Master of Dimensions | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Makh-Shevet |
Publisher(s) | Eidos Interactive |
Release | 1996 |
Genre(s) | Point and click adventure |
Master of Dimensions (שליט המימדים) is a 1996 adventure video game by Israeli developer Makh-Shevet (through their division Mad Engine[1]) and published by Eidos Interactive.
After several years of translating foreign adventure games into Hebrew Makh-Shevet created Master of Dimensions as its first original title.[2] Master of Dimensions is based on an RPG of the same name that Makh-Shevet founder Oren Obstblum created with some friends in 1985[3][4][5] as a result of his dissatisfaction with current RPG.[6] He and his friends started fantasizing about traveling into parallel dimensions to fantastic places and eras.[7] Later when creating a video game, he decided to draw from this idea.[6] The game was programmed by Eric Siegel, who incorporated both 3D and 2D animation.[8]
The game's publisher was Eidos Interactive, who were following up their interactive adventure The Riddle of Master Lu.[9] It was distributed in English under licence by US Gold[10] while Polish distributor of the game, Mirage, produced a localised version under the title Władca Wymiarów.[11] It was localised for the Brazilian market by BraSoft Corporation.[12] The German version featured well-known German voice actors.[13]
At the time, it was one of the only Israeli computer games developed and distributed outside Israel.[2]
The game was relatively successful, and very popular in Europe,[3] leading to Makh-Shevet developing another, less successful puzzle adventure game called Grenix.[2] Master of Dimensions' elderly woman character Omis would later feature in the 1997 Makh-Shevet title Armed & Delirious.[14]
Players take the role of a young man who must try to save the magician Merlin.[15][16] The game features a dozen interconnected mini-stories, which correspond to different dimensions the player visits,[17] ranging from detective comics and classic fantasy elements to ultra-realistic mega-cities.[18] The game has a point-and-click interface.
Critical reception to the game has been mixed.
PC Top Player deemed it a mediocre video game, criticising its unoriginal plot and simple gameplay.[19] Metzomagic critiqued the game's "occasional obscure solution and seeming dead-end, humungous maze and a timed puzzle".[20] Świat Gier Komputerowych liked its "nice graphics, well-chosen difficulty level and...variety".[11] Gry komputerowe wrote it is "well-designed in terms of graphics".[21] Micromania felt the game had "interesting characters and well-plotted stories".[17] PC Player praised the game's "lovely little details" including its music, gags and decent voicework, but criticised the pixel hunting.[22] The magazine added that despite the game experiencing the "teething troubles of a first work", its "small, loving details" reflected the earnestness of its creators.[22]
Paul Ricketts of The Post noted the game's "variety of locations" and "character interaction" as entertaining aspects.[23] PC Home praised graphical elements including large scale character sprites, and camera changes.[24] Folha De Londrina felt the player would have to "work hard" to decipher the game's puzzles.[25] PC Games enjoyed the game's "optical and acoustic details".[26] Meanwhile, PC Joker thought the game had replayability due to its variable solutions.[13]