Gamebook Reviews

Deep in the caverns beneath Firetop Mountain lies an untold wealth of treasure, guarded by a powerful Warlock – or so the rumour goes. Several adventurers like yourself have set off for Firetop Mountain in search of the Warlock’s hoard. None have ever returned. Do you dare follow them?

Your quest is to find the Warlock’s treasure, hidden deep within a dungeon populated with a multitude of terrifying monsters. You will need courage, determination and a fair amount of luck if you are to survive all the traps and battles, and reach your goal – the innermost chambers of the Warlock’s domain.

The book that basically started it all, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain was first published in 1982 and is renowned as a classic amongst gamebook enthusiasts. But does it stand the test of time?

I started the book by rolling up my adventurer and getting SKILL 11, STAMINA 20 and LUCK 9. An above average character, so I should have a good chance of survivng.

It has been quite some time since I had played this particular book, and my memories of it were basically an exciting dungeon crawl with a frustrating labyrinth near the end of the book that I could never find my way through. So it was with some trepidition that I once again stepped into the tunnels beneath Firetop Mountain.

I was immediately struck by how the book is showing its age. The book is essentially a dungeon crawl, as I had remembered; but it was a product of the 1980s and things were different back then. Dungeons didn’t have to make much sense; you went into them, killed everyone you found, and looted their bodies. The Warlock is one of those adventures. Nowadays more people demand that at least some thought be put into their dungeon crawls or for them to at least make a little bit of sense.

As an example, early on in the adventure you find a spell book that has been hidden by a mage who was scared of it ‘falling into the wrong hands’. Why hide it beneath Firetop Mountain then? The domain of an evil warlock?

Maybe I am being nitpicky, as the book was aimed at those in their early teens. And, as stated, you could get away with those things in the 1980s when the gaming scene was still in its infancy.

Anyway, the adventure continued, and I was busy killing bad guys and taking their stuff. So far so good, I had barely been injured and had found a number of keys that I knew were needed to get to the Warlock’s treasure. Then I entered the maze.

This thing is as annoying as I remembered. Several times I nearly gave up in disgust, much like I also remember doing when I was younger. But I perservered, and after much hair pulling and frustration, I found my way out of the maze to confront a dragon. Luckily I had the aforementioned spell book and was able to see the dragon off with minimal effort. Now to confront the Warlock himself.

I drunk a potion of invisibility that I had found and drew my sword. The Warlock is a tough customer to fight! With SKILL 11 and STAMINA 18, he was almost as good as me! Luckily, the potion made it harder for the Warlock and I was able to see him off, though he did get me down to 8 STAMINA remaining. Now for the treasure!

There were three locks on the chest, and I had found four keys. I had to try different combinations to open it. Right, first combination: dang. Lose 2 STAMINA. Okay, 6 left, no problem. Second combination: damnit! 4 STAMINA left. Did I have the right keys? Had I missed a vital one? Was it all for naught? Third combination: YAY! The chest opens and the treasure is mine! Victory!

Even now in the 21st century, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is a fun romp through a monster filled dungeon. However, as I stated at the outset it is showing its age. If it were written today I would doubt it would trigger the same cult status it has recieved, but it is still enjoyable on a hack-and-slash level. It is not really a difficult book, as most of the monsters are easily defeated; however, finding the right combination of keys and your way through that damned maze are frustrating. It does add to the replayability of the book, but I would suggest making a map so as not to go bald through tearing your hear out.

RATING: 6.5 out of 10