Legends of Amberland (game review)

★★★★☆ A fun throwback to the early Might and Magic and Bard’s Tale fantasy games of the 1980s and 1990s. Grid- and turn-based, with old-style pixelated graphics and lots of side quests. Probably most comparable to Might and Magic III in terms of both style and complexity. It’s not quite as engrossing as I remember those games being. But that could be my own change in perspective. I could be remembering the games through rose-colored glasses, or it could simply be the difference between playing a new cool type of game as a teenager vs. playing an old familiar type of game as a middle-aged adult. That, and the most recent party-based RPGs I’ve played were Outer Worlds and The Bard’s Tale IV, both of which are incredibly more complex and immersive. (One of the character graphics reminded me of the first player character in BT4, so of course I made her my bard and called her Melody.) The mainline quest sends you all over the map collecting components and plot coupons. You can explore and…