GRAAL ONLINE

An online game which is split into a bunch of separate worlds that, while they all use the same engine, are designed differently. Some are linear, some are open, some have involving quests, some are just a place to hang out. Players can design their own worlds, quests and houses, which is far more fun than actually playing it. Some worlds are free, others require registration. The gameplay and graphics are also a shameless ripoff of a far better game. Can YOU tell which one?

After selecting your world, you spawn there as the generic avatar in the above screenshots. All the worlds use the same engine, which is - and you may want to sit down before you read this - identical to Zelda 3, except that it glitches constantly. At least when Zelda 3 glitched up, you got to visit Chris Houlihan's room; here it just fucks the graphics up and you end up trapped in some impassable terrain when they finish loading. ANYWAY.

So, yeah, it's mutiplayer Zelda 3, except without any puzzles or dungeons. Which is why people liked Zelda 3. OOPS! OK, there apparently are dungeons, but I never saw them, and spent the best part of my two hour experience just wandering around the various worlds in search of something to do while I waited for the graphics to load. It's not that it's bad per se, but that because each world has been modified by a different group of people (some less competent than others), it's really difficult to get a grip on what the fuck you are meant to be doing.

When it's not trapping you in an alternate universe made of static, it's smooth and responsive. If you've played Zelda 3, you'll be totally at home, assuming the world you're visiting has an inventory that actually works. But enough about the game, let's talk about...

The built-in editor is really quite nifty. It has an intuitive interface and lets you build your own levels, complete with custom graphics, which is (naturally) thousands of times more fun than playing someone else's bug-riddled attempt at doing it themselves. It's worth downloading just to get this. OK, it's only worth downloading to get this.

Aside from the frequent graphical glitches, the major problem with Graal is that because the worlds were made by the players, they're either confusing, badly made, or entirely in German.



With a few friends, the existing worlds might be entertaining if you can figure out what the hell you're meant to do. Stick to the editor - it's far more entertaining than what people have managed to do with it.

Three Notorious BIGs out of five.