Silver Box Classics

Everyone should have something like this. You know to chagrin yourself with the realization that you dont remember how to play the old computer games. However its awesome! irk your brain and enjoy the pdf books. I think i like the supplemental materials and artwork best of all. I may never complete any of the games without some cheat codes or something. Any suggestions there? I didnt even know there were this many Old D&D games. Glad to have them!

SSi <3

[b]TL; DR[/b] Honestly? These games can be pretty fun, especially [i]Heroes of the Lance[/i], and [i]Shadow Sorcerer[/i]. While I did not give [i]War of the Lance[/i] a fair chance, I can safely say that [i]Dragons of Flame[/i] is not worthwhile it has aged rather poorly. If you want to check out some early D&D games without having to know any of the mechanics than [i]the Silver Box Classics[/i] might be for you. [b]Note[/b] that these play through DOSBOX, and that the chronological order of the games are [i]Heroes of the Lance[/i], then [i]Dragons of Flame[/i] and finally [i]Shadow Sorcerer[/i]. [h1]Story[/h1] Krynn is abandoned, the gods failed their people, and now evil reigns supreme. The Queen of Darkness’ final victory draws nigh, but there is hope, if the Champions of the Lance can reestablish faith in the old gods, then the balance can be restored, and Takhisis may yet be defeated! Narrative depth is not the forte of [i]the Silver Box Classics[/i], you could completely ignore it, and that is what you will do if you skip the manuals. Really you should read the manual especially for [i]Shadow Sorcerer[/i], as they feature the backstories of the various Heroes of the Lance as well as well as some short narration and dialogue. At times it can be compelling, but none of this is represented in any of the games, barring [i]Shadow Sorcerer[/i], which is the only one that tries to properly integrate a story into the game. It should also be said that [i]the Silver Box Classics[/i] is a collection of early D&D video games set during the War of the Lance, an event that can also be experienced as a campaign module, or as a series of novels. Since I have neither read nor played those versions I cannot vouch for their quality, but I would wager that they have more narrative depth than these video games. Ironically [i]War of the Lance[/i] is the only game in this collection that does [i]not[/i] adapt the aforementioned material, instead it is a strategy game that serves as a nice compliment by telling the tale of the wider conflict. [h1]Presentation[/h1] Computer noises, and not much to look at, hardly a surprise when the games are as old as 1988. In my opinion it is the oldest of the bunch, [i]Heroes of the Lance[/i], that is the most visually appealing, it has a distinct art style and although it uses some rather dim and muted colours it works in its favour. [i]Dragons of Flame[/i] is newer, and a significantly more colourful, but a lot of personality, and atmosphere is lost in the process, I honestly think it is rather ugly when they are compared side by side, especially when in motion. [i]Shadow Sorcerer[/i] strikes a better balance between colour and graphical fidelity. Like the previous titles it does have some mazes, but they are not only easier to navigate they are also easier to tell apart so it is much harder to get lost, which makes for a more enjoyable experience. [h1]Gameplay[/h1] If you were not aware, Steam Reviews have a character limit, and since strategy games can take a while to discuss I will simply pretend that [i]War of the Lance[/i] does not exist. Every game in [i]the Silver Box Classics[/i] have certain things in common, you fight hordes of enemies, you explore dungeons, collect loot, and you do [i]not[/i] create your own character, and you do [i]not[/i] level up. While these are based on D&D you are not asked to understand any of its detail so while some experience will give you an edge it will not have any major impacts on these 2–3-hour games. [h2]Heroes of the Lance & Dragons of Flame[/h2] [i]Heroes of the Lance[/i], and [i]Dragons of Flame[/i] play in very similar ways, they are rather clunky side-scrollers where you spend half your time in menus to manage thrown items, party order, as well as all your spells. Eventually you realise you used one of your spells too much, and now you cannot cast it for the rest of the game, luckily this should not be a common occurrence. It is one major difference that makes [i]Heroes of the Lance[/i] the far superior game, to attack, you need to ready your weapon and once readied you cannot turn around. However, you are allowed to backstep, giving you some much needed mobility, and improving the flow of combat. So, naturally this feature is absent in [i]Dragons of Flame[/i] which generally feels like a downgrade in terms of movement, combat, and basically everything else. Another issue with [i]Dragons of Flame[/i] is that it tries to approximate 3D-space, it has an overworld to traverse and you can change whether you traverse the world along its X- or Y-axis. While this could have been an improvement it simply is not due to the indistinguishable areas, and the fact that enemies you appear right on top of you with no heads-up if they approach from the orthogonal axis. Add to this an overworld absolutely swarming with enemies and you have a game that feels like a chore to play, unlike [i]Heroes of the Lance[/i] which is much better paced. [h2]Shadow Sorcerer[/h2] On a conceptual level I find [i]Shadow Sorcerer[/i] to be the most intriguing game of [i]the Silver Box Classics[/i], it is also one of its most enjoyable titles, provided that you can appreciate or look past some of its quirks. What most people may take umbrage with is that [i]Shadow Sorcerer[/i] is an escort quest. You are tasked with safekeeping a group of refugees while you search for the keys that are necessary to bring them to safety. Unfortunately, you are on a deadline, you are all being hunted by the Dragonarmies, you do not have enough food, and the refugees’ leadership will not always listen to reason. Good luck, because the game will end if you lose too many refugees! On another hand, and something I quite enjoyed, is that [i]Shadow Sorcerer[/i] is a precursor to titles such as [i]Baldur’s Gate[/i], it is a RTwP game, although a very primitive one. The issues stem from your very limited control of your heroes, you select spells, can direct their movements, attacks, or set them on auto-battle but they get stuck on one another, and it can feel clunky. Luckily the fights are often so easy that you beat them with a few well-placed rolls, another unfortunate aspect are the dungeons. They are rather lacklustre since they are comprised of a series of squares with maybe a few obstacles here and there. [i]Shadow Sorcerer[/i]’s faults are its short runtime, the lack of content, the clunky controls, yet while playing I sensed that I longed for this sort of game. All it needed was some refinement, as a lot can be done with the core mechanics of [i]Shadow Sorcerer[/i]. With some tweaks I believe it could have been a downright brilliant game, as is, however, it is merely a curiosity, the fact that it could have been a classic as great as [i]Pool of Radiance[/i] and its peers is a real shame.

