Rings of Medusa is a fantasy-themed video game developed and published by Starbyte Software for the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and DOS in 1989. The game is a hybrid of role-playing, strategy and trading genres. It has received mixed reviews. The game was followed by a sequel, The Return of Medusa, in 1991. A well-received enhanced remake titled R.O.M. Gold: Rings of Medusa was released in 1994 for the Amiga and DOS, and another is currently in development.
Gameplay
The game centers around the quest of Prince Cirion of Morenor attempting to save the kingdom from an evil spell of the demonworld queen Medusa who has split his country and forced him into exile. Cirion must find five magic rings, scattered around the country, to summon the witch for a final showdown. The rings can be found by conquering cities, digging for treasure and a sea fight. The player must gain enough money to finance a strong army. To achieve this, the protagonist Cirion trades with goods between towns, whereas he is subject to bandit attacks. On the map the player may also dig for treasures, conquer cities and install troops to defend that town, and later cross the large ocean and visit other islands. Within the game, the player controls directly only the squadron that Cirion is with, the other troops use a defense plan chosen previously. When the player visits a city, a control screen appears, with options to sell and buy wares, gamble in the casino, gather information on temples and recruit troops.
Reception
Rings of Medusa received mixed reviews, including the same highly positive score of 85% in both Amiga Computing and ACE. Other ratings included 80% from Power Play, 71% from Zzap!64, 51/60 from ASM, and 44% from The Games Machine. Computer Gaming World approved of the game's graphics, but criticized the interface and gameplay as clumsy, needlessly difficult, and unrealistic. The magazine concluded that it "can find no way to recommend Rings of Medusa... an unfinished game with a need for a major overhaul."
Legacy
Sequel
In the sequel it is revealed that the vanquished Medusa is not done for as she has merely escaped 300 years into the future, and so Cirion follows there to defeat her once and for all. Unlike Rings of Medusa, The Return of Medusa is a first-person viewrole-playing game. It was released for the Amiga, Atari ST and PC DOS in 1991.
1994 remake
A remake titled R.O.M. Gold: Rings of Medusa was developed by Starbyte Software and published by General Admission Software for the Amiga and PC DOS in 1994. In comparison with the original version, the game features enhanced graphics and sound, as well as an improved interface. R.O.M. Gold received generally positive scores, including 79% from both Amiga Games and Amiga Joker, and 71% from Power Play.
New remake project
Another remake is currently in development by the original game's creator and artist Torsten Zimmermann.
