Dungeon Master

One of the first dungeon adventure games to use a 3D perspective was Dungeon Master, which was released for the Atari ST in 1987. It later became available on many other game systems, including the PC and Apple II. Dungeon Master was one of the most innovative role-playing video games for its time, shunning the traditional Dungeons and Dragons rules in favor of game mechanics which rewarded the player for using various skills (a la Elder Scrolls: Oblivion). Thus, players were encouraged to try creative thinking to advance their character's abilities, rather than simple hack-and-slash tactics.

One unique aspect of Dungeon Master was the spell casting system. To cast spells, a player would have to combine various magic symbols to produce desired effects. This resulted in a lot of trial and error, rather than just giving a simple command to use magic. Another cool feature was the Hall of Champions, in which players would wander around the level and choose their four characters, rather than rolling up a party with random statistics. Best results were often achieved with a group consisting of two good fighters, a priest and a wizard. Characters either started as Journeymen (upper starting rank) in one single class, or Novice/Apprentice (lower ranks) in multiple classes. There were 24 different characters to choose from, but only four different classes.

Because of the complexity of the game, players spent a lot of time trying to figure out puzzles for mundane tasks, such as using pressure plates and keys in proper sequence to open doors. In fact, a player would generally spend more time searching for secret doors than they would spend fighting creatures. This could lead to some frustration, especially for players who didn't enjoy a high level of thought in their gaming experience.

Overall, Dungeon Master could be compared to games like Eye of the Beholder and Wizardry, although the degree of difficulty, sounds and setting definitely give the adventure its own unique charm. PC users can relive the experience with Dungeon Master Java, which faithfully recreates the feeling of the original.