The story in Crystalis revolves around a young warrior who was cryogenically suspended before an earthly cataclysm that was scheduled to take place October 7, 1997. After the doomsday event, the earth is being rebuilt under the threat of trouble erupting again. After 100 years in a cryogenic state, the warrior is revived with the hope that he can stop the world from being destroyed for a second time. An evil menace named Draygonia is dead set on destroying the world, and it's your job to help the warrior stop him.

The game offers plenty hack-and-slash combat. A very Zelda-like inventory system is extremely handy, and the game relies heavily on special items. While Crystalis doesn't come close to offering up the same level of gaming experience as other games in this genre, it does offer an entertaining quest nonetheless. In the end, anyone who's a fan of Nintendo's Zelda series will no doubt find this a nice adventure to romp through (at least until Link returns). --Todd Mowatt

Pros:

• Plenty of hack-and-slash combat

• Not as entertaining as others in its genre