| Computer Game Review: The Arena by Bethesda Softworks | |
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| Medium/Format | Physical Magazine |
| Date | September 1993 |
| Hosted By | Computer Game Review (defunct) |
The Elder Scrolls Chapter I: The Arena
by Bethesda Softworks
In the eight-hundred and ninety-sixth year of the reign of the Emperor, the Arena came to be. It was born of blood and of the need to quell the passions of the people for their taste of victory and defeat. Teams in the Arena fought for the name of their lord, who rewarded the victorious with their every wish.
Those who survived in the pits earned fame and fortune beyond measure. Those who failed were thrown onto funeral pyres and quickly forgotten.
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While the ways of the Arena seemed cruel at first, they brought peace back to a land long ravaged by the effects of war and turmoil as well as honor to the houses whose warriors proved superior.
Treachery lurked nearby, however, for the Emperor was caught unprepared for the usurpers who plotted against his throne. The Elder Scrolls have foretold of this, and it is unto this land and this time that you have come.
Prepare for a new chapter in role-playing fantasy. The Elder Scrolls Chapter 1: The Arena is the first in a series of innovative RPG's from Bethesda Softworks.
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The Arena features several innovative new advances in computer gaming. The most important of these is a new combat engine that allows gamers to do virtually anything in the fight on screen that could be done in actual combat. Characters can jump, cut, thrust, slash, circle opponents and more!
Another new feature is the spell casting system, which allows the player to create almost any effect imaginable from over fifty combinable spell effects. These two features offer a level of player involvement, interaction and realism cur-rently unprecedented in the role-playing realm.
In addition to the new combat and spellcasting systems, The Arena is played in a first-person, 3-D perspective, offering an excellent view of the action as well as added realism. This view is fully rotational, providing a 360 degree look at every area.
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The playing area of The Arena is huge, including over 400 cities, villages, towns and dungeons. Over 2,500 magic items can be located. The game comes with a full system of character generation, including multiple classed characters. Your party will face off against dozens of different monsters as they seek to solve many noble quests.
The Elder Scrolls, Chapter 1: The Arena will require a 386 or higher with 640K RAM, VGA or MCGA graphics and a mouse. The game will support the Roland and Sound Blaster cards.
Get ready to explore a massive world laden with enemies, magic and more. Hear the crunch of a mace on bone and the sound of an incoming spell as you and your party of adventurers challenge Bethesda Softworks' Arena.
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