Got to kill a dragon or two

By Peter Eley

Quest for Glory V ***
PC/Mac
Sierra
$109.95

The latest episode of Quest for Glory - one of Sierra's stock titles - takes you on a mythical quest in the kingdom of Silmaria.

It comes straight off the Sierra assembly line and isn't terribly original.

But the formula has been a winner and number five in the series is as good as any of the previous four.

The plot so far: Silmaria's king has been assassinated and the throne is up for grabs. Being a heroic kind of person, you decide to give it a shot and that basically is the plot.

Complete all the set tasks, win a gladiatorial contest, kill a dragon or two and the throne is yours.

It's a role-playing game with plenty of action - more Diablo than Sierra's other stock title, King's Quest. Like King's Quest, it's a cartoony, cutesy game with just a hint of gore and perhaps its "mature" rating is a bit harsh.

Certainly, the dialogue and overall tone seem suited to a younger teenage audience.

Being a Sierra game, it loads nicely, runs like a dream on PCs over P166 and is easy to play and understand.

And although it isn't cutting-edge, it's fun to play with just enough intrigue to get you clicking on to the next screen.

Some of the puzzles are tough and the battles can be quite hairy - frequent saves are recommended at strategic points.

Required: PC: Win 95, Pentium 166, 32Mb Ram. Mac: OS 7.5, 120 PowerPC, 32Mb Ram.

*Send your comments e-mail peter_eley@herald.co.nz

Pictured: The latest mythical quest follows a winning formula.