Gateway to the Savage Frontier - Review

A less-known title among the SSI RPG's, but nonetheless one of the best. And that's saying a lot.

The story takes place in the western parts of the Forgotten Realms. You have to prevent the armies of an aggressive kingdom from assaulting your homeland.

Text adventure freaks - hands off it! It is a Role Playing Game, and it helps a great deal to know your AD&D math, and some background of the Forgotten Realms as well.

Parser/Vocabulary (Rating: 1/10)

No real parser, since it's a Role Playing Game. A few multiple choice entries here and there.

Atmosphere (Rating: 10/10)

Fantastic storyline, with many opulent descriptions. Several side quests that don't have to do with the story immediately, but add to the game nonetheless.

Cruelty (Rating: Tough)

A lot of challenging battles, but none as unfair that it gets frustrating, as far as I remember. Most of the time you can control the order of events yourself, so you can save the harder places for times when you're stronger.

Puzzles (Rating: 10/10)

Read "mazes" instead of puzzles here. Lots of places to map and explore - with pen and paper. Automapping hadn't been invented at that time. To me, that makes it especially charming.

Overall (Rating: 10/10)

Well-balanced RPG. Often hard, never cruel. Rich story.