Lands of Lore III
| Industry | Video game development |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Lands of Lore III |
| Parent | Electronic Arts |
Lands of Lore III is an action role-playing game released in 1999, developed by Westwood Studios and published by Electronic Arts. As the third entry in the Lands of Lore franchise and a direct continuation of Lands of Lore: Guardians of Destiny, it utilizes a first-person viewpoint combined with a hack and slash combat style. Players select from four distinct "guilds," which shape the quests they undertake. The game was officially announced in February 1998 and received a variety of critical responses upon launch.
Gameplay
The game employs a first person perspective that merges hack and slash close-quarters fighting with elements typical of first-person shooter gameplay for magical spells and ranged attacks. Standard RPG features are present, such as guild affiliations, weaponry, magic usage, and exploration across multiple portal worlds. Spellcasting consumes finite magic points, which, along with health points, regenerate slowly over time.
Throughout the adventure, players collect weapons, armor, and consumable items like food while managing an inventory accessible without exiting the main gameplay screen. Hunger plays a strategic role by impacting health regeneration and combat capability; if hunger diminishes too far, recovery stops and player effectiveness declines. Advancement is achieved by leveling up within chosen guilds connected to specific skill sets, unlocking higher-tier abilities.
Guilds
Players can join one of four guilds: warriors, magicians, clerics, or the outlaw thieves’ guild. Each guild offers exclusive quests, a loyal companion character to assist the player, and specialized guild halls featuring shops, trainers, and guild leaders. The main character Copper must be a member of at least one guild but may join multiple guilds to broaden gameplay possibilities.
Plot
The narrative centers on Copper LeGré, son of Eric and fourth heir to the Gladstone throne following Belial’s defeat. During a boar hunting expedition, Copper witnesses his father and two half-brothers killed by a rift hound while his own soul is forcibly separated from his body. As the only remaining heir—also a half-blood born from a forbidden relationship—Copper becomes suspected of orchestrating their deaths while striving to reclaim his soul and seal dangerous rifts threatening the Lands.
Copper encounters a surviving Draracle who reveals that the shattered mirror sealing the Shining Path between dimensions has broken apart, allowing other worlds to intrude and corrupt their own. To restore order and reunite with his soul, Copper must retrieve lost mirror fragments scattered across five portal realms. Despite the looming danger, King Richard downplays the rifts’ urgency and offers minimal assistance, whereas Jakel—the Draracle’s aide—warns Copper against pursuing the shards.
After recovering most fragments, Copper returns to find Gladstone devastated and King Richard missing in the wilderness. Gravely injured but recognizing the crisis’s severity, Richard grants Copper resources to complete his quest; however, Lord Jeron refuses to acknowledge this authority. Upon securing the final shard, Jakel prevents Copper from immediately restoring the mirror.
In the Draracle Caves, Jakel opposes reassembling the mirror out of fear it will destroy their home and end divine interactions with mortals. Copper insists on closing the rifts to protect humanity and defeats Jakel in combat, restoring the mirror and reclaiming his soul—though this causes the caves to collapse.
Months later, Gladstone has been rebuilt and Richard has recovered, but Copper remains missing and is presumed dead. A flashback reveals that Copper survived the collapse, eliminated Jeron—who had fled with the Ruby of Truth—and vanished. The story concludes with unresolved questions about Copper’s fate and succession implications, leaving room for a possible continuation.
Development
The announcement of the game took place in February 1998.
Reception
According to the review compilation website GameRankings, the game garnered a variety of opinions from critics.