Reminiscing: Alundra

Yeah, it's been for-freakin'-ever since I last posted. Big freakin'deal! Here's something for you chumps to peruse!





Alundra

Released late in 1997 by Working Designs, Alundra is basically a 32-bit revamp of Zelda’s classic overhead gameplay. This genre defining style, coupled with a story considerably more mature than that of the Zelda series up to that point, is what made Alundra one of the most memorable gaming experiences for those who took a chance with it in the Playstation era.

Dream-Walkers

The story centers on the arrival of the titular Alundra to the town of Inoa, where he is swiftly drawn into the town’s seemingly unconnected conflicts by virtue of his innate ability to enter people’s dreams and hence exorcise, in a manner of speaking, what demons may lurk therein. The hero himself is a likable if quiet character, as is customary of this type of game. He is inherently noble and generous; a virtuous person, in short.
As the story progresses and a correlation is established between the death-inducing comas that affect the town’s denizens and the many unfortunate events that happen throughout the town and its surrounding areas Alundra finds that there is an evil, alien entity behind it all.
Alundra travels far and wide, tapping into the lands forces and amassing both power and information with which to battle his fearsome foe, which is all too aware of Alundra’s efforts and does all within his power to hinder his endeavor.
Eventually, Alundra reaches his terrible foe and vanquishes him, learning, in turn, that his fate lies in the further use of his unique talents for the benefit of the people. He decides to set out on the road, parting with the many friends he’s made as well a love interest who happens to share his talent, in order to further explore his powers and help those in need. This effectively leaves the story open for sequels, which sadly never really came.

An Endearing Locale

The piece of land within which the game takes place is but a diminutive portion of the great world that might have been explored in subsequent installments to the series. The fact that it is only a small town with ancient locales and terrains surrounding it allows for a very complete, internalized representation of the local life and its people. Every single NPC is very fleshed out and given a distinctive personality, even the smaller players in the story. This allows the player to become well acquainted with every character and hence feel a certain attachment to them, thus making the somewhat numerous deaths of such characters so much more poignant and defining.
The land itself is a beautiful mosaic of geological variety, from mountainous regions and forests to volcanoes and a sprawling desert. Monoliths and dilapidated ruins dot the geography providing myriad chances for exploration and enjoyable plundering. The in-game fauna is varied and considerably more dangerous from the get-go than one might expect from similar games, lending a much-appreciated sense of danger to game that is often lacking in its peers.
So many details adorn the region that it inevitably fills the player with a sense of history; it renders the place as believable thanks to its seemingly rich folklore, evidenced by the many monuments and the people’s customs.

The Crawl


Where Alundra truly shines as a game is in its dungeon design. Over the years I have heard – and read – a few people complain about the games puzzle filled dungeons. I often wonder why they find this dislikable as it is this element, that of the ever beguiling conundrum, that makes for a challenging and enjoyable experience in a game of this nature.
The puzzles are indeed numerous, yet they are rarely repetitive, often taking the player a good time spent in thought, analyzing the environment, for the code to be cracked and the proverbial riddle to be solved. When the game does recycle themes for its puzzles it does so by heightening the difficulty quite gradually, mixing both need for clever and careful analysis as well as proper hand-eye coordination.
The size of the dungeons is also quite notable as it is possible to spend a couple of hours – or more as is the case with the last one – exploring any one maze and vanquishing the plentiful foes within.
The bosses at the end of the dungeon draw heavily from the genre cannon when it comes to mechanics; there is always a pattern and a weakness. They are, however, often more difficult than the usual fare, though certainly not frustratingly so. Design-wise, the bosses are memorably and well detailed, making the end of any dungeon not just rewarding by way of achievement but by virtue of the sheer joy of discovering the greater foe at the end.

Aural Beauty

The game’s score is one of its high points, especially the town tune, to me, which made it feel like a truly idyllic place to live in. The action sequences heightened by the urgency of the music adorning it, the bosses menacing and well accompanied by the eloquent score.
The sounds effect hearken of the previous generation in gaming but make good use of the advantages of digital media, hence being far more realistic and detailed in texture than those it pays homage to.
The game has no voice acting, which, in hindsight, is probably a blessing given the often-garrulous vocal performances of the time.

The Details

All of the above serves to illustrate but a fraction of the game’s appeal and beauty, the quirks and stylized touches cannot be made justice with mere words, as is the case with any synoptic attempt at description of any work of art; it is necessary to experience it first hand.
The game has secrets abound and has one of the greatest weapons ever to be discovered by actually failing repeatedly. One might construe this as being an analogy for the humbling gesture of admitting defeat and its redeeming quality. There’s collectibles and optional weaponry as well as one optional dungeon that would wrack anyone’s brain to solve.
The sum of its parts and more, Alundra is a game that found a special place in my gaming heart and I would wager might eke out one in yours.

Be Forewarned

This game is not overly difficult, but it is very much oldschool in the way it plays. Think A link to the Past only about twice as challenging and considerably more cerebral puzzle-wise. In essence, a more grown-up 2D Zelda, if you will!
All told, Alundra is a beautiful homage to gaming days gone by and a story that bears rescue and retooling. Sadly, for those of us who so enjoyed our adventure with Alundra, chances are we won’t ever get another taste of this. The sequel was a travesty as the IP was sold to Activision and hence produced by a different team, which literally threw away all that was laid down by the original save for the title. The sequel has nothing that relates it to the first, not even obscure references or cameos, and the gameplay is truly abyssal. The story is a hodge-podge concoction of sky-pirate tripe in a weak attempt at starting a new storyline, failing miserably with flat, unlikable characters and pointless antagonists. I cannot stress how badly handled the sequel was. Avoid at all costs and instead opt for the original.