Castle Explorer provides a visually enchanting view of the life and
times of 14th-century Europe. It invites the user to
explore Baron Mortimer's castle in one of two ways-as an honest page or
as a suspicious spy. As a page, the user can wander about the castle
grounds without worry. To begin the adventure, the user can click on
one of the ten active areas on the aerial view of the Castle Guide.
Exposed is a colorful and detailed cross-section of the area which
contains dissolving walls and movable rooftops which reveal the sound
and activities within. The user can also click on other parts of the
cross-section for explanation boxes. Finally, the user can step
inside 3-D rooms to explore the contents and meet occupants of the room.
To access more detailed information about 14th-century life, the user can visit the Library and browse through one of six beautiful books with extensive tables of contents, pages and pages of explanation, and pictures of castle characters which explain their duties when clicked. The Word Search option enables the user to directly access information on specific topics through an alphabetical index.
As a spy, the user may explore the castle in disguise using the same features as the page but must search for pieces of a secret map for the king and avoid getting caught and thrown in the dungeon. To better understand the king's mission, the user can refer to The Spy Handbook which accompanies the CD-ROM. Whether as a page or a spy, the excellent graphics and artwork will captivate users for hours as they explore the detailed castle cross-sections or visit the 3-D rooms occupied by inhabitants with English accents. [To Top]
Educational Merit: The program contains excellent educational information. The nature of the program is better suited for leisure learning.
User Warning: The graphics, explanations, and sound effects of some topics, such as execution methods, may offend some users.[To Top]
MCR Online at www.mcronline.com 1997. Page 2:
Midwest Computer Review Online, an Internet PC Review Magazine, states
"DK Multimedia has put a whole lot of fun into this program while providing the user accurate and detailed information about life inside a castle. The graphics are great and the sound even better."
System Requirements: For Windows, a multimedia PC, with 486DX/33Mhz or higher microprocessor, 8Mb RAM, MPC-compatible double-speed CD-ROM drive and sound card, mouse, SVGA 256 color display, loudspeaker or headphones, and Microsoft Windows version 3.1x or Windows 95. For Macintosh, an Apple Macintosh 68LC040 25 Mhz computer or above that supports a 640 x 480 pixel monitor displaying 256 colors, 8 Mb RAM, a double-speed CD-ROM drive, and System 7.0 or later.
For This Review: 486DX/66 Mhz, 8Mb, 4x CD-ROM drive, Soundblaster sound card, Cirrus video version 1.02, VGA 16 million Color, Window 3.1.
Reviewer's Note: This system created minor frustration with the slow speed to view the 3-D rooms and occasional un-sychronized sound and video. Additional RAM and video memory would probably alleviate these problems.
Installation: Instructions for installation are given on the package and are easy to follow. No difficulties were encountered. [To Top]
