Deathtrap Dungeon (video game)

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Deathtrap Dungeon
Developer(s)Asylum Studios
Publisher(s)Eidos Interactive
Director(s)Paul Sheppard
Producer(s)Frank Hom
Designer(s)Richard Halliwell
Andrew Wensley
Programmer(s)Matt Curran
Artist(s)Matthew Bagshaw
Composer(s)Mike Ash
Steve Monk
SeriesFighting Fantasy
Platform(s)PlayStation, Windows
ReleasePlayStation
Windows
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Ian Livingstone's Deathtrap Dungeon is an action-adventure video game developed by Asylum Studios and published by Eidos Interactive for PlayStation and Microsoft Windows in 1998. It is based on the adventure gamebook Deathtrap Dungeon (the sixth in the Fighting Fantasy series) written by Ian Livingstone, and published by Puffin Books in 1984.

Gameplay[edit]

The game is a third-person action-adventure, with the player taking the role of an adventurer (either the Amazon "Red Lotus" or the barbarian "Chaindog"), who at the invitation of a wizard explores a series of dungeons and must overcome both monsters and traps to find riches.

Development[edit]

Ian Livingstone was heavily involved in determining the game's level design and art style.[5] The aesthetics and atmosphere are manifestly inspired by Italian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi, whose ruins drawings fascinated Ian Livingstone.[citation needed]

Though the game's 3D engine is very similar to that of Tomb Raider, another Eidos-published game with a development cycle which overlapped that of Deathtrap Dungeon, the two games were developed in isolation.[5]

Livingstone said the character Red Lotus was created as "a combination of all the girls who have caught my eye over the past 20 years. Not all of these girls were real, though. Comic books have had a big influence on her creation."[6]

Reception[edit]

Deathtrap Dungeon received mixed reviews on both platforms according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[7][8] Next Generation said that the flaws in the PlayStation original "continually distracted us from the fun parts. Overall, there are only three words for this game – bad, bad, bad."[23] Edge gave both the PlayStation and PC versions each a score of seven out of ten, saying that the former version "isn't going to seriously challenge Tomb Raider 2's dominance of this genre, but it is a solid, playable and well-designed fantasy romp that will at least pass the time until Lara Croft's next appearance";[27] and later saying that the latter version was "certainly worthy of attention, though not, as Eidos might suspect, because of the presence of a busty heroine."[28]

GamePro said that the PlayStation version was "not a great game, but it does hold your attention for a while. Take our sword for it – you shouldn't give up on DD until you've rented it for a weekend."[29][b] The magazine later said that the PC version was "a solid, if not spectacular, addition to the TR canon and should keep fans of the genre well employed."[30][c]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Four critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the PlayStation version each a score of 3.5/10, 5/10, 6.5/10, and 4.5/10.
  2. ^ GamePro gave the PlayStation version 3.5/5 for graphics, two 4/5 scores for sound and fun factor, and 3/5 for control.
  3. ^ GamePro gave the PC version 4.5/5 for graphics, 3/5 for sound, 4/5 for control, and 3.5/5 for fun factor.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Games New Releases". The Daily Telegraph. April 9, 1998. p. 17. Retrieved December 12, 2023. Deathtrap Dungeon - Out Tomorrow
  2. ^ GameSpot staff (30 March 1998). "The Shipping News [date mislabeled as "April 28, 2000"]". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on 20 February 1999. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  3. ^ "PC Software - Save Up to £20". The Daily Telegraph. July 3, 1998. p. 6. Retrieved December 12, 2023. New Releases - Out Now! Deathtrap Dungeon
  4. ^ "News for June 25, 1998". Online Gaming Review. June 1998. Archived from the original on 4 December 2000. Retrieved 6 July 2023. Eidos Interactive announced today that they have shipped Deathtrap Dungeon, the 3D action combat game that features over 50 monsters, 10 levels, a male and female character and a third person perspective. Deathtrap Dungeon is inspired by the Fighting Fantasy gamebook series from Ian Livingstone.
  5. ^ a b "NG Alphas: Deathtrap Dungeon". Next Generation. No. 28. Imagine Media. April 1997. pp. 94–95. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Girl Trouble". Next Generation. No. 37. Imagine Media. January 1998. pp. 98–102. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Deathtrap Dungeon for PC". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Deathtrap Dungeon for PlayStation". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  9. ^ Couper, Chris. "Deathtrap Dungeon (PC) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  10. ^ House, Michael L. "Deathtrap Dungeon (PS) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  11. ^ Dembo, Arinn (13 August 1998). "Deathtrap Dungeon (PC)". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on 16 August 2000. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  12. ^ Mahood, Andy (5 June 1998). "Deathtrap Dungeon (PS)". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on 16 August 2000. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  13. ^ D'Aprile, Jason (24 August 1998). "Deathtrap Dungeon". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on 10 July 2003. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  14. ^ Johnson, Kenneth (December 1998). "Welcome to the Dungeon (Deathtrap Dungeon Review)" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 173. Ziff Davis. p. 351. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  15. ^ Kujawa, Kraig; Davison, John; Rickards, Kelly; Williams, Ken "Sushi-X" (June 1998). "Deathtrap Dungeon" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 107. Ziff Davis. p. 112. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  16. ^ MacIsaac, Jason (24 August 1998). "Deathtrap Dungeon (PC)". The Electric Playground. Greedy Productions Ltd. Archived from the original on 8 September 2002. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  17. ^ "Deathtrap Dungeon - PlayStation". Game Informer. No. 62. FuncoLand. June 1998. Archived from the original on 11 September 1999. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  18. ^ Brian B. (July 1998). "DEATHTRAP DUNGEON - PC Review". GameRevolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 5 February 2004. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  19. ^ Poole, Stephen (4 September 1998). "Deathtrap Dungeon Review (PC)". GameSpot. Fandom. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  20. ^ Fielder, Joe (22 April 1998). "Deathtrap Dungeon Review (PS) [date mislabeled as "April 28, 2000"]". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on 9 December 2004. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  21. ^ Bates, Jason (13 August 1998). "Deathtrap Dungeon (PC)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  22. ^ Perry, Douglass C. (3 April 1998). "Deathtrap Dungeon (PS)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  23. ^ a b "Deathtrap Dungeon (PS)". Next Generation. No. 42. Imagine Media. June 1998. p. 135. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  24. ^ Rybicki, Joe (June 1998). "Deathtrap Dungeon". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. Vol. 1, no. 9. Ziff Davis. p. 90. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  25. ^ Lindstrom, Bob (November 1998). "Deathtrap Dungeon". PC Accelerator. No. 3. Imagine Media. p. 98. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  26. ^ Saltzman, Marc (October 1998). "Deathtrap Dungeon". PC Gamer. Vol. 5, no. 10. Imagine Media. pp. 238–39. Archived from the original on 18 November 1999. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  27. ^ Edge staff (May 1998). "Deathtrap Dungeon (PS)" (PDF). Edge. No. 58. Future Publishing. p. 98. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  28. ^ Edge staff (July 1998). "Deathtrap Dungeon (PC)" (PDF). Edge. No. 60. Future Publishing. p. 99. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  29. ^ Scary Larry (June 1998). "Deathtrap Dungeon (PS)" (PDF). GamePro. No. 117. IDG. p. 116. Archived from the original on 12 October 2004. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  30. ^ Olafson, Peter (1998). "Deathtrap Dungeon Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on 20 March 2005. Retrieved 20 December 2020.

External links[edit]

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