Ian Livingstone's Deathtrap Dungeon (0)

Ian Livingstone's Deathtrap Dungeon
First release date
1998-03-31
Platform
PlayStation PC iPad
Developer
Asylum Studios
Publisher
Sold Out Sales & Marketing Ltd. Eidos Interactive
Theme
Fighting Fantasy
Franchise
Fighting Fantasy

Overview

Deathtrap Dungeon (AKA as Ian Livingstone's Deathtrap Dungeon) is a action adventure game with a medieval fantasy setting of . The game world is based on the Fighting Fantasy book series, although the actual game and story do not share many aspects or features with the world as depicted in the books. The game is a dungeon crawler with the players controlling one of two possible characters (one being an armored male and the other being a not at all armored female, which rather explains the image gallery) making their way through dungeons ridden with and monsters, loaded with treasures and , let alone minor puzzle elements such as locked doors etc. Although the combat is essentially , players can also launch and attacks. The game featured two forms of non- multiplayer modes, Last Man Standing and .

Weapons

  • Sword: The regular sword; players begin with this in the inventory.
  • Venom sword: Based on the principle of like-defeats-like, this poisonous sword is most effective against the dungeon's poisoners like spiders etc.
  • Silver sword: Anathema to the undead. Especially useful in destroying skeletons and ghosts.
  • Red sword: Imbued with the essence of fire, this sword is the bane of demons and dragons.
  • Black spiritsword: Found only in Vilefor's lair, this devastating weapon slices cleanly through the toughest hide, but drains health as players slash the enemy.
  • Warhammer: The standard of this weapon type, it will remain in the inventory permanently once found.
  • Magic warhammer: More colorful, and definitely more powerful than it's non- magic counterpart. Made by dwarves, these are the only weapons that can hurt the Rockmen.
  • Grenade launcher: Lobs explosive shells slightly less powerful than bombs in an arc.
  • Infernal device: This hard to find device is essentially a medieval rocket launcher.
  • Firethrower: Known in some circles as the flamethrower, it does just that.

Spells

  • Firefly: Increases illumination in the near vicinity.
  • Starspell: Flies straight and causes minor damage.
  • Fireball: The most common and most reliable spell. Ball of flame flies straight until it hits a target or a wall.
  • Razorspell: Shoots a small burst of razor-sharp blades in a straight line.
  • Jetspell: Shoots a rapidly-spreading burst of rocks than explode on contact.
  • Arc of power: Can instantly electrocute up to 3 enemies.
  • War pigs: This spell launches pigs equipped with explosives that will blow up anyone they run into.

Version Differences

Deathtrap Dungeon was initially released on PlayStation then later release on PC with notable changes in both gameplay and visuals. According to the game credits, this game was originally developed with PC in mind. Aesthetically, the PlayStation version has lower texture quality and resolution. However, this is subject to debate at the textures themselves may look better. The console also has a more atmospheric lighting system with lower draw distance, which again, may actually make the game look better. In the PC version main game, both player character models became damaged based on how much HP you currently have.

Gameplay wise a lot was changed, or rather, put back in the game such as the PC version having more attack animations. On the bigger scale, the PlayStation version was the one that has the most cuts, ranging from entire levels, item's placement/missing, puzzles being changed and levels themselves watered down to fit within the memory constraints. Due to these changes, the PC copy becomes a harder and longer game. However, a strange technical issue with the PC version has it so you cannot rebind every control, some are hardcoded in the game; as per item and spell selection. No official controller support was included.

Limited Edition

Release wise, the PC version had a limited edition "collector's edition" big box, only released in the UK. Items included were the following:

  • New cover art
  • The game & manual
  • Bestiary handbook
  • Officially licensed card game, pack x2
  • The official Ian Livingstone Fighting Fantasy novel with the same name with an exclusive book cover to this limited edition
  • 2 for 1 ticket to visit a London dungeon

System Requirements (PC)

Minimum

  • OS : Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 / 10
  • Processor : 1.8 GHz processor
  • Memory : 512 MB RAM ( 1 GB RAM recommended)
  • Graphics : 3D graphics card compatible with DirectX 7 (DirectX 9 recommended)
  • Hard Drive : 150 MB available space