Legend of Grimrock

Fans of the old school dungeon adventure game will recognise the spirit of Legends of Grimrock immediately – those who know only strafing in Call of Duty will wonder why the hell moving like a chess piece through a maze is fun. But I’m reasonably certain there’s a blood-stained middle ground for both fans.

Grimrock isn’t just an homage to the fantasy games of the past – it’s their scrubbed up, clever descendent that makes them proud. The game features four prisoners of your own design, held captive in the dungeon of Grimrock and forced to fight their way free or die. The whole party moves a square at a time, fighting monsters, solving riddles, looking for secrets in the walls, and all the while trying not to end up as a corpse on the floor.

The game is utterly about the tactics so few bother with these days: who’s in front, who’s at the rear, who’s holding the torch so everyone can see, when was the last time everyone ate something? Even combat, which at first seems a dull clickfest, takes a turn for the tactical as you try to flank around shields, dodge projectiles, and keep everyone alive.

Right now this is a small purchase and a good few hours of gameplay through the dungeon, but there’s the hint that more dungeons are forthcoming soon, making this indie title a damn fine investment. [Alex Cole]