The Collection Chamber: FINAL ODYSSEY: THESEUS VERSES THE MINOTAUR

Greek Mythology informs us that the King of Minos imposed an annual tribute for 6 girls to be shipped to Crete and thrown as food to the hideous creature called the Minotaur who resides in a vast magical labyrinth in Athens. In this elaborate adventure game you play the part of Theseus, it is up to you to solve the complex puzzles and mysteries of the Labyrinth and eventually destroy the Minotaur aswell as locating all the girls that have been imprisoned and getting them out safely. The Final Odyssey combines logic puzzle solving with plenty of action and strategy, you will be armed with the most sophisticated weaponry and be thrown into a mind melting logical world of traps, enemies, puzzles and mini quests. The unique dungeon designs create constantly changing levels in gloriously animated splendour coupled with true 3D sound effects which all help to create a world that is very hard to leave.
5 Massive Worlds Containing over a 100 Screens of Action
Special Random Arenas with Many Maze Transformations and Underground Levels. A Host of Brain Bending, Logical Puzzles
Superbly Animated Hero with Many Intriguing, Interactive Characters. Lighting and Reflection Effects with 3D Stereo Sound
Loads of Monsters Each with Their Own Advanced Artificial Intelligence
Tons of Nasties ( Flamers, Arrows, Electric Bolts, Pits, Spikes, Rolling Rocks, Bouncing Balls, Homing Missiles, One-Way Paths, Invisible Walls, Trap Doors, Transporters)
Lots of Pickups (Food, Money, Scrolls, Potions, Keys), 5 Weapons (Crossbow, Plasma Rifle, Chain Gun, Fireblade and Nuke)
Plus a Free Two-Player Hi-Resolution Bonus Game upon completion, Full Speech On-Line CD Manual

~ from the back of the box

By 1997, the Amiga CD had become something of a curiosity. Commodore's ambitious attempt at bringing CD-ROM gaming to the platform had long since fizzled out, leaving behind a library where most releases were little more than their floppy counterparts padded with an intro movie and a few Red Book audio tracks. Genuine exclusives were increasingly rare, which makes Final Odyssey: Theseus Verses the Minotaur (I'm in two minds as to whether that's an actual spelling mistake, or an artistic choice) such an interesting find. Rather than treating the CD as an expensive distribution format, Vulcan Software actually tried to make use of it, packing in a rendered opening cinematic, spoken manual narration and an original soundtrack. It may not rival the multimedia extravaganzas found on contemporary PCs or the dominant success of the Sony PlayStation, but for an Amiga CD owner it felt like one of the few titles that genuinely justified spinning up the drive.

Even more remarkable is the fact that this wasn't the work of a sizeable development team. Australian programmer Peter Spinaze was responsible for almost everything you see on screen, from the coding and artwork to the level design and visual effects, leaving only the soundtrack to a talented guy named Daryl Sloan. That's no small feat when you consider the sheer amount of game packed onto the disc. Hundreds of interconnected screens, dozens of puzzle mechanics, animated enemies, cinematic sequences and a surprising amount of variety all came from a single developer. Plenty of one-man projects are fascinating curiosities that never quite come together. Thankfully, Final Odyssey manages to be something far more rewarding than that. It's actually rather good.

The game includes a full digital manual on the disk, that is spoken too (left).
Locked doors are commonplace, thankfully the keys are almost always hidden not too far away (right).

Anyone hoping for an authentic retelling of Greek mythology should probably stop reading now. Yes, you play as Theseus. Yes, you're entering the labyrinth to slay the Minotaur and rescue innocent captives from a grisly fate. Beyond that, however, historical accuracy is thrown out the window and into the nearest pit trap. Ancient Greece suddenly becomes home to teleporters, holographic walls, plasma rifles, magical swords, futuristic security systems and enough fantasy creatures to populate an entirely different legend. Somehow it all works. Rather than feeling like a random collection of ideas, Final Odyssey embraces its wonderfully pulpy mash-up of mythology and science fiction with such confidence that you quickly stop questioning why Theseus is carrying a chain gun through Crete.

