C&VG


Khafka

Publisher: Cosmi
Machine: Commodore 64

 
Published in Computer & Video Games #36

Khafka

Caverns Of Khafka was written by Paul Norman, who recently brought terror to our VDUs with Forbidden Forest.

Caverns Of Khafka is just as creepy, but there's a lot less blood around - fortunately. It's a multi-screen adventure controlled by a joystick and the screen scrolls in four directions.

The aim is to recover the five sacred seals to the template of the door of the Pharoah's temple. Once you have collected them, you can enter the temple and collect the ultimate treasure from within.

Caverns Of Khafka

Transport within the rickety caves comes from an ancient elevator, nearly as dangerous as the one we at C&VG left behind at Herbal Hill.

The joystick moves the elevator up and down, and you can hop off whenever you feel that the time is right for a bit exploration. But beware - this is not to be undertaken lightly!

There are some very eerie sound effects throughout the game, which help you to identify what is around you. Just when you think that it is safe to explore, a giant bat may fly out of the blackness and render you well and truly dead.

Caverns Of Khafka

You also have to watch out for things like falling rocks and rolling boulders.

The caverns are also the home of some deadly beetles. Your body can endure five bites, but the sixth one will be fatal - and you'll never get out alive.

There are thirteen different functions, each of which is controlled by the joystick. This is done by using all eight directions, plus the fire button for some movements.

It takes time to learn how to play and that, for example, moving the joystick up and to the left with the fire button pressed is used to throw the rope. But after a while you should be able to start aiming for the lost seals.

The graphics in Caverns Of Khafka are impressive, even if they are a little similar to Forbidden Forest. The machine's capabilities are used well and the game certainly is worth the money.