It is easy to see why The Bard’s Tale was so popular back in the day. The remaster is no different – sporting amazing graphics, music, and sound effects all lovingly wrapped around the same game that made it famous.
It was a lot of fun exploring the environs of Harkyn’s Castle compared to those of the Catacombs. Leering skulls staring back at you are replaced by lush tapestries and tiled floors. The different music, sound effects, and guardians of the castle are a real treat for the player.
Harkyn’s Castle consists of three levels and becomes much harder to map and explore. There are a lot of teleportation squares that take you to different areas of the same level and figuring out how to navigate these is a puzzle onto itself. Harkyn’s Castle also introduces a number of riddles that you have to solve in various parts of the dungeon in order to continue on.
There are some really interesting areas on the first level of Harkyn’s Castle. The first is the Baron’s throne. You are asked who wishes to sit on it? If you choose poorly, the offending squatter will be punished. However, choose wisely, and a sliding panel reveals much more of the castle to explore.
Roscoe’s Magical Spa was my favorite area of this level. The chamber is filled with magical energy and you will find that your spell points are magically regenerated while in this room. This made exploration of the castle much more manageable. It was on this first level that I also found a Crystal Sword which is necessary to defeat a Crystal Golem that you encounter later.
I also encountered a group of Beserkers dressed in green robes. When I defeated the group members of our party each acquired a green robe. These also become important later as you can don them to avoid combat.
The second level introduced a new set of challenges. There were two riddles on this level to solve and here is where the game begins to use the teleportation squares as a puzzle to be solved. You can only explore or arrive at certain areas of the dungeon by mastering the correct use of the teleporters. If you can do this correctly you will find a room with a silver square floating in the center of it. You can pick it up and place it in your inventory. I have yet to discover what it is used for.
I had a very difficult time mapping out the third level of Harkyn’s Castle and I spent much of my overall time in the castle here. There is a huge encounter with 300 Beserkers that can be avoided if you don the Green Robes that you procured on the first level of the castle. If you wear the Green Robes you can avoid the fight. I highly suggest you do so because once you embark on the third level of the castle you’re going to find yourself in a bit of a gauntlet. Avoiding this big combat might be the very thing that allows you to survive Kylearan’s Tower (more on that later).
It is on this level that you encounter a fifteen-foot gold statue of a warrior. If you possess the Eye that you found on level 3 of the Catacombs, it magically floats up out of your inventory and inserts itself into the eye socket of the statue, bringing the Mad God back to life! If you survive this encounter, a portal appears taking you back to Skara Brae and right next to Kylearan’s Tower.
This is the gauntlet that I spoke of. If you leave the vicinity of Kylearan’s Tower you will not be able to reenter through the gates. The only way into the Tower is by defeating the Mad God and following the portal to this position. This makes it necessary to completely explore Kylearan’s Tower before returning to replenish your magic points.
This was probably the most devious level that I’ve encountered so far in the game. I was almost pulling my hair out trying to figure out how to navigate this thing. Remember that you can’t leave and come back and so your resources are rather limited. I found myself running away from a lot of the combat in order to keep myself healthy and magically prepared. The teleportation squares on this level are just dastardly. You also deal with darkened areas as well as anti-magic squares which disable all of your current spells. This is a bane when your parties spell points are running low. Luckily, I had acquired magical items which mimic a lot of the spells that my party needed. I found a Silver Triangle on this level as well, and much like the Silver Square, I don’t know what I need it for.
You need to solve yet another riddle in order to open a portal to the Crystal Golem. The crystal sword that you found on the 1st level of Harkyn’s Castle is the only thing that can defeat the crystal golem. Once you defeat the crystal golem it opens another portal which leads to a series of teleportation squares which eventually lead you to the owner of this tower, Kylearan himself.
“Greetings! I am Kylearan, oh perserverant ones, the good wizard of Skara Brae. Put away your weapons, for I am your ally, not an enemy. You have passed my tests, and now can continue on your true quest, the source of evil in Skara Brae – Mangar the Dark, me nemesis. Mangar’s tower, at the opposite corner of Skara Brae from mine, is a five level deathtrap, which can only be entered by use of an onyx key. Good luck and remember, seeing is not always believing.” Kylearan then vanishes, leaving you with an onyx key.
Harkyn’s Castle and Kylearan’s Tower were both a pleasure and formidable to explore. The introduction of riddles and teleportation mazes made a couple of the levels very difficult. It looks like I am on to Mangar’s Tower at this point and from what I remember, this is the final dungeon to overcome. Each of my characters are currently 14th level and I have a little over 33 hours into the game thus far.
Until next time……………..