Most spells become unlocked after the Shaman enters the Vault of Knowledge with the spells symbol above it and extracts the essence of the spell. Upon the way the player is able to use spells, courtesy of Stone Heads initially which require worship in order to dispense a set number to the players advantage. This entry places the player in the shoes of a female Shaman, in command of a tribe on a quest for control of the solar system.īattling against three other Shamans who are in command of the opposing Dakini, Chumara and Matak tribes, you must wrest control of the 24 planets which serve as the games levels. The game marks a departure from the top down interface of the previous games, instead utilising a 3D engine and allowing for direct control over followers. To do this you have to build a thriving village, train warriors, convert wild men and learn new spells. During the course of the games 25 levels you have to defeat three other Shamans' and their tribes in order to ascend to God-Hood. Seriously rock hard.The game sees you taking control of a Shaman of a tribe instead of a God influencing a tribe, as in the two previous Populous games. One thing you must remember above everything else is that these levels are difficult. This is not just a sightseeing tour, though.
Needless to say, the multiplayer levels contain similar amounts of fun and frolics.
Suitably impressed, the new Shaman marches forward and finishes the job.įurther highlights include redirecting lava flow through enemy villages, assaulting a giant fortress and rescuing the Shaman from prison in a pseudo CTF-type affair. Our rookie Shaman stands bemused on the beach of a strange new world, where she is quickly assisted by the old Shaman, who - keen to show off her flashy new powers - coolly blasts the enemy with a salvo of lightning, earthquake, fire rain and volcano spells. The first single-player stage illustrates this perfectly.
Bullfrog have clearly been touched by some kind of divine inspiration when it comes to imaginative new level design. It's not just the price that makes this a useful purchase, either. With 12 new singleplayer and 12 multiplayer levels at just Pound-10, the A' level students among you will deduce that at little more than 40p a level, this is probably a good deal. Initially intended to bolster the relatively weak multiplayer aspect of Populous: The Beginning, the Undiscovered Worlds mission disc is actually a worthy addition in both departments. Divine chaos rules as the four tribes of the Gods attempt to tear each other to pieces, again. The old Shaman has ascended to the heavens as an immortal, and in her place a new Shaman has arrived.