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Review 1:
Well, Archon has always been a game I loved and hated. The concept is ingenious - a mixture between Chess and a good old fighting arcade game - everything set in a fantasy environment. A good idea. Unfortunately the computer opponent is VERY hard to beat. I managed it on my C64 once or twice, but with the controls on the PC it seems to be impossible. I always found it more fun to play against a friend. The goal of the game is to conquer the 5 places on the board that are surrounded by sparkling points. To do this you play on a chesslike board and fight once you meet your opponent. Those fights are action based and although the computer plays pretty dumb I had too much trouble with the controls to win. Basically you tend to lose mostly because of your fighter not shooting (or whatever it was supposed to do) when you want it to. Could have been done better... What really makes this game worth a look is the variety of actions your "pieces" can perform. Most important the Wizard/Sorceress who can cast different types of spells. This is your chance to take part in the everlasting fight between light and dark.
Review 2:
Introduction from the manual: "Archon is a contest of action and strategy between opposing forces wrought from myth and legend. The Light Side and the Dark Side are equal in force, balanced in strength. Though they are not identical, their goals are the same. Each side exists to conquer, by eliminating all of the opposing pieces or controlling the five power points."
Archon is a great classic I loved back then on the C64. The game is an amazingly original blend of chess, fantasy strategy, puzzle, and even a bit of action. Hard to describe-- but must be played to be believe. Similar to The Sentinel, Archon is one of the rarest of all classics: addictive gameplay that truly stands the test of time. Graphics and controls are poor on the PC version, though (CGA only), and so I really suggest trying to get hold of the original Atari or C64 release, or take a look at the updated Archon Ultra released years after this one (although unfortunately the true sequel, Archon II, was never released for the PC). A must-have!
Review 3:
Battle Chess meets Tekken ;) This is not your typical chess game. For starters you don't have the chess pieces, and taking over someone is not as easy as moving onto their square with your piece and lifting them off the board. Oh no siree!
This is the ultimate chess game. When you see someone's nice little guy standing there on a white square, you go in for the kill. But lo and behold, up loads the 1 on 1 combat screen - now we see who wins ;)
There are other factors to this game that have to be considered when playing. Such as if you are a white player and you go to fight, then fighting on a white square is better. As this is your colour and you have an advantage because of that. Just like chess the different pieces have different strengths and weaknesses. Its not as simple as there is the battle scene, and your tiny little piece would have no show. So, its up to you to chose the right player to take over another one.
This game has a great human vs. human side. So you can take on your best friend who is 100x smarter than you at anything strategic, and just kick the living crap out of them! They were always too busy playing normal chess to bother with any of the beat-em up games, so that's where it pays to bum around on PCs all the time. It's not too hard to beat the PC either.
The graphics are a bit crappy and only in CGA. And the PC speaker has never been much fun. But it's an old game and you get what you expect, and this was ok for a 1984 game.
An addictive game, and a lot of fun. Brings together using your brain, and using your fighting skills. If you like this you should have a look at Archon Ultra which was the newer version and can be found on this site.
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Archon screenshots
People who downloaded this game have also downloaded:
Archon Ultra, Bard's Tale 1, Bard's Tale 3: Thief of Fate, Battle Chess for Windows, Ultima IV: Quest of The Avatar VGA