The labyrinth itself is where the game really earns its name. Officially there are five levels, but calling them "levels" hardly does justice to their scale. Each is a sprawling web of interconnected arenas filled with locked doors, hidden passages, underground chambers and clever shortcuts that gradually reveal themselves over several hours of exploration. Progress rarely comes from simply finding the exit. Instead you're hunting for keys, rescuing imprisoned maidens, collecting magical orbs, revisiting familiar areas with newly acquired items and slowly piecing together how one section of the maze affects another. The controls wisely stay uncomplicated throughout. Movement, shooting and bomb placement are all immediately intuitive, allowing you to concentrate on solving the labyrinth rather than wrestling with the interface.

The words of found scrolls scroll by so fast, you might just miss some important info (left). Talking to an NPC (right).

In order, the icons are; "Greetings, I am Theseus.", "Why are you here?", "Tell me about the Labyrinth.", "Give object."

and "I'll bugger off then."

It's the puzzles that elevate Final Odyssey above being just another top-down shooter. Almost every new area introduces another clever little twist that, in my view, makes this much more of a puzzle game than an action one. Pressure pads open up new doors, mirrors hide secret passages, entire layouts shift at the flick of a switch, walls crumble beneath carefully placed bombs and boulders become makeshift bridges after tumbling into conveniently placed pits. Then there are the more eccentric ideas, such as the seemingly endless hedge maze that has you completely lost until you realise the path forward has a pattern to it. Some of the solutions are so obscure, it's a blessing that the CD contains a much-needed step-by-step official solution.

Of course, standing around admiring the level design isn't always an option. Monsters burst from the floor, living statues spring to life, homing turrets pepper the maze with projectiles and traps seem to occupy every square foot of available floor space. Fortunately Theseus is armed with considerably more than a length of string. Alongside his trusty crossbow you'll eventually wield a plasma rifle, chain gun, devastating Fireblade and the immensely satisfying Nuke, which not only clears a room of enemies but occasionally doubles as the solution to environmental puzzles. None of it belongs anywhere near ancient mythology, yet Final Odyssey long ago established that historical consistency isn't really on the agenda, and it's all the better for embracing its own wonderfully ridiculous ideas.

Walls that look different can be blown up. Use an elusive Nuke to destroy it.

Despite spending most of your time wandering lonely corridors, the labyrinth isn't entirely devoid of company. You'll bump into a surprisingly memorable cast of survivors who provide hints, objectives and the occasional reward. Karlos spends much of the adventure tied up awaiting the legendary Sword of Zendren before he can escape, while Gorland the magician happily exchanges a bulging sack of gold for the magical orbs needed to free your captured companions. Escorting each rescued maiden to the shimmering escape portal provides a welcome sense of progress through what could otherwise have become an overwhelming maze, helping tie the sprawling adventure together into something that feels more purposeful than simply a series of hunts for the next exit.

Like many ambitious games built largely by one person, Final Odyssey isn't without its rough edges. It occasionally allows you to stumble into an unwinnable situation by making a puzzle mistake that blocks progress or using up all of your bombs before realising you need it to blow up a wall. In these situations, a reload is the only realistic solution so save often. Yet those frustrations are surprisingly easy to forgive once you appreciate the sheer imagination on display. It's inventive, atmospheric, packed with personality and has a playability few larger games could muster on the Amiga. For a machine with precious few CD exclusives worth seeking out, Final Odyssey comfortably earns its place among the format's hidden gems.

To download the game, follow the link below. This custom installer exclusive to The Collection Chamber uses WinUAE with Amiga Workbench to emulate the Amiga CD game. Manual and Guide included. Read the ChamberNotes.txt for more detailed information. Tested on Windows 11.

File Size: 202 Mb. Install Size: 291 Mb. Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ

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