| Riddle of the Spheres | |
| by Brett Bixler | |
| Drakefyre’s Review | |
Riddle of the Spheres, RotS for future reference, is a magnificent epic by Brett Bixler. The first major scenario produced for Blades of Exile, it has become one of the standards that aspiring designers try to shoot for. In its entirety, the Spheres Trilogy is a marvelous epic. As individual scenarios, they still are some of the best scenarios around.
RotS introduces the player to the Realm of the Spheres, a land where Music reigns, a land nearly untouched by the Empire. As a mercenary, it is your job to recover the missing spheres of music, Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, and Ti. To do so, you must traverse miles of outdoor sections, spanning the entire Realm of the Spheres. Along the way, you meet the D’kar, a foul species that evidently hates you and the spheres (or perhaps they’re Leatbles evangelists).
A lot of ingenuity went into the quests, dungeons, and monsters in RotS, and it’s evident. The towns and dialogue are crafted with expert skill, and this holds true in all but a few places.
It is impossible to talk about the Spheres Trilogy without mentioning the graphics. The bridges between islands are an excellent use of custom graphics, the graphics are used wisely and are of good quality. The outdoor setup is among the best I have ever seen, and for a scenario which takes up so many outdoor sections, it’s truly spectacular.
I have few gripes about this scenario, but one is of the utmost importance. In the fortress on the lake, it is possible to be stuck on the water, with no way to get back to your boat or to the floor. Besides this, however, there are relatively few things technically lacking about the scenario. Although the level of editor skill is not excellent, it is great for a first scenario, and is higher than that of most modern scenarios.
I believe that a few characters and towns could use more fleshing out, and some of the missions seemed a little forced. Also, the plot is showing some age. Were I to write this a year ago, my score would be higher. Overall, however, this is a model Blades of Exile scenario.
My score: 8.7