Avernum Great Trials Trilogy (Video Game Review)

The world of Avernum is set deep beneath the surface of the planet where the dreaded Empire mercilessly rules. What began as an underground prison for The Empire has now become a massive subterranean expansion of tunnels and caverns where many different races have come together to call home. Each game in the Avernum series is set in this underground world, and each stars a cast of unnamed characters that you create upon starting the game. However, each storyline is more unique than the last, and the best part is that you don't have to play any of the other games in the Avernum series to understand the stories of the Aavernum Great Trials Trilogy.  

Avernum 4 begins by explaining how brave adventurers can find great wealth down in the underground city if they are willing to face the dangers lurking in the hot muggy tunnels of Avernum. However in the fourth title in the series, the monsters and creatures of the land have come out in full force, and average citizens are becoming unruly. It will be up to you and your three companions to find the source of the problem and save the land of Avernum. The fifth title takes us back to Avernum, only this time you and your companions are actually soldiers sent by The Empire to search for an assassin who tried to take the life of the Empress. Upon being teleported to the subterranean city, you find all is not how it should be, and finding the assailant may be more difficult than you previously anticipated.  

Avernum 5's storyline is the most compelling in the series and features many twists and turns that you've come to expect from Spiderweb Software's series. In Avernum 6, you once again control four adventurers in this magical realm. One of the primary resources in the world of Avernum is mushrooms, and a great drought referred to as the Blight has hit the land killing all of the mushrooms and crippling the land's food supply. With the Blight also came a rising up of once friendly clans who now seek to take over all of Avernum after sensing the peoples' weakness. It will be up to you and your companions to stop these evil warlords and find a solution to the Blight before all hope is lost for the once peaceful land of Avernum. Each game contains these unique storylines, and they also contain very similar gameplay.

The Avernum series plays out like any traditional RPG. You interact with NPCs and gain more knowledge and accept new missions, you explore dungeons and kill enemies for loot and experience points that can then be used to make your character more powerful, combat is as simple as pointing and clicking, and gameplay lasts quite a long time if you plan on seeing everything the games have to offer. Each game has a good presentation for its time, and each game does make many improvements over the previous title in terms of both presentation and gameplay. Still, these games are old-school in every sense of the word, so don't expect high tech graphics or superb animations. However if you're looking for addicting games that will keep you playing for many hours on end, look no further than the Avernum Great Trials Trilogy!

For more information, check out the official Avernum website.

Game Features

Single Player

Custom Characters

Over 40 Hours of Gameplay Each

Compelling Storylines from Same World

Three Games for One Low Price

Game Information
Devloper & Publisher: Spiderweb Software
Not Rated
Release Date: (Steam) May 11, 2012
Platforms: PC (reviewed), Mac & iPad

Rating: 9 out of 10