Retro Replay Review

This compilation contains all three games of the series:

• Eye of the Beholder
• Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon
• Eye of the Beholder III: Assault on Myth Drannor

Gameplay

The Eye of the Beholder series remains a landmark in dungeon-crawling RPGs, offering real-time, grid-based exploration and tactical combat. From the dank sewers beneath Waterdeep to the haunted ruins of Myth Drannor, each game challenges players to think both strategically and creatively. Party management is critical: balancing fighters, clerics, wizards, and rogues against traps, puzzles, and hordes of monsters demands constant attention.

Eye of the Beholder II refines its predecessor’s controls by adding an integrated automap, smoother party interface, and more varied puzzle design. Darkmoon’s emphasis on non-linear exploration rewards thorough investigation, though its fiendish riddles sometimes stall progress. Combat remains ferocious, but the series strikes a satisfying balance between hack-and-slash thrills and thoughtful resource management.

By Eye of the Beholder III, the engines show their age, and some mechanics feel less polished. Austral’s new character classes and spells add depth, but uneven level design can make pacing feel inconsistent. Nonetheless, for veterans of the first two titles, Myth Drannor’s sprawling cityscape and hidden pathways offer fresh challenges and a fitting finale to the trilogy’s core systems.

Graphics

Originally released in the early 1990s, the first Eye of the Beholder dazzled with hand-drawn, 256-color VGA artwork that brought Undermountain to life. Flickering torchlight dances across mossy walls, and monsters boldly animate against richly detailed tilesets. Even today, the graphical style carries a nostalgic charm, its moody color palette and crisp sprites immersing players in claustrophobic corridors.

In Darkmoon, Bioware introduces subtler lighting effects and more elaborate environmental decor. Waterlogged caves, blood-splattered altars, and animated set-pieces help tell the tale without words. Although the overall resolution remains modest by modern standards, careful shading and well-executed sprite animations keep the world feeling alive and unpredictable.

Assault on Myth Drannor pushes the same engine further, but with inconsistent results. Some locales shine with elegant tile reuse and atmospheric backdrops, while others feel sparse or repetitive. Still, the compilation’s optional scaling filters and windowed modes let contemporary players tweak the visuals to taste, preserving the original look or softening the rough edges.

Story

Eye of the Beholder opens on a deceptively simple premise: A masked villain named Xan has seized control of the Xanathar Guild’s headquarters below Waterdeep, and you must clear out hordes of monsters to reach him. Despite minimal exposition, the descent into the Undermountain conveys urgency through environmental storytelling—cracked glyphs, ominous chanting, and scribbled warnings guide your party deeper into danger.

The Legend of Darkmoon expands the narrative scope, introducing a mysterious cult in the ruins of a lunar temple. Through scattered journals and enigmatic NPC encounters, you piece together Darkmoon’s hidden history and confront the spectral priestess Yxunomei. Dialogue is limited, but clever level design and in-game lore entries enrich the plot, making each dungeon feel unique and purposeful.

Assault on Myth Drannor aims for an epic finale, tasking heroes with liberating the ancient elven city from demonic influence. While the premise is grand, the storytelling becomes more disjointed: NPCs offer scant guidance, and the script occasionally clashes with the environment. Nevertheless, determined players will uncover subplots involving lost temples, hidden caches of lore, and cameos from beloved franchise figures.

Overall Experience

The Eye of the Beholder compilation is a must-have for fans of classic Dungeons & Dragons RPGs and anyone craving old-school dungeon-crawling brutality. Each game delivers dozens of hours of exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving, and the ability to switch between titles on the fly highlights both their shared DNA and individual quirks. The nostalgia factor is high, but these adventures can stand on their own merits.

Difficulty across the trilogy is steep: save often, map meticulously, and ration healing spells. Newcomers may bristle at archaic menus and occasional backtracking, but those hurdles also foster a strong sense of accomplishment. The compilation’s modern compatibility layer smooths out installation and performance issues, making it easier than ever to experience these classics on contemporary PCs.

Whether you’re revisiting old haunts or delving into Depths of Waterdeep for the first time, Eye of the Beholder I–III captures the spirit of tabletop adventuring with atmospheric design and relentless challenge. This series laid the groundwork for party-based RPGs to follow, and despite a few rough edges—particularly in the third installment—it remains an essential journey for genre enthusiasts and curious newcomers alike.

Retro Replay Score

7.3/10