Genre: Role-playing (RPG)
Perspective: Top-down
Visual: Fixed / flip-screen
Pacing: Turn-based
Gameplay: Roguelike
Interface: Direct control
Setting: Fantasy
Published by: A.I. Design
Developed by: A.I. Design
Released: 1984
Platform: DOS
Recognizing the birth of a legend is no easy task. Only after passing unscathed through the millstones of indifferent time, a work of art is able to gain the glory of a true masterpiece. Once upon a time, in the mid-80s, Rogue could not boast of the highest score given to her by game reviewers. However, did she deserve it then? Perhaps not. Perhaps even the developers themselves - a group of young enthusiasts with no special experience behind them - did not dare to think about the magnitude of the effect that their creation would have on the industry (in fact, some of them could, but it was more the voice of selfishness than the result of sound calculation ). But now that Rogue has become the ancestor of a vast direction in game development and has flown around the world on the wings of glory, we can say without a shadow of a doubt - yes, this is a milestone in the history of the development of games as an art. And it is not at all surprising that it is interesting to explore the endless darkness of the dungeons of this RPG even now, albeit with its modest pseudo-graphics, and with a relatively small number of various features compared to modern rogue-like projects. What awaits a curious seeker of adventure and profit there, in the deceptive silence of the depths?
And waiting for him is a huge heap of opportunities, unusual decisions and mortal dangers, randomly scattered over dozens of floors along the way of the created dungeon. Lady Chance in person is, perhaps, your main partner and at the same time a ruthless opponent in Rogue. It is thanks to her that the game always retains an element of surprise in itself - no matter if you are a green beginner or a seasoned robber. Along with the levels changing every game, all the other elements that depend on them also vary - the location of rooms, doors, traps, useful and harmful items and, most importantly, monsters. There is a special discussion about the latter, now let's dwell on the structure of the dark catacombs, in which you have to spend all the game time.
The dimensions of each level do not exceed one screen, and this small space is divided into several small rooms (no more than nine in total), between which narrow brick corridors snake. Your character remembers the places passed once, so you won’t get lost in principle. And although from time to time you will also come across “dark” halls, the inner space of which is covered with darkness at a distance of two or three steps from them, the process of exploration is completely different. As you know, your main goal, Rogue's holy of holies, the Amulet of Yendor, is hidden on the safest, lowest floor of the dungeons. Naturally, those who hid it so carefully made sure that not a single thief reached out with his greedy hands to an extraordinary relic. Therefore, you have to learn how to search for traps scattered here and there, among which there are both relatively harmless and deadly diabolical devices that do not give the awkward adventurer a second chance. In terms of time, nothing limits our robber, but, on the other hand, quite natural needs for food can stand in his way. The hero could not take large stocks of provisions with him or did not guess, so he will have to eat those food supplies that he will meet on the way. Hence the conclusion - it will not work to endlessly stand at each suspicious section of the wall, looking for another raised slab. But such is your profession - after all, who does not take risks, as you know, he does not drink champagne, does not bathe in gold and does not find Amulets. You can always hope that around the next turn you will come across a powerful enchanted armor that can protect you from unexpected death in case of inaccurate actions.
With armor, however, there is also a problem. No, there are quite a lot of them scattered around - in addition to an abundance of rings, weapons and magic potions with scrolls. But you can also use all this goodness only at your own peril and risk - you never know whether the next item you wear will turn out to be a high-quality artifact or a cursed bait for fools, designed to poison your life with all sorts of detrimental effects and performance degradation. Of course, Rogue also has item identification scrolls. But to find out that such a scroll was in your hands, you can only read it at least once. And, believe me, before you find what you are looking for, many spells of a very harmful nature will pass through your inventory. However, we have already talked about the risk a little higher, it remains only to get used to its constant presence. Moreover, without spending time identifying the things accumulated in the backpack, you will never be able to penetrate the lower, most interesting and rich in loot levels. After all, they are already waiting for you ...
Are you afraid of the letter T? Perhaps hardly - this is a useful enough element of the alphabet to respect and love it, but there is nothing in it that would inspire fear. In any case, this is the common opinion of those who have not played Rogue. But be prepared for the fact that the time has come to change your outlook on familiar things. Meet an unprepared character in a deaf section of stone halls letter T - and he runs the risk of never leaving hostile dungeons again. Trolls (namely, they will terrorize you, hiding under a seemingly harmless disguise) can be a real nightmare for anyone who does not show sufficient caution when fighting them. But these creatures are just one of two dozen types of evil and very hungry monsters that swarm on the outskirts of the Amulet. Not for life, but for death, you have to fight with centaurs, defeat proud griffins, look for invisible phantoms in the dark and send dozens of greedy orcs to the next world. Goblins, vampires, restless bats... Each opponent is happy to show you their unique habits that you need to learn if you want to succeed in your heroic campaign. This is where you will need to call for help all the power of the artifacts found on the way down and show courage and ingenuity so as not to leave the monsters a chance to win.
The wonders and extraordinary discoveries that await the player in the world of Rogue can be talked about tirelessly for hours on end. It's amazing how such a small program managed to fit rooms with unprecedented treasures, and powerful magic, and level creation algorithms that provide you with new adventures with each launch of the game. The concept of this RPG has survived to this day, having undergone only minor changes, and its spirit - and you can be sure of this - will never die. Because legends live forever, and they are always ready to delight both loyal fans and newcomers to the genre with their unforgettable gameplay and amazing atmosphere that will forever leave a mark on the memory. If you haven't met Rogue yet, it's time to find her a nice new companion for the next few nights. If you have more than one Amulet pulled from the depths of the earth behind your shoulders, then why not do it again? After all, pleasure like this is not boring.