Agony (1992 video game)

Art & Magic
Industry	Video game development
Predecessor	Ordilogic Systems
Fate	Transitioned to arcade game production
Products	Agony (Amiga game)

Agony is a side-scrolling shooter set in a surreal fantasy universe, launched by Psygnosis in 1992 exclusively for the Amiga. Created by Art & Magic (previously known as Ordilogic Systems), it represents their only Amiga release before they transitioned fully to arcade video game production. The gameplay centers on a barn owl traversing six hostile worlds filled with monsters, employing echolocation waves as its primary weapon against adversaries.

Plot

The narrative revolves around the sun-wizard Acanthopsis, who attains the "Cosmic Power" but sacrifices his life in the process. Prior to his death, he entrusts this power to his followers, Alestes and Mentor. Alestes is transformed into a barn owl and must navigate through Mentor's deadly traps and creatures to secure the Cosmic Power.

Gameplay

In this traditional horizontal shoot 'em up, players guide the owl through six distinct stages, confronting various enemies and bosses. Magic potions collected during play enhance the owl’s basic attack up to three tiers. Defensive capabilities include two flying swords that both inflict damage on foes and intercept enemy projectiles, alongside a magic scroll that grants brief invulnerability.

Players begin with three lives; colliding with enemies or their attacks results in losing a life and some accumulated power-ups. Additional magic scrolls unlock a spell menu featuring eight temporary spells that provide offensive or defensive benefits.

Music

Composed by Tim Wright, the soundtrack highlights a piano-driven instrumental with classical influences. Notably, Dimmu Borgir’s keyboardist later used an uncredited adaptation of the main theme on their Stormblåst album. Following correspondence between Wright and the band, the track was removed from a subsequent re-recording of Stormblåst as a courtesy to Wright. The finalized game version contained modified piano notes due to post-submission adjustments, which were also mirrored in Dimmu Borgir’s rendition.

Legacy

Circa 2010, graphic designer Franck Sauer made the game's binary files (ADF format) freely accessible on his website, effectively converting Agony into freeware. On July 4, 2020, developer Yves Grolet shared all his Amiga-related project files—including the complete source code for Agony—via WeTransfer.

External links