Amstrad Computer User


Necris Dome

Author: Bill Brock
Publisher: Codemasters
Machine: Amstrad CPC464

 
Published in Amstrad Computer User #31

Necris Dome

Necris Dome, on cassette for CPC machine from CodeMasters, is yet another of the cheaper adventure games appearing on the market. The story line takes us into the far future where Earth has finally banned the use of all weapons but has not solved that age old problem - death.

With more and more people inhabiting the world, there are an increasing number of bodies to dispose of For some reason hidden from us, it is now common practice to ship most of these cadavers up to Necris Dome, a giant satellite circling the Earth.

This disposal service is run by a number of intelligent robots called mandroids, their leader being the Arch-mandroid. Over the years he (her, it?) has gradually become more aware of the meaning of the word power.

Necris Dome

The time is fast approaching when the Archrnandroid will demand total subjugation from the inhabitants of Earth or unleash a hail of missiles from Necris Dome.

Your mission, as member of Earth's Secret Service, is to board the satellite and destroy the Archmandroid and all that you find there. The only way to get there is, not surprisingly, in a coffin. Once there the rest is up to you.

The idea is novel, and there are quite a few locations to map and explore. The number of puzzles is limited and the location descriptions and graphics are simplistic and repetitive.

The dome is divided up into a number of levels, India level, Soviet level, Americas level and so on.

You need a series of coloured Trans-rods that enable you to teleport between levels. The mandroids you meet have these rods, but you will have to kill them first. Usually the means to end their existence is close at hand and is generally pretty obvious,

Mapping is very important, as is SEARCHing each room. Most rooms on each level are just described by their number and it took me a while to realise that LOOK or EXAMINE did not reveal everything that might be visible.

Although the game is cheap and provides a degree of fun in solving, it does not provide any lasting challenge, has a limited vocabulary and a simplistic parser.

It also has a few strange anomalies, Only one man-droid may be killed with a given method, even when you have the means to repeat the process elsewhere and if you come across a number of lockers - count how many you can open.

Bill Brock

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