Alundra
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| Adventures of Alundra | |
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| Developer(s) | Matrix Software |
| Publisher(s) | SCEI, Working Designs |
| Release date(s) |  November 04, 1997 (JP) January, 1998 (NA) June, 1998 (EU) |
| Genre(s) | Action RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation |
| Media | 1 CD-ROM |
Alundra is an Action RPG for the PlayStation released in 1997, developed by Matrix Software and published by SCEI in Japan; Working Designs later released it in America. It won great critical acclaim for its bizarre story and smooth game mechanics. The game's protagonist is a boy named Alundra, who learns that he has the power to enter people's dreams. He is shipwrecked near the village of Inoa and proceeds to try and help the locals, who have been suffering from a terrible curse. The narrative becomes gradually darker and more twisted as the game progresses. The style of gameplay is a top down Action RPG, quite similar to the original Legend of Zelda series. There is a lot of emphasis on puzzle solving.
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[edit] Plotline
After arriving in Inoa, Alundra undertakes many quests, playing both in people's dreams and the village surroundings. Soon, he finds out he is the 'Releaser', destined to save the world from Melzas, a powerful foe on his quest to world domination, that is also responsible for people's nightmares. The plot grows continuously darker in tone as the story proceeds, and hints to various religious and philosophical themes.
[edit] Characters
Though there are a number of characters (most of them being the villagers of Inoa), there are several who stand out as being particularly noteworthy:
- Alundra
Alundra is from the clan of Elna, the dreamwalkers. He comes to Inoa because of a recurring dream in which a mysterious figure who calls Alundra "Releaser" tells him that he must save the villagers from the evil of Melzas. His ship is caught in a storm and he is later found washed ashore unconscious. After arriving, he starts being blamed by the townsfolk for all of the terrible happenings that occur. This is the role that the player takes in the game. Alundra is a silent protagonist.
- Meia
Meia is also part of the clan of Elna. She arrives in Inoa about halfway through the game and is also seeking to destroy Melzas. She has a troubled past that is eventually revealed during the course of the game.
- Jess
Jess is the blacksmith in Inoa. After Alundra's ship is swept ashore and destroyed in a storm, Jess finds the unconscious form of Alundra and takes care of him for as long as he remains in Inoa. He is good-natured and always trusts Alundra, even when others do not.
- Lars
Lars is an ancient wizard and one of the Guardians of the Seal who originally trapped Melzas in the sunken palace. His spirit visits Alundra in his dreams to warn him of Melzas's return and implores him to destroy the demon once and for all. The character is often compared to Sahasrahla from The Legend Of Zelda:A Link to the Past.
- Septimus
Septimus is a scholar and a close friend of Alundra. He travelled to Inoa to help lift the curse that has afflicted it, but has met with little success. He helps Alundra discover many ancient and forgotten secrets of the world and his power of dreamwalking.
- Ronan
Ronan is the priest of the nearby church. From Alundra's first arrival in Inoa, Ronan constantly acts to turn the villagers against him. It is clear that he has a hidden agenda, but what is it?
- Melzas
Melzas is an ancient and powerful demon. Though he was imprisoned long ago by the Guardians of the Seal, he has returned and is terrorizing the villagers of Inoa. He is the primary villain of the storyline.
- Zorgia
Zorgia is a powerful demon and a servant of Melzas. His is vicious, cruel, sadistic, and utterly loyal to his master.
[edit] Gameplay
It is a combination of top down platforming action/adventure and RPG elements. It is quite similar to the 2D Legend of Zelda games, to the extent of often being labelled a clone, although the lesser known Landstalker for the Sega Genesis is a more fitting comparison. The adventure elements, however, can be quite demanding, while certain puzzles are likely to leave the player grinding teeth for hours, and many others cannot be accessed anymore if the player progresses far too much in the game, making the point of claiming the prizes for clearing said puzzles moot. Because of this, Alundra is often cited as one of the most difficult video games ever made. The battle-system holds few surprises, with the difficulty of the enemies culminating at level bosses and a few difficult dungeons. 40-45 hours of gameplay can be expected.
[edit] Availability
Although difficult to acquire today, Alundra can still be found in some online stores, online auction houses such as eBay, as well as second hand sections of selected game stores. Alundra was not widely advertised. It was published in America by the now-defunct Working Designs, who followed their usual supply-and-demand strategy: low production numbers, to encourage players to buy the game shortly after it came out rather than wait for it to drop in price. This strategy might also have possibly been used to minimize the risk of having to store and mark down unsold copies.
[edit] Aesthetics
Alundra has a wide selection in its soundtrack (composed by Kohei Tanaka) and is generally thought to be diverse in score and sound effects. While the game was released in late 1997, its graphics are also found to be engaging. Alundra is found to be an aestically pleasing game among many critics and gamers.
[edit] Trivia
- The line "Why aren't I drinking today? Why don't you shut up before I get so angry I need a drink?" was named the fifth best game line ever in the January 2002 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly.
[edit] See also
- Alundra 2 A sequel in name and gameplay only; the story is totally unrelated.
