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Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain

EMAIL PRINT ds

8.5 User Score:

Generally unfavorable reviews

Based on 10 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 24 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Aspyr Media

Developer: Big Blue Bubble

Genre(s): Action, Role-Playing Game

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: November 23, 2009

Summary

Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is an elaborate roleplaying game based on the legendary book series by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. The ancient Dwarven Keep at Firetop Mountain has been held by the sinister warlock Zagor for decades. Many have tried to plunder the fabled riches hidden deep within the mountain, and none have returned. Only the evil scourge of the warlock and his minions stand in the way of your prize. [Aspyr Media]

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Digital Chumps

RPG fans should make it a point to play this sleeper gem. While certainly not perfect, it's quite good and I think it's safe to say it's one of the best RPGs on the platform to date.

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Gamer Limit

Fans of Dark Spire and other old-school dungeon crawlers will find solace, but most gamers will likely quit a few hours in.

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Nintendojo

Taken as a whole, Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain certainly has a lot going for it. Unfortunately, unclear mechanics, uneven difficulty, uncomfortable controls, and some serious glitches and hiccups do a lot of damage to the overall experience.

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My Gamer

The game’s box art does a great job of grabbing the attention of fantasy nerds and most DS owner, but the gameplay is so unbalanced it makes the game impossible.

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NGamer UK

Dull. [Feb 2010, p.69]

RPGamer

The seven to fifteen hours required for completing Fighting Fantasy will be a by-and-large frustrating experience.

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Nintendo Power

It's no fun facing monsters that are suddenly too tough to kill. [Dec 2009, p.89]

Destructoid

The old school charm quickly wears off and gives way to a game that simply does not want you to have fun. It's absolutely tragic, because I was just starting to really get into it before the game basically slammed the door in my face and said "f..k off." So I fu..ed off.

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GameSpot

Abysmal controls and frustrating gameplay await you in the depths of Firetop Mountain.

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1UP

The DS game doesn't capture any of the magic inherent in Fighting Fantasy's formula. Instead of an adventure packed with mystery and excitement, the series' first videogame provides a dull story and frustrating controls in a generic dungeon crawl wrapper. It's a shame, because I remember enjoying the "Choose Your Own Adventure" style so much as a kid, and I bet that formula could make for a great game.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.5 (out of 10) based on 24 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Brian B gave it an8:
I guess nobody remembers that in a chose your own adventure, you can open the wrong door and die... about a million times.

Brian L gave it a9:
There are a few flaws, but this is definitely one instance of reviewers trashing what I think to be a great game.

Matt E gave it a9:
The fact the developers managed to get a full 3D environment working on the DS is astounding! If anyone is a fan of the old Hack and Slash type RPG's from the late 90's (Like Lands of Lore or Elder Scrolls: Dagerfall) this game is an absolute gem. I'll admit that my expectations for the game were fairly low when I purchased it but within seconds of playing the game I was blown away. The controls are not as good as a PC or a modern console because we don't have a real mouse or dual analog sticks but given the limitations of the DS the control scheme is innovative and easily the best 3D navigation controls that I've seen yes. The comparison to Oblivion is not far off but I'm also reminded of the first Diablo. Very typical of ARPG's the story is kept light in favour of a explore-kill-loot cycle that remains satisfying even today.

James S gave it a9:
An incredible achievement for a DS game. To be honest, it's something probably on a similar level to the elder scrolls daggerfall (though not nearly as big of course) - an incredible achievement for the DS. I IMPLORE 1up and nintendo power to re-review the game. I mean, ok, it's not perfect but really a D- an a 40%? That HURTS the developers. The game is flat out good - not even just average. Anyway, give the game a go - fans of oblivion, morrowind, WoW, any first/third person RPG will love it, and it's a nice nostalgic nod to the book that got me into fantasy long, long ago.

jeff j gave it a9:
Very Good Game! Asking my self why IUP and Nintendo Power gave it a very low score. Their reviews are based only on game controls and game difficulty! The game actually is quite tough but who would enjoy a very easy game. 1UP said that the controls are very hard but he's just not using the stylus. Very dumb reviewer. All in all, the graphics are amazing and the game is enjoyable!!!

retrox 40 gave it a7:
It's a shame there are only two "professional" reviews out for this game, and both of them are rife with inaccurate information. The 1UP review in particular is almost criminal. I was shaking my head throughout the entirety of it, wondering if the reviewer had actually played the game for more than 15 or 20 minutes. While certainly nothing groundbreaking, this game is a breath of fresh RPG air for the platform. Anyone who enjoys old-school western-style RPG gaming should give this one a go.

Cinto R gave it an8:
This game is technically outstanding and very addictive. The gameplay is reminiscent of Metroid, but the strong RPG elements makes it more engaging than just a 1st person action game (inventory, lots of quests and subquests, free exploration...). I really enjoyed the game and I can't understand the two bad reviews posted... 40 and 16! Those reviewers really need to reconsider their lifes...

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Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain

Game Info

Summary

What The Critics Said

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