Master Labyrinth – Review – The World of CD-i

The World of CD-i Chronicles #27

Have you ever wanted to be inside a labyrinth trying to find your way out? Lost for hours? It is now possible with this CD-i version!
And if you could play it in family or with friends… drinking a beer…?

SOME HISTORY:
Published by and produced by AVM AG/HQ GmbH in 1994, this labyrinth with the walls always in movement is an idea of Ravensburger, the king of board games.
No problem if you can’t remember the board game, you will know how to play it after reading this review.

SOME FACTS:
Ravensburger did convert another board game for CD-i, Scotland Yard. There is no doubt the CD-i is the perfect platform to convert a board game into a digital and interactive game!

THE GAME:
This game is a pure labyrinth game style.
It starts with the new Philips Media animation and the Interactive Entertainment Found.

A 3D video present the game showing an old manor… accompanied by a sinister music and noises from the forest… a good way to put you in the ambiance of what is coming for you…

As I am reviewing the European version, once the video finished, you will have to choose the language between:
German, Dutch, English and French.

Once chosen, an animation will brings you to Main Menu, the place that you can choose the number of players, between 1 to 4 (alternatively).

In the options, you can choose the number of magic objects that will have to find. They can be 7, 13 or 21.
You also can play with or without the 3D labyrinth (we will talk about this later).

After setting the options and the number of players, you are going the the basement of the manor… the underground labyrinth…

WITHOUT 3D LABYRINTH GAMEPLAY:
I choose 4 players and 21 magical objects. The 1st game a am playing is without 3D labyrinth, this way it is easy to understand the way you play the game.
4 player represented by 4 icons that are:
Red star, Green cross, Yellow heart and Blue triangle.

Each player have to reach a Magical Object (treasure) numbered 1, 2 and 3 to win points (the brown boxes). Treasure 1 is the one with less points and treasure 3 the one with more points. But the points aren’t linear as the quicker you reach them, more points you will get.

But before you can reach them, you need to add a wall piece into the labyrinth. Doing this you will change the line you are going to insert it. You can rotate the new piece to be more appropriate to your next move. Once you have added it, you can move your player.
Even if more than 1 treasure is on your way, your turn pass after taking the first, so be clever and think well before taking it… choose the one with more points!

By moving the walls, you are also destroying or helping your opponent next move!
Be sure you are fast, the clock will limit you and if you are not fast enough, your turn will pass…

If you play the game alone (1 player) the game rules are the same, but you are the only one playing (the opponents are just present but not playing).

After getting all the Magical Objects, the player with more points are the winner and you will write your name one the Guestbook of the mansion.

WITH 3D LABYRINTH GAMEPLAY:
Now playing the 3D labyrinth gives more interactivity to the game.
It starts the same way, you need to add a piece before playing, but after that, you will walk in the labyrinth.

You will always start facing North, just like the board game. Use the arrows to go forward, turn left or right.
You will meet entities and you will have to choose if they are friends or phantoms… to decide who it is, just click the left or the right icon.
If you are wrong and give a hand-check to a phantom, you will lose your points… if you get the right answer, you will follow your way.

If you find a treasure, you also will decide if it is a real one or a magical one… if you are right and decide that it is a magical one, then you can double or triplicate your points! If it is not a magical one but decided it is… you will lose the treasure.

After you finish the game, an animation with the player will appear in a party in the mansion.

To conclude, this is a very good game to play with friends or even alone. I do prefer playing without the 3D labyrinth, it is faster. The 3D labyrinth is a little bit confusion to find your way, even if you can always check your position on the boar.

When exiting the game, you will see the pictures of the people who worked on the game.