Damocles (video Game)

''Damocles'' is a video game developed by Novagen in 1990. It is the second game in the ''Mercenary'' series.

Gameplay

Once again, the player is stranded on a planet, Eris, with an inoperable spacecraft. Unlike the first game, however, the scope of ''Damocles'' is considerably widened, offering the player an entire planetary system to explore (the Gamma System; the player's original destination before the Interlude on Targ). There is also a race-against-time element to the game as a comet, the eponymous Damocles (a reference to the Sword of Damocles), is hurtling towards Eris. The player is encouraged to both escape Eris and find a means to prevent Damocles from destroying the planet, if possible without destroying the comet. Although an obvious, but destructive, solution exists, ''Damocles'' has no fewer than five distinct solutions.

''Damocles'' includes orbital mechanics in the game physics. While also featuring less standard physics (e.g. teleportation), it includes a detailed representation of the dynamics of the Gamma System and even has a simplified form of special relativity. To cross the planetary system in reasonable (to the player) time, time dilation occurs. However, given that the player has only a few hours to save Eris, extended periods at near-light speed are unwise. One of the game's many solutions involves manipulating various planetary bodies in order to make use of the changes in gravitational pulls to divert the Damocles comet. From an aesthetic point of view, the inclusion of celestial physics allows the player to experience attractively-rendered sunrises and sunsets while on planet surfaces as well as various satellite occultations.

Setting

''Damocles'' contains many real-world references, particularly drawn from the UK in the 1980s. For example, the president of the planet Eris is named Margaret, after Margaret Thatcher (British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990); there is a bank called Lawson Bank, after Nigel Lawson (British chancellor of the exchequer from 1983 to 1989, though a real Lawson Bank does exist). Some of the references are more elusive. For example, several stores are called "GUM Stores", after the Russian Gosudarstvennyj Universalnyj Magazin department stores. (However, the fictional planet of Eris is not a reference to the real-life dwarf planet of the same name, as the latter was only discovered in 2005, some 15 years after the release of ''Damocles''.)

Despite these references, the game universe has no actual connections with Earth, since the player is given information that the Gamma System was actively explored before the present day (e.g. upon approaching a particular moon, Benson informs the player that a space flight company was already located there in 1190). According to the poster that accompanied the game, the events of ''Damocles'' take place on 27 April 2099.

Development and release

''Damocles'' was released on the Atari ST and Amiga platforms in 1990. Development on the game started as early as 1987. Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum versions were originally in development, but eventually cancelled as a consequence of the declining 8-bit market. Unlike ''Mercenary'', ''Damocles'' represented the game environment using filled polygon graphics, allowing a both more realistic and colourful world.

Reception

Judith Kilbury-Cobb for ''Info'' said: "I would like to see more in the way of sound effects, but I still enjoyed this one a whole lot".

John S Davison for ''Page 6'' said: "For me Damocles has everything – top notch presentation, excitement, depth, lots of humor, addictiveness... I could go on forever!"

Eugene Lacey for ''Commodore User'' described "Amiga gaming at its very best".

Eugene Lacey for ''ACE'' said that "''Damocles'' has everything – the thrill of discovery, the fun of exploration, a totally believable world, a tough challenge, and even the odd bit of blasting".

''Amiga Format'' wrote: "Whether or not you like 3D space adventures, ''Damocles'' is an experience not to be missed".

'' Zzap!'' said the game is "a superlatively polished, amazingly large and challenging adventure brought to life through amazing 3-D 16-bit graphics".

Brian Nesbitt for ''Computer and Video Games'' concluded: "Fluid solid 3D graphics generate a wholly believable environment which is a joy to explore, and the unique feeling of being there is exemplary".

Robin Hogg for ''The Games Machine'' gave a positive review for the game, saying "Welcome back ''Mercenary'', you've been away for far too long".

Neil Jackson for ''ST Format'' stated that "''Damocles'' keeps pulling you back to the screen, no matter how much you want to go to bed".

Reviews

* K 13 (Italian)
* Aktueller Software Markt (German)

References

{{reflist

1990 video games
Action-adventure games
Amiga games
Atari ST games
Bethesda Softworks games
Novagen Software games
Science fiction video games
Single-player video games
Video game sequels
Video games developed in the United Kingdom
Video games set on fictional planets