Aleshar: World of Ice

This RPG is first and foremost a survival simulation. It does feature a story, and a main quest, but survival in a hostile surrounding (the eponymous world of ice, where it is always winter) has a high priority. Your character has skills like survival and hunting. If these skills are too low, you might use up more food during hunting than you gain.

The interface is a bit confusing at first, especially since there are two different views with different movement interfaces. On the world map, where the view is slightly isometrical, you move with the arrow keys the way you are used from most RPGs. But in combat, dungeons, and towns, where the view is strictly top-down, movement is achieved similar to old FPS games: The up arrow always moves the character in the direction he is facing, the other keys change this direction.

With 2000-07-11, the authors released the game, that previously was distributed as comparatively moderately priced shareware (50 Finnmark or $15) as freeware.

Getting it to Run

Forget the VESA modes, run it at 320×200. The graphics are always the same, higher resolutions just add a bit of anti-aliasing that's hardly worth the trouble. On DOSBox, some graphics display worse in the VESA modes.

If you want to run it under real DOS, you need a 486 or Pentium and should absolutely have a Gravis Ultrasound. It will reduce the amount of required free conventional memory from a difficult to achieve 500+ kB to a comfortable 350 kB or so.

If you want to play it in DOSBox, choose Soundblaster in the setup. Gravis Ultrasound won't work at all, and Soundblaster 16 will give awful noises. With the Soundblaster setting it will work well, and the music doesn't sound bad.

Steckbrief

• Concept: RPG
• Developer: Hypothermia
• Year: 1997
• Country of Origin:

Download

• Aleshar: World of Ice (2.51 MB, ZIP)

Links

• Aleshar screenshots