Commodore User


Onslaught
By Hewson Consultants
Amiga 500

 
Published in Commodore User #76

Onslaught

Onslaught is a pretty strange game. Combining strategy, arcade and Dungeons And Dragons, with the odd Cybernoid-style element, it makes for a somewhat disjointed, though enjoyable, experience.

Your life is a simple one - kill, conquer, then kill a bit more. In effect, you are a one man army who is suddenly struck by the idea of ending all the wars that ravage his homeland. Basically, you do this by bumping off people who do not share your point of view.

The opening section displays a map with the enemy territory marked. Opposing groups worship separate gods, and they act accordingly, for instance worshippers of the boar ride on the backs of hogs. Choose who you want to attack and you're transported to their stronghold. Now all you have to do is kill as many people as possible and collect the enemy's battle standard, which is located at the end of the level. It's a bit like playing a medieval game of skirmish.

Onslaught

Because it's only you against an army you do receive some magical help and extra weapons to collect. Naturally there's a catch, and each weapon has only a limited number of uses, and only eight can be carried at any one time. This leads to a lot of confusion and delay as you rn out of one weapon, then waste a couple of seconds fiddling with the joystick selecting a new one, only to get murdered before you can use it. Fortunately, there's a trainer mode which instructs the computer to select weapons for you.

When you've captured his land do battle with the opposing leader. This involves you (now in the shape of a hand) spinning round him blasting him from all sides. Then you can plan your next move and proceed to take over the whole of the country.

The colours in this game are grossly over the top. A few of the explosions look like the ones in Cybernoid, but it doesn't seem to matter and, along with its Maniacs Of Noise soundtrack and its lasting gameplay, Onslaught is furious, fun and addictive. Check it out.

Mark Patterson