Avadon: The Black Fortress

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In "Avadon: The Black Fortress," you are an elite warrior from a fallen nation, tasked with defending Avadon and maintaining the equilibrium of your homeland. Experience strategic combat and deep character development as you make tough moral choices that impact the game's world. This exciting role-playing game offers numerous quests, secret locations, and intriguing characters, challenging you to determine the true meaning of loyalty and power.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 668 reviews

story182 positive mentions

graphics40 negative mentions

Engaging storyline with interesting characters and moral choices that impact the game.
Classic turn-based combat that requires strategic thinking and planning.
Offers a lengthy gameplay experience with a lot of content for the price.

Graphics and sound design are outdated and lack polish, which may deter some players.
Quest tracking is poor, making it difficult to know what to do next or where to go.
Combat can become tedious and unbalanced, especially in later stages of the game.

story
608 mentions
30 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The story in "Avadon" is a central focus, featuring a rich narrative filled with political intrigue, moral choices, and well-developed characters, though it is often criticized for its linearity and lack of exploration. Players appreciate the depth and complexity of the plot, which includes meaningful side quests and character interactions, but some find the quest management cumbersome and the pacing uneven. Overall, while the storytelling is engaging and immersive, it may not appeal to those seeking a more open-ended or action-driven experience.
- “What shines is its good storyline and the moral choices to be made.”
- “The main story itself was intriguing, with plenty of choice and consequence, and a good shroud of mystery surrounding it all.”
- “The story is deep and meaningful and you can influence the ending through decisions you make during your play.”
- “It is tedious, boring with an uncompelling linear story.”
- “You pretty much can't deviate from the story for most of it, because your blank slate of a main character is just a lap dog for the clearly evil regime that they've joined for no particular reason, and been given a high-ranking position and authority to speak on behalf of this regime... also for no particular reason that you're aware of for 90% of the game.”
- “The storyline is not very imaginative, nor is it very absorbing.”
graphics
222 mentions
16 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Avadon" are widely described as basic, outdated, and reminiscent of late 90s or early 2000s RPGs, often failing to convey atmosphere and featuring minimal sound design. While some players appreciate the retro aesthetic and find charm in its simplicity, many criticize the visuals as uninspired and repetitive, suggesting that those who prioritize graphics may be disappointed. However, fans of old-school RPGs often argue that the game's strong narrative and gameplay compensate for its visual shortcomings.
- “It's no Witcher 3, but in more ways than you could expect when you let yourself guide by the old school graphics, it sometimes surpasses it.”
- “And weirdly, the old school graphics, combined with the superb storytelling, drags you deeper into the world than any other RPG that I've played.”
- “The graphics are a little rough around the edges, but they have a unique charm.”
- “I'm alright with games with poor graphics, but Avadon takes poor graphics to a whole other level.”
- “The graphics are very old-fashioned, and there is absolutely no voice acting at all, which I find to be much more impactful than the graphics.”
- “The graphics are bland and repetitive, no real character creation, and combat is pretty simplistic.”
gameplay
152 mentions
24 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a blend of old-school, turn-based combat and exploration mechanics, offering a solid foundation with engaging story elements and character development. However, it suffers from repetitiveness and a lack of depth in mechanics, leading to a mixed experience where initial enjoyment can diminish over time. While some players appreciate the nostalgic feel and strategic elements, others criticize the linearity and simplistic design, resulting in a gameplay experience that may not appeal to everyone.
- “The gameplay is easy to get into, including the turn-based combat, and the game world is nice to explore and backtrack to at times.”
- “The story was compelling, the tactical turn-based gameplay was very enjoyable, and the world was very well thought out and easy to get lost in.”
- “Spiderweb software delivers story, character development, character progression, solid gameplay, engaging mechanics.”
- “I give a yes recommended but in the few hours that I have played it is very clear what are its strengths and limitations: the strength is in the writing, lore, clear rules and fair difficulty, and its limitations are that it is basically the same 'map clearing' gameplay of visiting every corner that many CRPGs and other exploration games have and which can get really tiresome.”
- “The choices you get are just there to taunt you, and so it seems are the last 5-10 hours of gameplay.”
- “After a long while of repetitive, bland, and lackluster gameplay, you will hope for the game to end as soon as possible, but it doesn't.”
music
50 mentions
6 % positive mentions
70 % neutral mentions
24 % negative mentions
The music in the game is largely criticized for its absence, with players noting that the only music available is the title screen theme, leading to a lack of atmosphere and engagement during gameplay. Many reviews highlight the minimal sound effects and repetitive audio, resulting in a score of 0/10 for music, and suggest that players may need to provide their own soundtrack to enhance the experience. Overall, the lack of a substantial musical score is seen as a significant drawback, particularly for RPG fans who value immersive audio.
- “I guess the way the sound effects were done makes the game atmospheric, but usually the soundtrack is a pretty important part of an RPG.”
- “The sounds also bear this same basic style, with the only music you will hear being from the main menu.”
- “The first thing I was surprised about was the epic soundtrack at the start.”
- “One thing that I disliked about the game was the complete lack of a soundtrack.”
