Temple of Elemental Evil: A Classic Greyhawk Adventure: Amazon.ca: Computer and Video Games

Product Details

ASIN: B00009MGVE
Product Dimensions: 19 x 13.3 x 3.2 cm ; 295 g
Release Date: Sep 16 2003

Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (95 customer reviews)

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #12,340 in Computer and Video Games (See Top 100 in Computer and Video Games)

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Product Description

From the Manufacturer

On the outskirts of the village of Nulb, a temple dedicated to elemental evil lies in ruins. Destroyed by the good armies and the infamous Circle of Eight, its blood-stained history remains a distant memory--until now. Suspicious men have begun roaming the roads leading to the villages. Who and what these men are, no one can be sure. All claim to be slaying monsters and bringing peace and security to the area, but rumors persist regarding their true intent. In this land, deeds speak louder than words and lies cloak the true purposes of the malevolent.

So begins the classic Dungeons & Dragons module, The Temple of Elemental Evil, brought to the PC for the first time by Troika Games. Assemble a party of up to five adventurers and embark upon an epic journey like no other. Immerse yourself in gripping gameplay featuring the Dungeons & Dragons v.3.5 rules set. Prepare to enter the very heart of evil itself!

Features:

Literal computer translation of one of the world's most beloved Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings, the Realm of Greyhawk. The first and only PC game to utilize the newly released D&D v.3.5 rules
Options for creating up to five characters per party, in a reactive world filled with non-playable characters (NPCs) that react differently to the unique attributes of the adventuring party
Improved, easy-to-use, turn-based combat system quickens gameplay and allows players to better manage battles and spell-casting
Dozens of skills and class abilities, over 50 feats, and hundreds of spells from which to chose, including cleric domain spells
Multiple quest solutions lead to different paths for different parties
Over 50 side quests allow players to explore beyond the main storyline
Multiple starting points depending on the party's alignment, and multiple end games depending on how the game is played
More than 100 monster types, from goblins and hill giants to elementals and demons

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Closest thing to Paper&Pen D&D yet Feb 11 2004

By Robert Wallace

I'm among those who purchased Temple of Elemental Evil when it first came out. I didn't notice any serious bugs off the bat, but I waited to fully play it (as I had other things to entertain me) until the patch was released.

I'm currently about half way through the game and so far I'm very pleased. Having played paper & pen D&D on and off since the 70's, most recently Living Greyhawk (3.5 Edition), this game was a welcome relief from all the real time, non-strategic games that have been released.

Combat is the core of this game, but not so much in the hack-n-slash vein, but in as much as tactics, which is also the primary focus of Third Edition D&D.

The engine captured 3.5E combat beautifully, and was most attractive too boot. I truly hope that they create several expansions to this game using the same engine and subsequent Greyhawk modules (Queen of the Demon web Pits, Beyond the Barrier Reefs, Against the Giants come to mind). Tom Decker, the game's producer, had mentioned that if sales were good enough, Troika would consider a sequel (most likely Against the Giants)-I hope that this comes about, because it would be a shame to let such an excellent combat system go to waste. They'd most likely be able to focus more on content in a sequel, so it could only be better. Unfortunately the 2D backdrop of the game precludes player base modding, but I can't fault them from staying away from tile sets, which give Neverwinter Nights such a generic feel.

One excellent aspect to the game, aside from being truly turn based (in combat), is the ability to control your entire party, as well as any NPCs that may join. This is what makes the game shine, and reminds me of what made Baulder's Gate game play memorable.

There have been a lot of reviews here about the bugs in the game. The good news is that these bugs are for the most part gone with the new patch, and the game hasn't had any problems for me, so I hope that people take this into account when the weigh whether or not to buy this game.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Interesting game...if it would work July 19 2004

By James R. Hooten

The game is pretty interesting. I'm not a pen and paper D&D player, so I can't comment on that aspect of the game. But as an avid video gamer, I liked what little of the game I have been able to play. Unfortunately, even with two patches for this game, it still is riddled with bugs and other complications that make the game frustrating and not very fun. I was sorry to have spent the money on it that I did. I could have laid down the same money, or perhaps even less, for a better game that was actually fun to play. The technical difficulties destroyed any chance that this game would be enjoyable. If you're a glutton for technological punishment, buy the game. Otherwise, find something else.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Great Rules adaptation but... July 18 2004

By James Wolff

The game has the best adaptation to the 3rd edition rules. The character models look great and the landscapes, while 2D, get you in the mood they are trying to set.

In this game, like Icewind Dale, you can create a whole party. This was a lot of fun.

Sadly the game play itself was not as great. I enjoyed the Hommlet portion. The side quests are mostly FedEX quests and it just takes time to complete. The adventure 'dungeon' was fun and almost room for room from the module in terms of locations. The Temple of Elemental Evil itself was just too large (again, much like the module). If you take a wrong turn (and I took several) you end up in rooms where you can not possibly survive (I know, I died many, many times in these places).

Overall: The engine was well done and could be used for future games. Making a 'module' based system where you buy the modules to play would probably stretch the value for this game. Though the programmers need to put a bit more 'role-playing' in this 'roll-playing' game.

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