Difficulty:

Hard

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Immersive"

Temple of Elemental Evil is a slow paced and delightful RPG focused on the strategic aspect of Dungeon & Dragon. The story is rather bland, and fighting is what makes it shine. If you don't like turn based combat, slowly fought to the end with the help of your brain and the rulebook, you can't enjoy TOEE. If you don't use the rich panel of possibilities offered by D&D rules, pondering what to use and what to use not, carefully planing moves and actions, you can't beat your opponents. Don't be fooled by the isometric aspect of the game : it has nothing to do with an action RPG, neither does it come close to the Baldur's style. The more related gameplay you can find is in the last Pool of Radiance.

TOEE is a great learning tool. Perhaps you are, like many PC RPG gamers (myself included), a bit confused about the "behind the click" mechanics of Dungeon & Dragon. This game offers you the possibility to learn and understand what is at work in the mysterious calculation department. The 3.5 edition of Dungeon & Dragon rules guide is embedded in the game, and will provide you with every possible information. Just click on any word related to the game mechanics (those words are in blue), and a window explaining the function of it pops up. Exact application of spells, details on rolls, precisions about states, subtleties of bonuses, various interactions of hidden mathematical elements... Everything is clearly exposed.

Temple of Elemental Evil is a great RPG combat teacher and allows you to understand everything of the game mechanics. And understand you must, if you don't want to die at the hands of your foes. Combat is not easy in TOEE. Be smart, or be dead...