Lure of the Temptress
Encyclopedia
Lure of the Temptress is a fantasy
point-and-click
adventure game
created by Revolution Software
, published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment
, and initially released in 1992
for Atari ST
, DOS
and Amiga
systems. This was the first game developed by Revolution Software and was the debut for their own in-house developed Virtual Theatre
game engine
, which Revolution used in the subsequent games Beneath a Steel Sky
and the Broken Sword
series.
, but rather by a band of fierce, inhuman mercenaries - the man-eating Skorl, led by a young and beautiful enchantress
named Selena, the titular temptress. The king's men are defeated in the battle and the king is killed. In the process, Diermot is flung from his mount and winds up on the ground unconscious. The Skorl take Diermot prisoner and toss him into the local dungeon, where the player starts the game, and Diermot begins his quest to rid Turnvale of Selena's evil tyranny.
of Lure of the Temptress consists partly of a mouse operated point-and-click GUI
, but also of a rather intricate system of drop-down list
s, with which the player can perform more advanced tasks, communicate with NPC
s and give them complex orders. Many problems can be solved only by asking a supportive character for assistance, and the player can even instruct this character to lead him to specific locations. The major part of the gameplay is based on puzzle-solving, typical of the traditional adventure game
genre. However, in a couple of action-oriented battle scenes, the player must use his reflexes and skills as he fights his opponents.
.
. The data file
s are available from the Revolution Software website for download, but unfortunately Lure of the Temptress is mostly compatible with modern day computers running Microsoft
Windows XP
though for those experiencing problems or who are running Linux
or Mac OS X
, using DOSBox
to emulate the game is recommended. The game's engine has been added to ScummVM
as of November 30, 2007. This version of Lure of the Temptress was released on GOG.com
on December 18, 2008.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
point-and-click
Point-and-click
Point-and-click is the action of a computer user moving a cursor to a certain location on a screen and then pressing a mouse button, usually the left button , or other pointing device...
adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
created by Revolution Software
Revolution Software
Revolution Software Ltd. is a British adventure game company, based in York in northern England.The company was founded in 1990 by Charles Cecil, Tony Warriner, David Sykes and Noirin Carmody...
, published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment
Virgin Interactive
Virgin Interactive was a British video game publisher. It was formed as Virgin Games Ltd. in 1981. The company became much larger after purchasing the budget label, Mastertronic in 1987. It was part of the Virgin Group...
, and initially released in 1992
1992 in video gaming
-Events:-Notable releases:* Gremlin Graphics releases Zool, Amiga's answer to Mario and Sonic. It goes on to become the best selling Commodore Amiga game, boosting the already popular computer to be the leading gaming machine in Europe....
for Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
and Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
systems. This was the first game developed by Revolution Software and was the debut for their own in-house developed Virtual Theatre
Virtual Theatre
The Virtual Theatre was a computer game engine designed by Revolution Software to produce adventure games for computer platforms. The engine allowed their team to script events, and move animated sprites against a drawn background with moving elements using a point-and-click style interface...
game engine
Game engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
, which Revolution used in the subsequent games Beneath a Steel Sky
Beneath a Steel Sky
Beneath a Steel Sky is a 1994 science-fiction point-and-click adventure game in the cyberpunk genre. Like many point-and-click adventure games, it features comedy elements, and was developed by Revolution Software, a British developer, and published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment. It was...
and the Broken Sword
Broken Sword
Broken Sword is a video game series created by game designer Charles Cecil of Revolution Software. The game series revolves around the adventures of Idaho-born George Stobbart and the French Nico Collard in several fictitious stories based on history and mythology. The first two games in the series...
series.
Story
In Lure of the Temptress, the player takes on the role of a young peasant named Diermot. He was most recently employed as a beater for the king's hunting party. One night, the king receives a note from a messenger, requesting the king's services to help stamp out a rebellion in the remote village of Turnvale. As the king's men depart on their horses to ride to the rescue, Diermot’s pony follows them, and he is unwittingly dragged along to the battle. When the party arrives at Turnvale, they are confronted not by an ordinary peasant revoltPopular revolt in late medieval Europe
Popular revolts in late medieval Europe were uprisings and rebellions by peasants in the countryside, or the bourgeois in towns, against nobles, abbots and kings during the upheavals of the 14th through early 16th centuries, part of a larger "Crisis of the Late Middle Ages"...
, but rather by a band of fierce, inhuman mercenaries - the man-eating Skorl, led by a young and beautiful enchantress
Magician (fantasy)
A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
named Selena, the titular temptress. The king's men are defeated in the battle and the king is killed. In the process, Diermot is flung from his mount and winds up on the ground unconscious. The Skorl take Diermot prisoner and toss him into the local dungeon, where the player starts the game, and Diermot begins his quest to rid Turnvale of Selena's evil tyranny.
Gameplay
The user interfaceUser interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
of Lure of the Temptress consists partly of a mouse operated point-and-click GUI
Gui
Gui or guee is a generic term to refer to grilled dishes in Korean cuisine. These most commonly have meat or fish as their primary ingredient, but may in some cases also comprise grilled vegetables or other vegetarian ingredients. The term derives from the verb, "gupda" in Korean, which literally...
, but also of a rather intricate system of drop-down list
Drop-down list
In computing with graphical user interfaces, a drop-down list is a user interface control GUI element , similar to a list box, which allows the user to choose one value from a list. When a drop-down list is inactive, it displays a single value. When activated, it displays a list of values, from...
s, with which the player can perform more advanced tasks, communicate with NPC
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s and give them complex orders. Many problems can be solved only by asking a supportive character for assistance, and the player can even instruct this character to lead him to specific locations. The major part of the gameplay is based on puzzle-solving, typical of the traditional adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
genre. However, in a couple of action-oriented battle scenes, the player must use his reflexes and skills as he fights his opponents.
Reception
The game received 4 out of 5 stars in DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
.
Freeware status
In August 2003, the game was released as freewareFreeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
. The data file
Data file
A data file is a computer file which stores data to use by a computer application or system. It generally does not refer to files that contain instructions or code to be executed , or to files which define the operation or structure of an application or system ; but specifically to information...
s are available from the Revolution Software website for download, but unfortunately Lure of the Temptress is mostly compatible with modern day computers running Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
though for those experiencing problems or who are running Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
or Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, using DOSBox
DOSBox
DOSBox is emulator software that emulates an IBM PC compatible computer running MS-DOS. It is intended especially for use with old PC games. DOSBox is free software....
to emulate the game is recommended. The game's engine has been added to ScummVM
ScummVM
ScummVM is a collection of game engine recreations. Originally designed to play LucasArts adventure games that use the SCUMM system , it now also supports a variety of non-SCUMM games by companies like Revolution Software and Adventure Soft. It was originally written by Ludvig Strigeus...
as of November 30, 2007. This version of Lure of the Temptress was released on GOG.com
GOG.com
Good Old Games is a computer game sale and distribution service owned by Polish company CD Projekt.- History :The service sells older PC games. In order to ensure compatibility with newer versions of Microsoft Windows, some games are pre-patched or bundled with Open Source emulation and...
on December 18, 2008.