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Cadaver (video game)
Encyclopedia
Cadaver is an isometric
action-adventure game
by the Bitmap Brothers
, originally released by Image Works
in 1990, for Atari ST
, Amiga
, MS-DOS
and Acorn Archimedes
. In the game the player controls Karadoc the dwarf.
In the original Cadaver, Karadoc, who is a gold
-hungry dwarf and really just hopes to find a treasure
, is on a mission to seek out and kill the necromancer Dianos, the sole remaining inhabitant of Castle Wulf.
The game consists of five levels representing different floors of Castle Wulf. Entering the castle via the sewers, Karadoc works his way up from the dungeons, through guard chambers, royal hall, the king's private chambers and finally the battlements with Dianos's sanctum.
Karadoc's main modus operandi is picking up, throwing, pulling, pushing and stacking objects. By piling up a number of boxes, bones or other items, it is possible to reach higher places. Karadoc can find and use a small number of weapons such as rocks and shuriken
, but puzzles are the main driving-force behind the gameplay.
The game is heavily scripted. The isometric objects can react to a variety of other objects; for instance, a poisoned key can be cleaned by dropping a vial
of water on it, and potions can be enhanced by the potion booster spell. The game has a wide variety of puzzles requiring items to be found, brought and used in a variety of places. The solutions to these puzzles sometimes require leaps in logic and the game has plenty of secret areas, hidden spells etc. Many of the puzzles also have multiple-solutions and there is often no specific order that the puzzles on a level have to be solved in.
Gameplay is similar. Cadaver: The Payoff has only four levels, but they are significantly larger than those of the first game, and the second level has a large number of monsters and scant possibilities to heal.
There are three levels besides the nine from the two official releases:
The Atari version was awarded as "C+VG HIT" in the Computer and Video Games magazine
issue 107 in 1990. In the same year, the Amiga version received a "CU Screen Star" from the CU Amiga Magazine
and was made an "Amiga Joker Hit" in the Amiga Joker magazine
, amongst others
Isometric projection
Isometric projection is a method for visually representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions in technical and engineering drawings...
action-adventure game
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
by the Bitmap Brothers
Bitmap Brothers
The Bitmap Brothers were a UK based video game developer founded in 1987. The company entered the industry in 1988 with the scrolling shooter Xenon. They quickly followed with the classic Speedball...
, originally released by Image Works
Image Works
Image Works was a publishing label of video games publisher Mirrorsoft created in 1988. The first two games published under the Image Works label were Fernandez Must Die and Foxx Fights Back...
in 1990, for Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
and Acorn Archimedes
Acorn Archimedes
The Acorn Archimedes was Acorn Computers Ltd's first general purpose home computer to be based on their own ARM architecture.Using a RISC design with a 32-bit CPU, at its launch in June 1987, the Archimedes was stated as running at 4 MIPS, with a claim of 18 MIPS during tests.The name is commonly...
. In the game the player controls Karadoc the dwarf.
Plot and levels
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
-hungry dwarf and really just hopes to find a treasure
Treasure
Treasure is a concentration of riches, often one which is considered lost or forgotten until being rediscovered...
, is on a mission to seek out and kill the necromancer Dianos, the sole remaining inhabitant of Castle Wulf.
The game consists of five levels representing different floors of Castle Wulf. Entering the castle via the sewers, Karadoc works his way up from the dungeons, through guard chambers, royal hall, the king's private chambers and finally the battlements with Dianos's sanctum.
Karadoc's main modus operandi is picking up, throwing, pulling, pushing and stacking objects. By piling up a number of boxes, bones or other items, it is possible to reach higher places. Karadoc can find and use a small number of weapons such as rocks and shuriken
Shuriken
A shuriken is a traditional Japanese concealed weapon that was generally used for throwing, and sometimes stabbing or slashing...
, but puzzles are the main driving-force behind the gameplay.
The game is heavily scripted. The isometric objects can react to a variety of other objects; for instance, a poisoned key can be cleaned by dropping a vial
Vial
A vial is a relatively small glass vessel or bottle, especially used to store medication as liquids, powders or in other forms like capsules. They can also be sample vessels; e.g., for use in autosampler devices in analytical chromatography.The glass can be colourless or coloured, clear or amber...
of water on it, and potions can be enhanced by the potion booster spell. The game has a wide variety of puzzles requiring items to be found, brought and used in a variety of places. The solutions to these puzzles sometimes require leaps in logic and the game has plenty of secret areas, hidden spells etc. Many of the puzzles also have multiple-solutions and there is often no specific order that the puzzles on a level have to be solved in.
Movement
The game is played using a joystick, with which you can control the movement of Karadoc in 8 directions. The directions are not as one would expect in a game from today - instead, they are rotated. If you push the joystick up, Karadoc will run "north", which is right-up on the screen. If you want Karadoc to move up on the screen (which is "north-west" in the game), you need to push the joystick left-up. The fire button of the joystick is used to jump.Interaction with objects
When Karadoc touches an object, he can push it around, unless it is too heavy (a potion of strength allows pushing heavier objects). Touching an object also causes the context menu to be enabled. When the context menu is enabled, the fire button is used to select an action from the menu instead of jumping. The possible actions depend on the type of object, and are represented with icons. They include things like investigate, pull, pick up, drink, open, insert, give and some others. Items which are picked up land in Karadocs inventory, and get additional actions, like cast for spells. One item at a time also can be readied, usually a weapon, which makes the fire button throw or use the readied item instead of jumping.Cadaver: The Payoff
The game has a follow-up named The Payoff. After defeating Dianos, Karadoc returns to the inn only to find his employers gone, and every living person within the city either dead or transformed into a monster. Seeking the cause behind this, the dwarf fights his way to the local temple, and finds the answers - and his money - deep down in the crypts.Gameplay is similar. Cadaver: The Payoff has only four levels, but they are significantly larger than those of the first game, and the second level has a large number of monsters and scant possibilities to heal.
Demos
- Gatehouse, an early preview demo of the game, released on Amiga Format Cover Disk #13 .
- Temple.
- The Last Supper, a demo released on Zero Coverdisk #15 in issue 23. The story takes place in the "Zeigenhoff" building, and sometimes this demo is referred to by that name. The demo ends with Caradoc's death in an unavoidable trap.
Reception
The game was received very well at its release. According to the official site, it has received the following awards:- Golden Chalice 1990 Adventure Game of the Year
- Generation 4 1990 Best Foreign Adventure
- Golden Chalice Adventure Game of the Year
The Atari version was awarded as "C+VG HIT" in the Computer and Video Games magazine
Computer and Video Games (magazine)
Computer and Video Games is a video game magazine and website published in the United Kingdom.- History :...
issue 107 in 1990. In the same year, the Amiga version received a "CU Screen Star" from the CU Amiga Magazine
and was made an "Amiga Joker Hit" in the Amiga Joker magazine
, amongst others