Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Fantasy Fest! delivers a diverse gameplay experience by bundling four distinct AD&D and D&D titles into a single package. Dungeon Hack offers a classic dungeon-crawling romp with procedurally generated levels, encouraging repeated playthroughs and character experimentation. Unlimited Adventures hands players powerful tools to craft their own modules, from custom dungeon layouts to quest scripts, essentially extending the game’s lifespan indefinitely. Fantasy Empires shifts the focus to turn-based strategy, tasking you with expanding your domain, managing resources, and outmaneuvering rival factions on a hexagonal campaign map. Finally, Stronghold puts you in command of castle defenses, blending tactical unit placement with real-time skirmishes and siege warfare.

Each game faithfully adapts core AD&D mechanics—character stats, spell progression, and combat tables—so veteran tabletop players will feel right at home. Dungeon Hack’s hack-and-slash flow relies on inventory management and trap detection, while Unlimited Adventures requires a more varied approach, depending on the custom scenarios you load or design. In Fantasy Empires, diplomacy and province‐level decisions can be as important as battlefield tactics, and Stronghold’s emphasis on choke points and wall defenses demands strategic foresight. The result is a compilation that appeals to different playstyles, from improvisational dungeon delving to empire-building and fortification challenges.

That said, newcomers to old-school CRPGs and strategy games should be prepared for steep learning curves. User interfaces across all four titles are functional but rooted in early ’90s design conventions—keyboard‐driven menus, minimal tooltips, and static maps. The thrill of discovery and the satisfaction of mastering these systems, however, often outweigh the initial hurdles. Whether you’re experimenting with character builds in Dungeon Hack, unleashing creativity in Unlimited Adventures, or guiding armies across the map in Fantasy Empires and Stronghold, Fantasy Fest! stands as a testament to the enduring appeal of classic Dungeons & Dragons gameplay.

Graphics

The visual presentation in Fantasy Fest! is unapologetically retro, showcasing 2D pixel art and sprite-based animations characteristic of early PC RPGs and strategy titles. Dungeon Hack’s dark, labyrinthine corridors feature moody lighting and detailed floor tiles, giving each level a distinct, immersive atmosphere despite the limited color palette. Unlimited Adventures employs modular tilesets lifted straight from the Gold Box era, allowing for varied environments but often resulting in jarring transitions between different asset packs created by users.

Fantasy Empires offers a broad overhead view of your realm, with provinces delineated by clear borders and simple icons representing castles, armies, and resources. While the map graphics lack dynamic effects or elaborate animations, they convey the necessary information at a glance. Stronghold injects more life into its battlefield scenes, featuring character sprites marching along battlements and siege engines hurling boulders in real time. The animation frames are sparse by modern standards, but they capture the gritty charm of medieval warfare.

Viewed through a contemporary lens, these games may appear dated, with blocky resolutions and limited zoom options. Text is often small and solely pixel-based, requiring careful reading. However, fans of pixel art and classic RPG aesthetics will find that the painstakingly drawn environments hold a nostalgic appeal. Fantasy Fest! does not upscale or remaster the visuals; you’re experiencing these titles as they originally shipped, which can be a double-edged sword depending on your tolerance for retro graphics.

Story

As an anthology, Fantasy Fest! does not deliver a single, overarching narrative but instead presents four standalone adventures rooted in AD&D lore. Dungeon Hack tasks you with venturing into a cursed dungeon rumored to hold a powerful artifact, with flavor text referencing classic Ravenloft modules. While the story framework is minimal—primarily serving as a backdrop for dungeon exploration—it captures the essence of dungeon-delving campaigns.

Unlimited Adventures breaks the mold by supplying only the creation engine and a handful of sample scenarios; the narrative is entirely user-driven. You can follow community-made campaigns that span ambitious story arcs or design your own quests from scratch. This freedom results in infinite storytelling possibilities, provided you’re willing to invest the time to craft engaging plotlines and encounters.

Fantasy Empires and Stronghold both incorporate light narrative elements to contextualize your strategic objectives. In Fantasy Empires, you assume the mantle of a fledgling ruler striving to unite warring provinces under your banner, punctuated by event-driven dialogues and occasional heroic vignettes. Stronghold’s campaign mode weaves a tale of fortress reclamation and defense, complete with scripted cutscenes and mission briefings. Though neither offers deep character development or cinematic storytelling, they nevertheless provide enough lore to motivate your conquests.

Overall Experience

Fantasy Fest! offers tremendous value for retro RPG and strategy aficionados, delivering four full games at a price that rivals many single-title releases. The compilation shines when you embrace its old-school identity: pixel-perfect nostalgia, robust AD&D mechanics, and open-ended design tools. Dungeon Hack and Unlimited Adventures alone provide countless hours of exploration and creative play, while Fantasy Empires and Stronghold round out the package with strategic depth and castle management thrills.

Installation and compatibility can require some patience. Modern operating systems may necessitate bundled DOSBox wrappers or community‐created patches to run smoothly, and the user interfaces occasionally suffer from resolution scaling issues. However, once configured, all four titles run reliably, offering an authentic early-’90s PC gaming experience.

Ultimately, Fantasy Fest! is best suited for those who appreciate the roots of computer RPGs and want a comprehensive look at licensed AD&D adaptations. Newcomers to the genre should be prepared for dated visuals, text-heavy menus, and manual keyboard commands. Fans seeking fast-paced, streamlined interfaces may find the package cumbersome, but for anyone eager to relive—or discover—the golden age of Dungeons & Dragons on the PC, Fantasy Fest! is a treasure trove worth exploring.

Retro Replay Score

null/10