Its good

Drasticamente scarno rispetto agli altri, però con una sua dignità questa raccolta di giochi ha perle che spazzatura, il fatto di vedere e toccare i primi adattamenti di D&D a videogioco è stato davvero bello

so many classics, so little time

I bought this collection primarily for War Of The Lance, but also played Shadow Sorcerer. As for Dragons Of Flame and Heroes Of The Lance I did try them but didn't get much into them. It is nice to see War Of The Lance in all it's older glory. If you were a fan of the now defunct Strategic Simulations Inc. games, these games are sorely missed. ANY SSI games are sorely missed such as Realms Of Darkness, Questron and the board game Fortress. SSI released some of the best games from the mid 1980's. SSI ruled the Apple //, Commodore and PC game scape. NONE of these games in this collection are to be missed. When real gamers were gaming, they did not need high end graphics; they needed GAME PLAY and something to return to and that is something that is sorely lacking today. Even text adventure games had more game quality (such as Infocom) than today's so called games. I'm glad I grew up in a time when games were GAMES. This entire release by SNEG works perfectly in Manjaro Linux with NO Proton running! What a breath of fresh air from the DREADED Windows OS! Thank you devs as it is much appreciated! I highly recommend ANY D&D boxed games/sets from SNEG!

Dungeons & Dragons: Silver Box Classics is a goldmine of old-school CRPG greatness AND a nice dive into the DragonLance side of D&D. This collection brings together some of the most influential D&D games ever made, and while they’re undeniably products of their time, the depth and design still shine through. The turn-based combat is strategic and rewarding, the party-building is deeply satisfying, and the sheer amount of content across these titles is staggering. There’s a purity to the experience - less hand-holding, more imagination - that really captures the spirit of tabletop D&D. Yes, the interfaces are dated and there’s a learning curve, but once it clicks, it’s incredibly addictive. For fans of classic RPGs or anyone curious about the roots of the genre, this is essential stuff.

One of my favorite war games from the DOS era. It plays the same as before, with a few minor hiccups that I have yet to figure out with save games. This game would be a great subject of a renovation with modern gaming technology.