Elder Scrolls Arena

[Itisnotlogical]

To all RPG buffs, especially fans of The Elder Scrolls: the original Elder Scrolls is available- for free!!! Just go here:

http://download.cnet.com/The-Elder-S...html?tag=mncol

This is the one, the only, Elder Scrolls Arena! However, it has quite a few drawbacks.
For one, it requires you to download an emulator called DOSbox (the link can be found in the Arena106 Setup document included in the download. Next, it requires you to navigate the command prompt, the most primitive computer program I have ever encountered. Then, it took me reading through the document for half an hour until I found out how to make the game run at full speed. Then I had to skim through it again to find out how to jump, swing whatever I had equipped, check my inventory, and other basic game functions. Then, the graphics are pretty shabby even for the time period in which it was released. Bugs and glitches plague the gameplay besides. You can be killed before leaving the first dungeon simply because you ran into a monster bigger and badder than you while navigating the plain, primarily featureless corridors.

But for all that, it's still a good game once you have it all set up and ready to play. Occasional hints thrown your way warn you of when a monster is about to attack, which way to go, and the probability of being able to pick a lock. A so-so map function allows you to add notes, but a lengthy character creation process may deter new players. The plot isn't very exciting but it's mainly a reason for bloodying the various monsters you encounter. Overall, it's a nice experience for fans of the series or RPG freaks. 7/10 score.

[Adagio]

TES: Arena is known to be a VERY difficult game to start. The dungeons are generated randomly, I believe. You may have to try 20+ times to get out of the first dungeon. Not for the faint of heart.