Castle Master
| Industry | Video games |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1980s |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Castle Master, Driller, Dark Side, Total Eclipse |
Castle Master is a 1990 video game created by Incentive Software and distributed by Domark. The title was made available on platforms including the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Amiga, Atari ST, and IBM PC. That same year, a compilation was issued containing both this original game and its follow-up, Castle Master II: The Crypt.
Gameplay
Players may select either the prince or the princess as their character, with the alternate figure being kidnapped by a dragon and imprisoned within Castle Eternity. Depending on which protagonist is chosen, some key locations and items differ slightly.
The gameplay involves navigating Castle Eternity from a first-person perspective, where players encounter riddles inscribed on the castle walls that offer clues. Throughout the adventure, keys and pentacles must be gathered while evading hostile spirits that diminish health, visually represented by a barbell icon indicating strength—a vital resource for solving certain puzzles. The only offensive tool available is an infinite supply of rocks that can banish spirits with a single strike. The ultimate goal is to confront and defeat the boss spirit Magister, who becomes vulnerable only after eliminating all other spirits, thereby securing the rescue of the captured character.
The game does not provide extra lives; depletion of health results in restarting from the beginning unless a saved game is loaded.
Development and release
Developed using the Freescape engine, Castle Master offers fully three-dimensional environments. This engine had been utilized in earlier Incentive Software productions such as Driller, Dark Side, and Total Eclipse. The title represents Incentive's initial project released under a marketing agreement with Domark, which allowed the developer to concentrate exclusively on creation.
Its sequel, Castle Master II: The Crypt, also employed the same engine and was first released as part of a compilation available only to members of The Home Computer Club. Both games were subsequently included in Domark's 1991 Virtual Worlds collection alongside Driller and Total Eclipse.
The storyline was authored by Mel Croucher.
Reception
In Issue 0 of Amiga Power (May 1991), the game was ranked as the 39th best title for the Amiga platform. A budget re-release garnered a 70% rating from Linda Barker in Issue 17 (September 1992). Additionally, it received the Mastergame accolade from Amstrad Action.
Further reading
- Jeux & Stratégie nouvelle formule #8
External links
- Castle Master at MobyGames
- Castle Master + Castle Master II: The Crypt at MobyGames
- Castle Master at the Hall of Light
- Castle Master II: The Crypt at the Hall of Light
- Articles with short description
- 1990 video games
- Amiga games
- Amstrad CPC games
- Atari ST games
- Commodore 64 games
- Domark games
- DOS games
- Fantasy video games
- Freescape games
- Incentive Software games
- Puzzle video games
- Single-player video games
- Video games developed in the United Kingdom
- Video games featuring female protagonists
- Video games set in castles
- ZX Spectrum games