This is the fourth in the Dunjonquest series and a direct sequel to The Temple of Apshai.
The game begins much like the first one. You can choose to create your own character or you can have the computer randomly roll a character for you.
In lieu of visiting “the Innkeeper” you instead visit three different shops: the Weaponsmith, Apothecary and Malacylpse the Mage. The Apothecary is a new feature and offers an odd assortment of potions and brews. The only way to figure out what they did was to experiment with them. When you purchase a potion it assumes that you drink it right away. Most of my choices seemed to increase my attributes for the duration of that particular dungeon foray. Malacylpse will enchant your weapon or armor for an increasing amount of gold. You can also purchase magic arrows and unique magical items.
There are four dungeon levels in Hellfire Warrior. Since this is a direct sequel to the Temple of Apshai the dungeon levels are referred to as levels 5-8.
LEVEL 5: The Lower Reaches of Apshai
This dungeon level plays exactly like the Temple of Apshai and it easily could have been an added level. It is populated by the same giant insects as the first game. One particularly annoying section of this dungeon contains a series of rooms that will allow you entry; but you can never get out. Just a nasty trap.
LEVEL 6: The Labyrinth
You are dropped into a winding maze that is populated by different species of minotaur. Once you are dropped into the maze there is only one way out and you have to find the exit to escape. The exit is a secret door that you have to slowly and monotonously search for. I certainly appreciated the attempt to do something different with the series but I found this level to be very tedious. I was relieved to find the secret door and finally be done with it.
LEVEL 7: The Vault of the Dead
Ghouls, ghosts, ghasts and spectres abound in this level and it is a brutal assault. Most of these undead reduce your attributes permanently. There is a unique treasure on this level that is absolutely necessary to obtain before you tackle the next dungeon level: The Seven League Boots. They allow you to move extremely fast. I found the title of this treasure to be fascinating and I was wondering about the origin of Seven League Boots. I looked up the origin of the name and was given this as an answer:
From the context of English language, ‘Seven-league boots’ originally arose as a translation from the French ‘bottes de sept lieues‘, popularised by Charles Perrault’s fairy tales. A league (roughly 3 miles (4.8 km)) was considered to represent the distance walked in an hour by an average man.
So the wording “seven-league boots” refers to the ability to travel very fast on foot. The phrase comes from a fairy story entitled Hop o’ my Thumb, in which magic boots enable the wearer to travel seven leagues in each stride.
LEVEL 8: The Plains of Hell
This is the best dungeon level of the four in terms of design and story and it is the main attraction of Hellfire Warrior. You have to travel to the Underworld which is haunted by lost souls and shades of the dead. Your quest is to find the warrior maiden, Brynhild, who lies upon a black stone slab in an enchanted sleep. To bring her back to sun and air and break the spell that binds her, you must overcome and slay the nine-headed pyrohydra, a great winged demon, cross bridges of flame, endure a cold that numbs the soul, and face Death itself.
Defeating both the pyrohydra and Death are no easy feats. You’ll need to first find magical javelins which exist on this level. They are the only means by which you can slay both of these adversaries and live.
The manual which comes with the game is impressive. Each of the numbered rooms comes with a description (the exception is LEVEL 6: The Labyrinth) and the writing is superb. The creatures and treasures are described as well. The manual, by providing room descriptions, seeks to create AND succeeds in providing a deeper level of immersion for the player.
From the manual:
This, of course, is the warrior maid Brynhild. Although her face is fair, her form comely, and her hair like spun gold, there is nothing elfin about her; her limbs are supple but strong, and her armored body is heavy. Yet, to release her from the enchantment that holds her in the grip of sleep, you must bear her out of these flaming caverns, through the great doors by which you entered, and all the way back to sun and air. The end of your quest lies before you–if you can make it.
Brynhild is very heavy when you pick her up so you’re going to find yourself greatly encumbered and getting back out of the dungeon will be a bit of a slog.
The controls are exactly the same as in the previous game so returning players will feel right at home dealing with movement around the dungeons. There is no victory screen of any kind once you escape LEVEL 8 with Brynhild you find yourself back at the treasure screen and you’re asked if you want to play again.
The entire experience of all four dungeons takes roughly 9.5 hours. The best strategy early on is to keep returning to the entrance with treasures in tow and build up experience and equipment (the proverbial grind).
I enjoyed the Hellfire Warrior experience and I am thankful that I was able to obtain a working copy and play through all four dungeons.