When a game takes more than two years after the announcement to be released, it usually means something. Gamers who are waiting for the game to come out get pissed off. And the publisher almost certainly has a good reason to hold the game back. What this reason was in the case of Blade Warrior is unknown.

Whatever it was, from today's point of view, only the final result counts. Blade Warrior's story is quickly told: To defeat the evil tyrant Murk, you have to find seven fragments of a stone. Each is owned by a powerful wizard whom you have to find.

On his way back and forth through the country, the hero encounters numerous monsters of various types. Against the weaker ones, his sword proves to be powerful enough. Later in the game, tougher opponents await you. To beat these, you can combine ingredients you've picked up to make magic potions and spells, or trade in other items for spells at the wizards.

That relatively fresh mix of side-scrolling fighting action and and touch of adventure is fittingly presented in an imaginative way. Instead of 'regular' graphical representation, you only get to see the silhouettes of everything in the foreground. Trees, bushes, bridges, monsters and even your own sprite are just black shapes.

The backgrounds consist of the sky tinted in dark shades of blue and grey. This combination works surprisingly well. It doesn't look cheap as one might expect, but rather stylish. A definite plus.

The original graphical approach is the only thing the game has in its favour, though. The gameplay is solid and playable enough, but nothing groundbreaking. If this is what you're satisfied with or if it's exactly what you're looking for, Blade Warrior certainly isn't the worst choice.


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