Veil Of Darkness (1993)(Strategic Simulations Inc) Game

Veil of Darkness is an oldschool horror-adventure/RPG title for the PC. The player finds himself trapped in a valley in Romania ruled by the vampire lord Kairn. As the "chosen one", the player must find a way to end the reign of Kairn and escape from the valley - this, however, can be quite a difficult task. The land is heavily influenced by the vampire lord's power: it is populated by various kinds of evil creatures ranging from zombies to werewolves, and the local villagers themselves might not be as innocent as they seem at first glance.

Veil of Darkness offers an isometric view, while the protagonist is controlled with the mouse; items are accessed from an inventory screen and battles are fought in real time, giving the game a slight RPG feel. The player can travel freely in the valley, explore different areas and talk to the locals in order to find clues. While the game is rather atmospheric with its Romanian/dark fantasy environment, it can become quite tedious after a while. Its difficulty might not be a major problem for seasoned adventure gamers, but for those not entirely familiar with the genre, it might become frustrating.

While it is certainly not the best title to use in order to introduce a "newcomer" to adventure games in general, fans of the genre and the dark setting might find the game quite charming, despite its flaws.