Item - Flight from the Dark

It's practically impossible to write objectively about this book. I've probably read and re-read it more times than any other book that I own. Although the writing is a bit more dry than I remember it being (I guess childhood imagination does make a difference), this remains a satisfying start to a grand adventure. The challenge level is neither too hard nor too easy, with numerous ways to reach a successful conclusion and choices that are always in some way meaningful. It was a great pleasure to revisit the adventure, and if you somehow haven't played it yet, you owe it to yourself to give it a try. Since it's now available for free online play at Project Aon, there's really no excuse not to.

More reviews by Demian

This is the first gamebook I have ever received, and it holds good memories. You are almost immediately thrust into the thick of the action, following the invasion of the Darklords. Realizing that the invasion is a full-scale assault, you decided that the king of Sommerlund must be warned, so that enough preparations can be made to counter the impending wave of destruction.

One nice thing that I have discovered about this book, with the right skills and decisions, is that it is actually possible to win the book without fighting ANY battles at all. Even with the weakest starting abilities, you can win without any fear. It would be a good challenge to find that path, whether you are a veteran or a new player.

More reviews by firaya

Well, after 30 or so years, I've finally revisited Lone Wolf, thanks to Project Aon. I found that I had remembered very little of the book, aside from the warrior monk aspect and the weapon specializations.

The story is quite basic: after a Conanesque scene where your monestary is destroyed, you go on a quest to warn the king. The choices feel quite open-ended as you are often choosing pathways, based on little info. It very much feels like it is feeling its way, which is fine for a first book. They story doesn't feel quite as developed as the Grey Star books.

Like Grey Star, it has probably my favourite combat system. With a chart in which each combatant can lose large amounts of endurance points, the fights feel short and brutal, unlike the long drawn out battles in Fighting Fantasy.

The only thing I don't quite get is that all the weapons appear equal, with no combat difference between using a dagger, a quarterstaff or a broadsword. The only difference is whether or not you have a specialization in said weapon.

The short sections were no bother, playing it on my Kindle, as you could instantly skip to that section. My only difficulty was the combat section and action chart, which I solved by printing out copies to have on hand for reference.

I agree with Demian that it would involve more strategy if you didn't roll for skill and endurance, but I found that after several deaths, I was able to win with a character who had 13 combat skill and 24 endurance (a weak character) as the combats aren't very tough. I was much more likely to get instant kills.

The real strategy comes in choosing your Kai disciplines, such as hunting, camouflage, mindblast, and so on. As most of the adventure takes place in the wilderness, I found the outdoor rangerish skills the most practical. I quickly dumped weapon specialization (a +2 to combat but only with your randomly selected special weapon) for more useful stuff.

Overall, a bit of good fun and I'm looking forward to more. But Grey Star is still my favourite.

More reviews by Kveto

[Rating: 7/10]
[Recommended? YES]

The start of the Lone Wolf series is one which is generally held in high esteem by essentially all gamebook lovers, and despite my own lack of overall familiarity with it before heading into the series' debut title, I'll admit I hadn't known what exactly could be expected. "Flight from the Dark" kicks off the series with style to spare, an intelligently crafted system (which is rightfully ranked among the best ever developed in interactive fiction), and an attentively attuned atmosphere that exceeded my expectations. The storytelling plays out exactly as a gamebook should; it shifts between atmospheric tones and dialectic dictation with such natural ease that one could easily see Joe Dever's talent for world design and interactivity. Similarly, the pace of the story - for all it's worth - feels very natural for the world and the system itself require.

Perhaps the greatest strength of the book is its openness and startling variety of passages/narrative options. Outstandingly, the story is incredibly interactive (and arguably quite replayable), with a real moral weight taken into consideration for many choices as the opportunities allow. It IS possible to avoid conflict in many cases; during my initial run I only encountered a single enemy (saving the soon-to-be-deceased prince) which I could have avoided (but chose not to). A similar weakness is the questionable difficulty level; maybe this was done so as to invoke common sense in readers to prepare for more challenging quests ahead. Of course, the good outweighs the bad with this classic. And of course, it's the kind of thing that has to be experienced for oneself for the first time... and few words can really sum it up.

The sheer scope of the series is understandably a little daunting to many gamebook seekers, but the reputation garnered by this Lone Wolf entry is well-deserved. Even though I'm still not entirely sure it's my cup of tea, the amount of praise deserved by this book is very fair and not worthy of dismissiveness. "Flight from the Dark" is meaningful/worthwhile enough to deserve its legacy, and I do hope that others will continue to give it the shot it deserves - a classic of interactive literature that will hopefully be remembered and praised for its many highlights and offerings. ^^

(Mysteriously disappears into the shadows.)

More reviews by Shadeheart