THE KRISTAL

 So there's this Kristal of Konos, a "symbol of unity manifest in the form of a
shimmering aura," and Malagar stole it and hid it somewhere in the universe.
You're space pirate Dancis Frake (Get it? Is that really the best name they
could come up with?), and you have to search for the Kristal.

 Yep, right: You've come across this scenario dozens of times in dozens of
adventure games. So, is THE KRISTAL sufficiently different to justify going
through it again? Well...maybe, maybe not. (This review is based on the IBM-PC
version of the game.)

 The elements setting apart THE KRISTAL from similar games are evident not in
the gameplay, but in the embellishments: The introduction is delivered by the
digitized voice of Patrick Moore, and the game features truly superb graphics.
On land, the backdrops are imaginative and the characters well-drawn. Combined
with extremely smooth animation, the game does live up to its billing as an
"interactive movie."

 However, THE KRISTAL isn't just a matter of walking around, finding objects,
asking questions, and solving puzzles. It also contains very mundane
arcade-style sequences. There are swordfights on planets, and battles in space,
and who needs them? If sword-fighting or spaceship-shooting are your thing,
there are much better games around. And if RPG'ing is your idea of a good time,
these sequences may seem more like annoying distractions than productive ways to
reach your goal.

 The IBM-PC version of THE KRISTAL is supplied on six 5-1/4" diskettes (no
mention is made of 3-1/2" diskette availability). There is a batch file to
install the program on your hard drive, and thankfully you won't have to refer
to a manual or code wheel when you boot the game. DOS 2.1 or higher and 512K of
RAM are required. The game can be played either from the keyboard or with a
joystick.

 Graphics support is provided for Tandy (black-and-white only), CGA, EGA and
VGA. As previously mentioned, VGA graphics are stunning. While the pictures on
the back of the box are taken from the Amiga version, the IBM VGA version comes
darn close.

 No sound boards are supported, but they aren't needed. While the game starts
out with digitized human speech, surprisingly enough, most of it unfolds in
total silence.

 Naturally, a game save feature is included. However, the game can only be saved
to a diskette in your A: drive, even if you're playing from a hard drive. The
only way to exit the game is to re-boot your computer.

 From the (lack of) imagination used in naming the characters, to the fact that
the program even responds to certain key four-letter words, my guess is that THE
KRISTAL is primarily aimed at teenaged gamers who might well appreciate the
easy-to-learn user interface and relative simplicity of the tasks that must be
completed to find the Kristal. (The 16-page manual includes four pages of hints
and an "introductory walkthru" for novices.) Adults who have played today's top
RPG games will love the imaginative graphics, but probably won't be sufficiently
enthralled to want to fight their way through space to ten different planets
merely to finish this game.

 THE KRISTAL is published by Cinemaware and distributed by Electronic Arts.

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