Going through the Southpeak Interactive web site recently I discovered that they had a new role playing game. The game was one that they were distributing for THQ. The name of the game is Blaze & Blade. It looks a little like Final Fantasy but plays a lot differently.

I found out after getting Blaze & Blade that it had started life as a console game. It was supposed to have been a big hit over in Europe in that format. Sometimes the transition from console to PC causes a hiccup or two but this game didn't seem to suffer from any compatibility problems.

The object of the game is to collect crystals as you journey along in the land once known as Foresia. This region is now called The Forbidden Land and has monsters, demons and other evil creatures that inhabit it. You must seek out the crystals and other treasures in the various ruins of this once great land. Along the way you must defeat various enemies and make allies with people in each area. At the end of the game you have a final challenge. This will take all of the skills and magic that you have gathered during your journey through the game.

When starting the game, create the character that you will portray on this journey. There are 16 different characters to choose from, both male and female. These warriors come from 8 different classes of people. When you choose a character, it is between class types and not gender. Then you will choose a name for your character and type of speech that he or she will have. Your character can have a childlike speech or be impulsive. Other speech types include cool and arbitrary.

You will have to se the Protective Elements for the game as well. These elements help give your armor and accessories some extra power. Then you will have to set up the character's abilities. The elements in this section include physical strength, willpower, agility, intelligence and luck. You will need a lot of luck to win this game so make sure and load up on it.

Some of the areas that you must travel though on your quest are very dangerous. The Abandoned Mine has a whole bunch of demons and traps to get through. There are some tricks that you can use to get the crystals in the mine. There is also an ancient tower that the demons of Foresia have taken over. Every corner and room in the tower has enemies and traps, so you have to very careful. And the major arena for your character to flourish is on Fire Dragon Mountain.

As you fight the demons, the action is in real time. You get to jab and parry with the demon as those who have gathered around you do the same. The computer will control the demon and any of the other characters that happen to be in your party. You only control your character. All of the fighting will take place on the main screen.

Going along with the format for today's gaming standards, Blaze & Blade has a multiplayer feature. Up to four players can participate in the game this way. There are some tricks that appear in the multiplayer feature that are not in the regular part of the game. They don't have much to do with the outcome of the game except to give you a little boost. But the downside is that everyone has to play the game on the same computer. You can't go out on the Net and compete against Joe Blow from Anchorage or Sarah Sneer from Berlin. Your buddies will have to crowd around the PC at your house to win the game.

Blaze & Blade is a fun game to play. It has some frustrating moments, when you just can't seem to beat one of the dragons or keep getting killed, but overall the game was pretty solid. It could have used some better music and graphics, but then again, most games of this type don't have great soundtracks of scenic backgrounds.

Blaze & Blade can be found at most software retailers that sell RPG's. The shelf price should be under $ 30.

Southpeak Interactive has a lot of other exciting games. From The Wild, Wild West to The Dukes Of Hazzard and even the Anamaniacs, Southpeak Interactive has a full range of entertainment titles to choose from. You can check out their titles at www.southpeak.com.

Copyright © 2000 Bruce E. Von Stiers