UNREAL

Enter the magical world of Unreal and overcome the all powerful master of darkness!

• Stunning TWO and THREE DIMENSIONAL graphics
• FIVE different types of INTERACTIVE MUSIC along with incredible sound effects, such as the rushing waters of a river, the crackling of fire...
• A completely INTERACTIVE environment: feel free to run and jump up and down hills but be careful not to slip on the snow and ice or be blown off a cliff by the wind!
• A VARIETY of monsters, dragons and bizarre enemies with their OWN strategies and different weapons.

~ from the back of the box

Not to be confused with the classic FPS of the late 90s, Unreal from Ubi Soft hails for the very beginning of that decade. It is alternately a pseudo-3D shooter in a similar vein to Space Harrier and an occasionally obtuse puzzle platformer but it's primarily absolutely stunning to look at.

Originating on the Amiga in 1990, with ports to DOS and Atari ST a year later, the former remains the best way to play this hidden gem. That was the one developed by Ordilogic Systems (later Art & Magic) while the other two were unceremoniously outsourced by the publisher. The result of these two aren't quite as pleasing in all departments whether it be graphics, sound or the all-important gameplay.

The amount of scaling sprites on the shooter sections are commendable no matter the system. You ride a dragon through dinosaur-filled fantasy landscapes, dodging rocks and trees along the way. Some of them can be destroyed with some well-aimed fireballs but it's safer to just get out of their way and hope you make it to the end unscathed.

The platforming sections are a lot less straightforward than you might imagine. Your dragon is now resting so now it's just your loin-clothed self and a bloody great sword. This phallic object does more than just hack and slash at enemies, it also aids you in solving puzzles. For example, a conspicuous rock is suspended mid-air and hitting it will cause water to fall nearby. Douse your sword in liquid and for a limited time, each subsequent swing will expel globules of the wet stuff.  This is necessary to make it past that flaming log to reach the other side of a bog. These types of puzzles aren't exactly obvious, but it gives the levels much more depth than most sidescroller for the time.

The game is well worth a go, certainly on the Amiga over the truncated ports. If you want to know more, Frank Sauer, Computer Artist at Ordilogic wrote an entertaining retrospective on making the game on his site. Read more about it here.

To download the game, follow the link below. This custom installer exclusive to The Collection Chamber uses DOSBox to bring the PC version to modern systems and FS-UAE to emulate the Amiga version. Manuals included. Tested on Windows 10.

File Size: 85.5 Mb.  Install Size: 191 Mb.  Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ

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AMIGA	AMIGA
DOS	DOS

Unreal is © Ubi Soft
Review, Cover Design and Installer created by me

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