Get ready for fear!
This is the first in a number of licensed games featuring well known horror queen, Elvira, and which also includes Elvira 2 and Elvira Arcade Game. This one is probably the best use of the character and is actually quite a fun little horror romp that is worth a little play time. The delightfully bonkers plot finds Elvira out to regain her lost power, which has been stolen by an ancient sorceress, and once it's returned, she aims to restore her castle to its former glory. In terms of the gameplay, this is a first person and text adventure, similar to early RPGs like Dungeon Master, albeit with not quite so much depth. As Elvira's chosen lackey, it's your job to explore the various parts of her castle while battling against the numerous demons and other foul beasties that have overrun it. The interface makes use of text adventure-style commands for certain actions, like examining objects and unlocking doors, while combat itself plays out in real time, and requires you to time your attacks and defense carefully. Elvira certainly isn't a must play, but if you're into campy horror, then you could do far worse than check it out. The storyline is surprisingly engaging, while the whole thing is brought quite vividly to life through some detailed and appropriately creepy design work, with the sound adding greatly to the overall feel. The mix of exploration, puzzle solving and combat gives things a nice sense of variety and are all implemented well enough, and combine to make this a slight but enjoyable adventure.
