Lure Of The Temptress

An Adventure To Lose Yourself In

Every so often a game is released that breaks the mould and completely blows you away. Virgin Games released this point-and-click adventure back in 1992 and it's something quite remarkable. A game of great character, lore and charm. Interestingly, it was developed by David Sykes and Tony Warriner of Revolution Software and appears to be their one and only Atari ST game. I hate it when that happens as I cannot help but wonder what else they would have made...

Anyhow, the story begins with you waking up one day, only to find yourself locked away in a creepy dungeon. You are a nobody, a peasant, and are called Diermot. You were previously part of an attempt to free the village of Turnvale from Selena and her army of Orc lookalikes, called Skorls. Sadly, that campaign ended in tragedy and everyone was killed! Whilst the bloodshed reigned, you bumped your noggin and were knocked unconscious only to be easily captured.

Upon waking, you find yourself banged up in jail with a bad-tempered Skorl as your guard. Yikes!!

The intro is fascinating to watch. Like a 16-bit mini-movie!

I love the opening scenes which nicely introduce you to the world you're in.

As you begin to explore, you meet new people like this old chap idly relaxing...

It's Like Having A Second Life!

Lure Of The Temptress is something in which to become lost. Immerse yourself in this wonderfully crafted adventure taking place within a gorgeous Olde English setting. It's a point-and-click adventure controlled using the mouse: the left button guides your character around the screen and can also display status and object information. The right button is used to command and interact with characters and more. This system is well-designed, intuitive and easy to master.

Gameplay is experienced in real-time with the populous merrily going about their daily business while you go about yours. Having woken up in jail, your first task is to escape, so it's fortunate Skorl's aren't the brightest bulbs in the box. Ie, easily fooled. Throughout, your progress will be down to careful exploration, examination, and communication so pick up every object because you never know when you might need it. Talk to everyone and see what information they can reveal and sometimes somebody might ask you to do them a favour before divulging.

The world is populated by some of the most entertaining personalities and delightful characters that will certainly win your heart. Just start a chat with someone in a tavern, for example, a dialogue guaranteed to entertain! This charm and charisma are displayed early on as you rescue a fellow inmate called Ratpouch who immediately becomes a loyal friend. He is actually good company and will often try to help - when he's not in the pub that is! But watch out because he doesn't half get himself into trouble by saying the silliest of things to other characters. Such a mischievous guy and a best friend.

Let's take a look at a few more screenshots with subtle hints...

It's worth exploring everywhere and chatting with everybody... Even the half-naked man!

Or you could play dress-up and enjoy being a dude in a dress. Incognito is fun!

Relax. Have a beer and chill with your mate Ratpouch. Maybe you'll hear something interesting?

Looks And Audio

This adventure is one of the most visually stunning 16-bit games I have ever played. The artwork is an absolute joy and perfectly sets the mood for a medieval setting. The characters move and walk with smooth animation and I just love those intricate details, like the bird which sits on the fence for a few moments before flying off. A delicate touch to the scene but also very impressive. It's things like this which make you appreciate the game so much.

The sound effects are the only weakness but please don't misunderstand that - they are beautiful and made from high-quality sampled sounds. However, there are also some screens that don't have any background audio at all. I personally found that disappointing, in comparison to the rest of this beautiful game.

I'm moaning about nothing there aren't I? Well, let's take a look at one final screen shot that you will see a lot...

Oh no, it's game over for another fallen adventurer. They think it's all over? It is now!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Lure Of The Temptress is most certainly an impressive adventure and one you will adore getting to grips with. Hilarious, captivating and very addictive so my advice is to make time for this wonderful game. Make notes and talk to everyone. Yes, even those people who may resemble a street bum or a wacko in a pub knitting. Everyone has a tale to tell.

You never know what the game will throw at you next. Such a massive adventure with so many twists and turns cunningly interwoven into its storyline. Heck, you may even fall in love... I shall say no more about that! Personally, I would rank Lure Of The Temptress as one of the best adventures for the Atari ST and a pinch away from total perfection.

 - I found this cool image on the internet which maps the village.

 - 8BitChip has adapted a version for Ultrasatan/hard drive users.

 - No hard drive? Then instead check out Old Games Finder for the floppy version.

 - ST Format featured a superb walk-through [issue #67 / page 83].