Battle Master
Pathetic Pikmin. Ghastly Gauntlet.Genre: strategy - rts
Publisher: Arena Entertainment
Year: 1991
System: Genesis
Gameplay Score: 0
Gameplay Notes:
Initially I thought this game was a Zelda-style overhead adventure game but that's because I had picked a "warrior" character to start off the game. Turns out this is a squad-based RTS not unlike Pikmin. It's...difficult to say the least. The key challenge is keeping your allies alive long enough to help you capture loot and navigate the obtuse levels that are thrown at you. Death is around every corner, health pickups are virtually non-existent, and micro-managing your dumb party is an absolute chore. The FAQ I found included this ominous statement "Battle Master has the distinction of having some of the worst AI pathing ever." And you know what? The author was not wrong. They're dumb as posts. If nothing else they take some fire away from you. There's an obvious amount of depth built into this game's design, but the gameplay itself is unbearably clunky. First off, the game runs at a snail's pace. The FPS is low single digits and the controls are incredibly laggy. Inputs get eaten all the time. You've only got two attacks (melee and a projectile) so there's no depth in the combat. Your horde attacks on their own so good luck managing them. Go find and play a better game.
Level Design Score: 1
Level Design Notes:
Props for providing 41(!) levels, but shame on the dev for making them so obtuse. There's a map with glowing dots that show enemies but outside of that the game gives you zero direction. What is my objective?
Theme Score: 1
Theme Notes:
Zero personality. You can choose from four classes and four races but that's the extent of the theme this game gives you.
Art Style Score: 0
Art Style Notes:
The playable area is letterboxed into 60% of the screen. Miniscule sprites. Looks like an early 80's PC adventure title. Or maybe a pre-beta version of Gauntlet.
Audio Score: 2
Audio Notes:
The music is repetitive but I actually didn't mind it. The sounds are too loud but the soundtrack is tolerable.
Overall Score: 10
Review ID: 773
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