Mordor: The Depths of Dejenol first came to my attention in the form of a 3-level demo back around 1995. A mostly text-based role-playing game in an era where 3-D graphics were coming on the scene, it was dismissed by many publications as a dreary and uninspiring addition to the genre. But for me the adventure had only just started.
The basics of Mordor are pretty straightforward: create a character from one of the races on offer, buy some starting equipment and delve into the dungeon to fight creatures and gain experience. Up to three other characters can join your party, and believe me you will need some help when you face some of the terrifying creatures on offer. Despite its text-based nature, Mordor is a rich and varied game. Hundreds of different creatures inhabit the dungeon, including some very nasty ones that will probably kill you when you first meet them. Death is not so much of a problem as you can always use another character to retrieve the corpse, or pay rescuers to do so. Loot is plentiful but it is particularly exciting to discover (and identify at much expense) a new magical item.
Mordor caters for all kinds of characters: from the fierce warrior to the cunning thief or the wise mage, all combinations are useful. Characters are part of the Nomad guild at the start of the game but can join another guild for free. Further guild membership costs rather hefty sums of gold but is worth it. Being a spell caster is particularly rewarding as the number of spells on offer is dizzying. Mages charm creatures and turn them into companions, sorcerers and wizards unleash massive destruction on the monstrous inhabitants of the dungeon, and healers ... heal. All the guilds are useful to join but some require your character to use tomes of power in order to increase their statistics to the minimum level to join. A balanced party tends to make life easier but a homogeneous group can fare almost as well as every guild has access to a selection of spells.
The graphics and sound, while limited, are functional. The music, although repetitive, is quite catchy and I have found myself whistling it outside of the game more often than not. It's always possible to replace the midi files with some of your own if you wish, or even to turn the music off entirely and listen to something darker. Despite its shortcomings, it is a testament to Mordor's richness and addictive nature that it is one of three games that has been on my computer continuously since 1995. Mordor is a fascinating game that is well worth the download.
Written by:
~jimmythe1
