''DeathKeep'' is a 1995 video game based on the ''

Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, or abbreviated as RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out ...

. It was released on the

3DO 3DO is a video gaming hardware format developed by The 3DO Company and conceived by Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins. The specifications were originally designed by Dave Needle and RJ Mical of New Technology Group, and were licensed by third ...

platform, and later converted to the PC. The game is a sequel to '' Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Slayer''.

Plot

''DeathKeep'' is a game in which the

player character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional Character (arts), character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters tha ...

explores a large castle to find three orbs which are needed to defeat the powerful evil necromancer that has taken over the castle.

Gameplay

''DeathKeep'' is a first-person

dungeon crawler A dungeon crawl is a type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) in which heroes navigate a labyrinth environment (a "dungeon"), battling various monsters, avoiding traps, solving puzzles, and looting any treasure they may find. Video g ...

where the player can choose to play a dwarven fighter, an elven

mage Mage most commonly refers to: * Mage (paranormal) or magician, a practitioner of magic derived from supernatural or occult sources * Mage (fantasy) or magician, a type of character in mythology, folklore, and fiction * Mage, a character class in ...

, or a

half-elf A half-elf is a mythological or fictional being, the offspring of an immortal elf and a mortal man. They are often depicted as very beautiful and endowed with magical powers; they may be presented as torn between the two worlds that they inhabit ...

fighter-mage.

Reception

Reviewing the

version, a critic for ''

Next Generation Next Generation or Next-Generation may refer to: Publications and literature * ''Next Generation'' (magazine), video game magazine that was made by the now defunct Imagine Media publishing company * Next Generation poets (2004), list of young ...

'' praised the graphical textures but said the game is frustratingly difficult, particularly criticizing the imprecise controls when making the character come to a stop and the need to pass over some objects multiple times before the game registers the contact. Despite its flaws, he said that the dungeons are "ingeniously" designed, the game is huge, and on the whole, it's interesting enough to warrant a look at it. ''

GamePro ''GamePro'' was an American multiplatform video game magazine media company that published online and print content covering the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software. The magazine featured content on various video ...

''s The Game Elf gave it a rave review, applauding the huge amount of content, accessible menus, "smooth" control, rendered graphics with fully 3D point-of-view, detailed visuals, and "unnerving" sound effects. Andy Butcher reviewed the PC version of ''Deathkeep'' for ''Arcane'' magazine. He commented that "the original version for the 3DO console was less than inspiring, and this substandard conversion to the PC is even less so". Butcher concluded that ''Deathkeep'' suffers from bad graphics, low-quality sound and uninspiring gameplay, and called it one of the worst games released on the PC, and recommended ''

Hexen Hexen may refer to: * ''N''-Ethylhexedrone, a stimulant drug * '' Hexen: Beyond Heretic'', a 1995 dark fantasy video game ** '' Hexen II'', a 1997 video game sequel See also * Haxan (disambiguation) * (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol acetyltransferase * 3,5 ...

'' instead. A ''Next Generation'' critic similarly said that the 3DO version was passable but the PC conversion is poor, with "jerky play control, blocky and pixelated graphics, and awkward keyboard configuration". According to

GameSpy GameSpy was an American provider of online multiplayer and matchmaking middleware for video games founded in 1999 by Mark Surfas. After the release of a multiplayer server browser for Quake, QSpy, Surfas licensed the software under the GameS ...

, ''DeathKeep'' was "the last ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game for SSI, and it was a pretty ignominious end for a pretty distinguished run".

References

{{Dungeons & Dragons video games 1995 video games 3DO games Dungeons & Dragons video games Lion Entertainment games Role-playing video games Single-player video games Strategic Simulations games Video game sequels Video games developed in the United States Video games featuring female protagonists Video games set in castles Windows games