Rings of Medusa
| Rings of Medusa | |
|---|---|
 Cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Starbyte Software |
| Publisher(s) |
Starbyte Software General Admission Software (R.O.M. Gold) |
| Designer(s) | Tilmann Bubeck |
| Programmer(s) | Tilmann Bubeck |
| Artist(s) | Thorsten Zimmermann |
| Series | Rings of Medusa |
| Platform(s) | Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS |
| Release date(s) | 1989, 1994 (R.O.M. Gold) |
| Genre(s) | Strategy, RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Rings of Medusa is a role-playing/strategy/trading video game developed and published by the German video game developer Starbyte Software (based in Bochum) for the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and PC DOS in 1989. An enhanced remake titled R.O.M. Gold: Rings of Medusa was released in 1994 for the Amiga and DOS. The game was followed by a sequel, The Return of Medusa, in 1991.
Gameplay
The rings can be found by conquering cities, digging for treasure and a sea fight. The player must gain enough money to finance a strong army. To achieve this, the protagonist Prince Cirion trades with goods between towns, whereas he is subject to bandit attacks (scouts increase view range to enable avoiding them). On the map the player may also dig for treasures, conquer cities and install troops to defend that town, and later cross the large ocean and visit other islands.
Within the game, the player controls directly only the squadron that Prince Cirion is with, the other troops use a defense plan chosen previously. When the player visits a city, a control screen appears, with options to sell and buy wares, gamble in the casino, gather information on temples and recruit troops.
Plot
The game centers around the quest of Prince Cirion of Morenor attempting to save the kingdom from an evil spell of the demon queen Medusa who has split his country and forced him into exile. Cirion must find five magic rings, scattered around the country, to summon her a final showdown. The game, if victorious, ends with Medusa seemingly destroyed.
Reception
Rings of Medusa received the same score rating of 85% in both Amiga Computing[1] and ACE.[2] Computer Gaming World approved of the game's graphics, but criticized the interface and gameplay as clumsy, needlessly difficult, and unrealistic. The magazine concluded that it "can find no way to recommend Rings of Medusa ... an unfinished game with a need for a major overhaul."[3]
Remake
The remake titled R.O.M. Gold: Rings of Medusa was developed by Starbyte Software and published by General Admission Software for the Amiga and PC DOS in 1991. In comparison with the original version, the game features enhanced graphics and sound, as well as an improved interface.
Sequel
In the sequel, however, it is revealed that the vanquished Medusa has merely escaped 300 years into the future and so Cirion follows her there to defeat her once and for all. Unlike Rings of Medusa, The Return of Medusa is a first-person view role-playing video game. It was released for the Amiga, Atari ST and PC DOS in 1991.
References
- ↑ Amiga Computing Vol 2 No 12 (May 1990)
- ↑ ACE 31 (April 1990)
- ↑ Seacat, Douglas (May 1990). "Rings of Medusa". Computer Gaming World. p. 43. Retrieved 16 November 2013.