CLR 1986
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 3/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: C64

This review is part of The Review Roundup - Round 2: Games Related to the Undead

Dracula - a universally known horror icon. Ironically, only few have actually read the novel these days. Instead, the count's image is dominated by his numerous appearances in other media. Most notably movies which have taken on a life on their own, straying from the original more and more over time. Instead, these movies seem to be based on other movies. Or how would you explain that almost every vampire movie out there claims these undead creatures dissolve in daylight? A hint: this wasn't the case in either Dracula or the even older vampire story Carmilla. That 'tradition' was established by Nosferatu, an unofficial movie version of Dracula from the 1920s.

Icom Simulations / Viacom New Media 1993
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Ten years have passed since Dracula was killed. Alexander Morris, brother of Quincey Morris (a victim of the chase after the vampire), has come to London. His brother's connections make it easy for him to get into the society: he's invited into the illustrious Hades Club.

Naughty Dog / Baudville 1987
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

I have played many weird games, but Dream Zone remains among the weirdest. What would you say if I told you that all bureaucrats are pigs? I mean real pigs. Or how about the fact that all you need to marry a woman is to wash your face? Or that your little brother's toy gun can kill nearly everything? You'd say that I should keep dreaming. Well, that's exactly what I did in this game.

Empire Interactive 1994
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 4/6
Language: English, Castellano, Deutsch
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Night after night it has been shown to you in dreams. The dreamweb is unbalancing. Seven evil people, parts of the its power incarnated, seek to use it for gaining control over the world. Eventually sending the planet to its doom.

Cryo 1992
Genre: Strategy, Adventure
Rating: 5/6
Language: English, Deutsch, Francais
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Frank Herbert's Dune is one of the best known pieces of fictional literature - beaten only by the bible and a few others. Millions of people have read it and even those who didn't at least know the name because they've seen the movie, they've just heard of it somewhere or they've played one of the computer games.

Art Department 1994
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 3/6
Language: Deutsch
Licence: Freeware
System: PC

"Dunkle Schatten" (Dark Shadows) was released during the "Fairständnis" campaign of the German Ministries of Inner Affairs in 1994. The slogan was "respect human rights - against racial hatred", the development was executed by Art Department, a company well known for its advertising games at that time.

Rainbow Arts 1989
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 3/6
Language: Deutsch, English
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

The early days of the Cold War. The USSR is blocking all land transports to the western sectors of Berlin. The USA have initiated an air bridge to supply the city. But Berlin is like a tiny island in what is going to be the GDR - when it comes to war, it'll be overrun by the Red Army immediately!

Mr Creosote 1999
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 0/6
Language: Deutsch
Licence: Freeware
System: PC

Compared to my previous Adventure games, this one offers a vastly improved 'engine' which allows the player to move around freely through the (admittedly few) locations. Puzzles have been included as well this time.

Legend Entertainment 1991
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

The story is not very original: As a idiotic knight on the king's court, you have to rescue the kidnapped princess. We had that several times before, as well as comedy.
Eric the Unready is more based on allusions to classics of film and gaming than on an intriguing plot. Serious things (Star Trek) are used as well as other satires are quoted (Monkey Island) or carried on (Monty Python and the Holy Grail) without envy. Of course, that is sometimes done better and sometimes worse. The recognition is high is any case. You will notice the most (and in my opinion best) humor only if you step aside from the normal solution. You can try every silly action you want, the game will recognize almost everything and comment it.

Infogrames 1992
Genre: Adventure, Action
Rating: 4/6
Language: Francais, English, Deutsch
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Planet Eternam, year 2815. You've been looking forward to this holiday for a very long time now. This huge fun park is famous for bringing past times alive as if it was real! And it's expensive enough. You've decided this should be the holiday of your lifetime. And it will be! Only in a slightly different way than you planned maybe...