Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Hillsfar

Hillsfar is an unusual spin-off in SSI’s Forgotten Realms series. Instead of a traditional party-based RPG, it’s an action-adventure set in a tightly controlled city, where a single hero takes on quests from their guild under the watchful eye of the city’s harsh guards, the Red Plumes. Developed by Westwood before they became famous for Eye of the Beholder and Command & Conquer, it’s a curious mix of RPG and minigames.

Gameplay

You play a single character: a fighter, cleric, magic-user or thief. You can create a new one or import a character from Pool of Radiance or Curse of the Azure Bonds. Each class has its own guild with its own quests, which gives the game some replay value.

Instead of classic turn-based combat, Hillsfar is built around a series of action-based activities:

• Horse riding: Travelling to the city means riding through an obstacle course, jumping or ducking to avoid hazards.
• Lockpicking: You open locks by choosing the right picks against the clock, and choosing wrong can break your tools.
• Exploration: Buildings and dungeons are explored from overhead in mazes full of traps, treasure and danger.
• The arena: You can fight in the city’s arena for money and glory in real-time combat.
• Archery: A shooting range where you can test your skills and win prizes.

The city itself is a dangerous place. The guards can arrest you, and some types of characters face hostility simply for being who they are.

Verdict

Hillsfar is an interesting but uneven experiment that mixes RPG elements with arcade-style minigames. Some activities, like lockpicking and exploration, work well, while others, like horse riding, quickly become repetitive. It’s mainly of interest to Gold Box fans and collectors.