder (GBA)
Date:	07/05/09 (34 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Mostly accurate to original release

Disadvantages: Repetitive images

"Dungeons & Dragons: Eye of the Beholder" is a video game released for the Gameboy Advance console in 2002 by Infogrames. It is based on the Dungeons and Dragons roleplaying franchise and is a remastered version of an early 1990s computer game. In the United States, the game received a rating of "E" by the ESRB panel which deemed it suitable for all ages.

Eye of the Beholder retains most of its original gameplay seen previously. Presented in the first person view, players will navigate through the underground lairs of a fictional city named "Waterdeep". Movement is accomplished one image at a time and suggests that the party of characters which the player controls is actually "moving". The game is certainly appealing in its vintage charm but may not see success with more modern or younger players. During areas of battle, the view immediately switches to an isometric perspective where each character is controlled individually. The pace of the battles is often slow and control between characters is cumbersome as only one character will be able to deal with a plethora of monsters at any given moment. Needless to say, this can cause many unnecessary casualties in the midst of combat. The overall objective is to deal with an evil force which is occupying the lower levels of Waterdeep but is difficult to suggest whether or not most players will be able to progress far enough into the title; some may find its presentation odd and others may find the more tedious battle sequences to be repelling.

The graphics are both hit and miss in this title. Within first person view, images predominantly reflect what would be an ancient sewer complete with green sewage and dilapidated brickwork. The documentation does not make the location specifically clear besides it being "underground". The images are very repetitive as the majority of the game occurs in this underground region, and the only noticeable differences are seen on the bricks when rotating the character's view to face them. When switching to the isometric perspective, images are slightly better and each character is clearly distinguishable on screen. The characters are small and do not feature any facial detailing but are identified by the use of colour; the player's party will each have different articles of clothing whereas the enemies tend to be the identical. Sound is almost non existent in this title. There are few simple sound effects accompanying movement and interaction with objects, which appear to be menu sounds as opposed to an actual audible in-game effect, and there is a quieter musical score during combat.

Overall, Eye of the Beholder provides an element of nostalgia to fans of vintage gaming. It is a simple game both in implementation and actual play so may not be perceived as appealing by players who are accustomed to more modern video games. I personally enjoy the style in which the game is presented but it's possible that my sentiments may not be widely shared.

Summary: Thumbs in the middle