Hillsfar

Strategic Simulations

Industry	Video game publishing
Founded	1979
Headquarters	United States
Products	Video games

Hillsfar is a role-playing video game created by Westwood Associates and released by Strategic Simulations in 1989 for platforms including MS-DOS, Amiga, Atari ST, and Commodore 64. The game merges real-time action with procedurally generated quests and integrates aspects of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing framework. A version for the Nintendo Entertainment System was launched in 1993. Critical reception was varied.

Gameplay

At the start, players generate a character by selecting from preset options, designing one from scratch, or importing characters from earlier Strategic Simulations Dungeons & Dragons titles such as Pool of Radiance and Curse of the Azure Bonds. During character creation, players pick a race (dwarf, elf, human, or gnome), a class (cleric, fighter, magic-user, or thief), and an alignment. Attributes like strength and intelligence are assigned randomly.

The gameplay consists of two primary segments: action-oriented mini-games that include activities such as treasure hunting and traveling, and adventure portions centered on accomplishing quests. Each character class is assigned three specific quests that must be completed in order; however, players have the freedom to explore the game world between these missions.

Visual presentation switches among three modes: a side-view during travel sequences; an overhead perspective when navigating Hillsfar town; and a first-person viewpoint inside caves. Interaction relies on a "bump interface," allowing players to engage with objects simply by moving into them.

Plot

Set in the imaginary town of Hillsfar, the game features guilds aligned with each character class: Fighter, Cleric, Mage, and Thief. Players select their class and undertake assignments given by their respective guildmasters. Successful completion of these tasks rewards gold and experience points before the character ultimately retires.

Reception

With sales reaching 78,418 copies, Hillsfar achieved commercial success for SSI. Critical opinions were mixed but frequently acknowledged the effective combination of arcade-style action and adventure elements. Andy Smith from Amiga Format awarded it 72%, praising its skillful fusion of gameplay styles. Bob Guerra of Compute! complimented how arcade sequences were woven into the narrative. Roe Adams from Computer Gaming World appreciated the thief’s lockpicking mechanics but criticized repetitive travel scenes and the absence of magical abilities for clerics and mages.

Conversely, some critiques were less positive. Lucinda Orr from Amiga Computing described the overall gameplay as dull despite some enjoyable mini-games. In Dragon magazine, it earned three out of five stars; reviewers noted it lacked the complexity found in Pool of Radiance but served as an adequate adventure while awaiting its sequel, Azure Bonds. Jim Trunzo at White Wolf gave it a rating of 3 out of 5, recommending it to those seeking an arcade-influenced variation on traditional RPGs.

The NES adaptation received more severe criticism. Brent Walker from VideoGames & Computer Entertainment labeled it graphically uninspiring and deficient in both adventure and strategy elements, assigning a mediocre score of 4 out of 10. According to GameSpy, many gamers viewed Hillsfar as "a failed experiment."

Reviews

• Shadis Issue 1 (January 1990)
• Jeux & Stratégie Issue 60

See also

• List of Strategic Simulations games

External links

• Evaluation featured in Compute!'s Gazette
• Analysis published in Info
• Critique from Info
• Assessment in Page 6