Arthurs Knights Chapter II: The Secret of Merlin

Remember Arthur's Knights Chapter? Neither do we. Apparently it came out in November last year and somehow managed to pass us by. Never mind, because this is more of a continuation than a sequel and both gameplay and graphics are relatively unchanged. Of course, if you were suckered into buying the first game it's not going to do you a whole lot of good to find out just how rubbish it is now. Well, you should know not to buy any game we haven't reviewed.

There's usually a reason. Like the publishers did everything in their power to hide it from us. The title is self-explanatory. The game is set during the times of Arthurian legend when the world consisted of a couple of roads, two villas and a handful of people. Or at least that's the version The Secret Of Merlin tries to put forth.

Although, strictly speaking, this can be classed as an adventure game, there are no puzzles to speak of. Gameplay consists of wandering through the map talking to people, picking up objects and using them. Everything is straightforward and the only challenge is to stay awake and not become dangerously annoyed at the amount of time it takes to get from one point of the map to another.

Most places only have one character you can talk to, and even then it's only if you have been to the previous correct place beforehand. Everything must be done in rigorous order.

The other gripes include the graphics being second rate, the dialogue being risible, while the voice-acting ranges from the passable to the absolutely murderously awful. Sometimes in games this can provide some laughs, but in The Secret Of Merlin it's just plain old aggravating. I'd be more vitriolic, but it's actually quite hard to get worked up about something so dull.