Eye of the Beholder III: Assault on Myth Drannor

Assault on Myth Drannor is the third and final game in the Eye of the Beholder trilogy, and the only one not developed by Westwood, who had moved on to make Lands of Lore. Fresh from their victory in the second game, your party is sent to the ancient, ruined elven city of Myth Drannor to recover a powerful artifact from a dangerous lich. The setting is promising, but the result is generally regarded as the weakest game in the trilogy.

Gameplay

You can import your party from The Legend of Darkmoon or create a new one using the AD&D rules. Up to two more characters can join you along the way. The core is the same real-time, first-person, grid-based dungeon crawling as before, with some changes:

• Outdoor areas: The adventure begins in the forests outside Myth Drannor, and more of the game takes place outside than in earlier games.
• “All Attack” button: A new option lets your whole party attack with one click, making combat easier to manage.
• Higher-level play: Characters start at a high level, with powerful spells and equipment.
• Varied locations: Forests, a mausoleum, a temple, a guild hall and other parts of the ruined city.

Survival elements like food and resting remain, and there’s still no automap, so mapping by hand is recommended.

The design is less focused than in the Westwood games, with weaker puzzles, larger and emptier areas and many battles against tough enemies.

Verdict

Assault on Myth Drannor is a playable but disappointing end to the trilogy. Fans who want to finish the saga with their imported party will get some enjoyment from it, but its weaker design, frustrating battles and lack of polish make it clearly the least memorable of the three games.