Evil is great fun! (Dungeon Keeper (PC))

Member Name: TheKnight

Product:	Dungeon Keeper (PC)
Date:	10/08/00 (66 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: inventive, well thought out and engaging.

Disadvantages: you'll be up late playing it.

This game turned the normal scenario on its head and gained novelty value on top of good gameplay for a reward. In this game you represent the evil bad guy trying to defend your evil machinations from the interferance of goodie adventurers who venture into your dungeon lair.

The main interface itself is simple enough to use that you don't need to undertake a crash course in game operation before you can begin. The tutorial games quickly show you the basics of the game and prepare you for the fun ahead.

The game itself is basically akin to most 'God-sims' whereby you are a superior being given control of minions to acheive your objectives. However, your minions tend to have a bit more independance in this game than in many others, and indeed may often fight among themselves if not monitored.

This game carefully and successfully makes any frustrations an integral part of the challenge and the fun of the game. When your imps build too slowly you can give them a good slap to speed them up. If one of your minions becomes too much of a nuisance you can punish them, either in jail or in a sacrifice.

It is very much a strategy game. You'll need to budget and manage your resources throughout the game. Your imps can dig out new chambers to attract and house your minions, but you'll also need to have some mining gold or gems for your treasury.

You'll want some minions to fortify the walls to keep out the treasure seeking adventurers too, and will have to balance all that against the benefits of putting some of the imps into training so that they become bigger and faster.

As your evil minions arrive, you'll need to house them and also to give thought to natural animosity between certain types of minions. Otherwise your Vampires will be attacking your warlocks, and your giant fly will have become lunch for the giant spider.

The battles can be hard, but are never impossible and good strate
gy can make up for slower reflexes (or vice versa). The minions at your disposal are wonderful, my favbourites being the hillarious Dark Mistress (clad in leather and weilding a whip, if you beat them they enjoy it). However, for sheer power and all around usefullness, the Vampire has to be my preference.

One very original aspect to the game is that you are not forced to idly spectate. You can 'posess' one of your minions, and play in the first-person perspective to get right into the action.

There are several bonus levels, and for the easiest overall victory you should always play the bonus levels. One of these in particular seems to be playable again and again and allows you to carry a top-level vampire into the start of the next game - a very useful 'edge'.

Overall a game that provides mirth, excitement and strategy that will last you for some time figuring out some of the trickier levels, but will never feel unbeatable or that you'll need to cheat to win. Its a great way to unwind and let off some steam.

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