Game Review

Graphics (n.) The use of animation and visual effects to stimulate the senses	vvv (Good)	First of all, let me get something out of the way. You know what I found most impressive about Lianne in the Dark Crown? The cat. Mannie the cat was so well animated that I found it surprising that that level of attention was paid this early in the timeline of QB games. It was a shame though, that Lianne and the rest of her world did not have the same level of framework put into it, although the overall look of this game is at the very standard of QB artsmanship. Though tileish, the detail for each tile that makes up the game is relatively high for a QBRPG. The battle screen is also nice, as there is a background and a very large enemy displayed during battle.
Sound/Music (n.) The smooth blend of atmospheric sounds and original harmonies	N/A	This is the sad part about QB's earlier games. In Lianne, the hills are certainly alive, but there is no sound or music.
Gameplay (n.) The precision of control and involvement of character within its universe	vv (Average)	You don't get to learn a lot of magic spells, so basically it's a lot of fighting and running. The most important thing to know about Lianne in the Dark Crown is when to stay and get experience and when to wander deeper towards Baron Cain. Finding the catfood and feeding Mannie is also central to Dark Crown's gameplay. Mannie will give you items and heal you if you feed it with enough catfood. This is like having an Inn and an items store all rolled into one pet, which is really a sweet deal.
Story (n.) The creativity and presentation of the game's critical plot	v (Poor)	The demo opens with an introduction to Kissworld and a sort of mini-tragedy. From there the game gets more and more pink and cuddly... a little too cute for my taste, but maybe not for some.
Replay Value (n.) The timelessness of the gamer's delight, such that the experience can be repeated again and again	v (Poor)	The game ended a little too quickly, so it's too short for you to come back to it too soon. And the world is pretty small, even after considering that Lianne is one of the earlier games that was released for QB. And it's hard to sit back and power up because your supply of cat food eventually runs out. Without cat food, a lot of the options you have in the game close up. So it really is a hack and slash kind of game.
Challenge (v.) To strike the mental nerve in such a way as to stimulate human thought and reflexes	vvv (Good)	Gradually forging ahead toward the castle is the only way to make it through, as the enemies get more and more difficult. Start with the pink bunnies and work your way up to the more notorious animals and you should be fine. I would watch for the boss though, who really gives you an incentive to earn those experience levels.
Fun Factor (n.) The overall entertainment value as maintained throughout the adventure	vv (Average)	A welcome addition to the QB family! Lianne entered the QB scene at just the right time, serving as a landmark for QB gamers and developers. A lot of people argue that this is the game to beat if you want to develop the best QBRPG on the net, and that means a lot of respect belongs to Lianne. It is fair to conclude that Lianne is definitely the Lara Croft of QB.
Players	1 player	Genre: Role Playing Game
Rating		To solve: 3 hours Final Rating: 12/35

Download

To download Lianne in the Dark Crown (62.0KB), click here. wTo run this game, you must have any version of Microsoft QuickBasic. wTo play Lianne in the Dark Crown, unzip the file and run "DC1.BAS" from QuickBasic.

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The Highs: Addictive play from beginning to end. A must have for RPG players.
The Lows: You probably won't be looking at pink bunnies the same way anymore after they beat your senselessly a couple of times in this game.

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