- “Like many other Spiderweb games, Avadon's only musical score is the menu music, and a lack of music does nothing to build up any sort of atmosphere.”
- “Sound: 3/10 (no music, no speaking voice... just a repetitive soundtrack in the loading screen and ugly sounds during playtime)”
grinding
34 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly due to long cooldowns on abilities and frustrating boss fights that feel unnecessarily drawn out. While some enjoy the RPG elements and character development, many express that the combat becomes a bore over time, with travel and questing also contributing to a sense of monotony. Despite these criticisms, a few players appreciate the challenge and narrative, suggesting that the experience can still be enjoyable if approached with the right mindset.
- “The combat slowly became a tedious bore.”
- “Some of the optional end game fights are often tedious and unsatisfying (HP bloat, constant summons that heal each other so you're playing whack-a-mole slowly whittling them down).”
- “The fight at the end is by all accounts one of the worst designed fights in all of Spiderweb games (long and tedious even if you know what to do).”
character development
20 mentions
20 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the streamlined mechanics that allow for engaging story elements and character interactions, others criticize the basic character design and lack of depth in both narrative and gameplay. The game offers refreshing non-generic character arcs and meaningful party dynamics, but it may not satisfy those seeking deep, immersive character progression or unique storytelling. Overall, it seems to cater more to players looking for fun and accessible gameplay rather than hardcore character development.
- “This allows for some great character development, as your party members will react in their own ways to the situations in which you find yourself - at times even directly reacting to what the other has said.”
- “Spiderweb Software delivers story, character development, character progression, solid gameplay, and engaging mechanics.”
- “There isn't a lot of cookie-cutter, copy/paste, generic archetype character development in this game, which is extremely refreshing.”
- “I met the dragon and I got bored with it; the character design is basic, combat is boring, and the story is not that interesting.”
- “There we go, two decades later Spiderweb Software learned nothing in terms of designing game mechanics, storytelling, character development, nothing.”
- “Don't go to it if you are looking for visual and auditory stimulations or deep character development both in mechanics and narrative; this is not a good game on those.”
atmosphere
12 mentions
67 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is described as immersive and unique, with some players noting that it remains engaging despite dated graphics. However, the lack of a substantial musical score detracts from the overall experience, as sound effects alone are insufficient to fully build the atmosphere typical of RPGs. Overall, while the game has its strengths in storytelling and immersion, its atmospheric elements are a mixed bag.
- “Great atmosphere; despite its age, the game is immersive and I spent hours in a row on it. The graphics are dated but good looking.”
- “This game is a pretty good RPG; it has a fun story and a unique atmosphere.”
- “Story/atmosphere: 9999/10.”
- “The graphics are simple and often fail to convey atmosphere.”
- “Like many other Spiderweb games, Avadon's only musical score is the menu music, and a lack of music does nothing to build up any sort of atmosphere.”
optimization
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is severely lacking, with users reporting persistent mouse clicking and performance issues that re-emerge shortly after rebooting. Critics highlight that these problems are particularly egregious given the game's minimalist design, suggesting poor programming or inadequate porting from the original Mac version.
- “Performance issues are borderline ridiculous for a game with such a minimalist design and coarse implementation.”
- “The performance problems in conjunction with the other developmental issues is proof of clearly awful programming, or at the very least inadequate porting from the original Mac version.”
- “Within ten to fifteen minutes after the reboot, the mouse clicking and performance problems will return and stay.”
replayability
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, with players reporting around 150 hours of content across three games for a low price. Users highlight the potential for multiple playthroughs by experimenting with different starting classes and companions, enhancing the overall experience.
- “Replay value: there is probably a second playthrough in it, taking a different starting class and the other two companions (assuming you tended to stick with the same two the first time around).”
- “So like 150 hours between one playthrough of 3 games for ten bucks with a lot of replay value and extra content.”
stability
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its stability, functioning well right from the start and appearing largely bug-free. However, some users have reported freezing issues specifically when unlocking achievements, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “The game itself works 'straight out of the box' with no messing around and appears to be completely bug-free.”
- “This is a good spiderweb game, but every time I unlock an achievement, the game freezes.”
- “This is a good spiderweb game, but every time I unlock an achievement, the game freezes.”
emotional
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized for its lack of originality and depth, with reviewers expressing disappointment over a repetitive storyline and uninspired gameplay elements. However, a notable exception is highlighted in the final fight, which introduces a dynamic that stands out from the rest of the game, suggesting a missed opportunity for greater emotional engagement throughout.
humor
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is well-received, with players appreciating its cleverness and wit, which complements the strong narrative. The blademaster class adds a layer of fun with its engaging mechanics, contributing to the overall enjoyment of the gameplay experience.
- “Don't get me wrong, Avadon is a pretty decent RPG, and has all the strengths I've come to expect from Spiderweb (strong story, good humor, etc).”