Warlock

Three-Sixty Pacific, Inc.
2105 S. Bascom Ave., Ste. 290
Campbell, CA 95008
(408) 879-9144
$34.95, color only

Reviewed by Clayton Walnum

And speaking of games for those who are willing to practice, Warlock ain't exactly a piece of cake either. This magical shoot-'em-up will certainly present a challenge for even the most masterful joystick jockey. But it'll be worth the fight, because the animation in this game is so superb that you can't wait to move on to the next screen to see what comes next.

Warlock consists of 20 levels, all filled with more enemies than you can shake a stick at, as well as many useful items: potions for restoring your strength, magic books for giving you more power, treasure chests to increase your score and "Protecto Scarbs" that add strength to your armor. Your goal is to collect the eight magical objects that are also scattered about the screen (and frequently guarded by powerful nasties), and then recapture the "Kama," a precious jewel that was stolen by a thief so treacherous he is referred to only by the moniker "HE."

I can't think of another game that has so many different creatures bent on the player's destruction. Whoever designed the graphics for this game had quite an imagination. On your trip through the various levels, you'll encounter everything from ghosts, goblins and flying eyeballs to some creatures that you could only visualize in a nightmare. Fire-breathing ogres, walking plants, killer bats—you name it, they're all here.

As you progress from left to right, you'll have to keep your trigger finger greased because the creatures come at you relentlessly. Trapdoors, holes or ladders allow you to move below ground where most of the magical items you need to gather are hidden. Once you clean out one of the below-ground areas, it's back to the top to move to the next screen.

There are some interesting sound effects in the game, but many of them are either too quiet to hear well or turn on and off for no apparent reason. For example, the sound the fireballs make when the warlock shoots is sporadic at best. The programmers should have paid more careful attention to the balance of the sounds and the use of the ST's limited (only three voices) sound chip.

Recommendation: For diehard shoot-'em-up fans.