Le dame, i cavalier, l’arme, gli amor..no I’m not quoting some books of ancient chivalric literature, but it’s like remembering a beautiful historical literary period that I was passionate about.
Just as I was passionate about this game, with spectacular graphics and unforgettable music.
Beautiful was the intro with the writings that sparkle with gold and chivalric music that came from the powerful Commodore’s Sid.
But let’s get to the game, and find out what it is. In Defender we are in the twelfth century, precisely in England. It is a very bad historical moment as the British Isles have lost their beloved king. And we (players) will have the task of playing a Saxon knight in order to restore peace, union and serenity in the kingdom.
At this point, how is the game going? Simple: playing one of the 4 characters available (Wolfric the savage, Wilfred of Ivanhoe, Cedric of Rotherwood and Geoffrey Longsword) you will have to protect your castle from the attacks of the Normans, and simultaneously expand into the surrounding territories to recover all the lost or conquered territories.
The game map is divided into 18 sectors, which will obviously all be conquered. And you can do it in different ways: that is, by going to battle in a territory conquered by the Normans, or by building new forces in deserted territories, therefore going to acquire a useful workforce to move forward in the game. There are excited stages in which, for example, we will organize horseback tournaments (spectacular animations in these stages, practically identical to the Amiga version), or in which we will automatically annex the territories that are not occupied. Or we’re going to save the damsels in distress at the castle with exciting sword fights. Instead, there will also be static, almost mathematical phases, where the computer acts and understands if a territory can be annexed, if we can move, and of course also simulates the advancement of the enemies.
Finally, a beautiful historical gem, Robin Hood will be ready to help you 3 times, looking for him in the Sherwood forest. Needless to say, the game will end as soon as you have conquered the entire playing area.
What was striking was the exceptional static graphics, but other than that and a superb initial soundtrack, the game was ultimately a strategic game, nothing more. It is one of those games that I was very passionate about graphics, but little for game play. Once finished, I hardly got it back to play it again. But it is undeniable, as written on the magazine of the sector, how exceptional graphics and sound were and in their grand prix of 1987 he battled The Last Ninja as the best game ever.
The last mention was the control system: the joystick acted as a mouse (in the original Amiga version everything was done, in fact, with the mouse) but the system was simple and fast. Only in the stages of the tournament and in sword fights the joy had its true function.
At this point, I leave you with the usual longplay of this masterpiece of graphics and sound.
… and don’t forget to download the game !!
