Forgotten Realms: The Archives - Collection Two Reviews

Great Nostalgia game

Almost 35 years after first trying on my Commodore 64 I finally finished Curse of the azure bonds. Will I ever finish remaining two games (secret of silver blades and pools of darkness) before I die? Who knows.

Forgotten Realms: The Archives – Collection Two is a robust anthology of classic computer RPGs that not only preserves a pivotal era in gaming history but also serves as a testament to the foundational mechanics that shaped the CRPG genre. Bundled in this collection are seven Advanced Dungeons & Dragons-based titles originally released in the late '80s and early '90s, including Pool of Radiance, Curse of the Azure Bonds, Secret of the Silver Blades, Pools of Darkness, Gateway to the Savage Frontier, Treasures of the Savage Frontier, and the scenario editor Unlimited Adventures. These are the famed “Gold Box” games—named for the packaging style used by SSI—that brought the rules and spirit of tabletop D&D to the personal computer with unprecedented fidelity for their time. Each of these games plays out like a digital campaign, complete with character creation, turn-based tactical combat, dungeon crawling, and sprawling quests. What sets them apart even today is their commitment to granular player agency and tactical depth. In Pool of Radiance, players undertake the restoration of the city of Phlan, battling monsters and reclaiming territory in a satisfying, methodical progression. Its direct sequel, Curse of the Azure Bonds, adds layers of mystery and narrative intrigue, introducing branching paths and unique enemies. Secret of the Silver Blades and Pools of Darkness scale the adventure to more epic proportions, with encounters growing increasingly complex and narrative stakes escalating. The Savage Frontier entries offer wilderness exploration and different cultural backdrops, while Unlimited Adventures is a creative sandbox that lets players design their own modules using the familiar engine. Despite the technical limitations of their era, these games still hold up in terms of design ambition. Combat is detailed and unforgiving, rewarding tactical foresight and punishing carelessness. Positioning, spell timing, terrain considerations, and initiative all play a role in shaping the outcome of battles. Character creation is as flexible and intricate as the 1st Edition AD&D rules allow, offering a wide range of classes, races, and stat distributions that can significantly alter how your party operates. Progression is slow and meaningful, and choices made early on often ripple through the course of a campaign. There’s a real sense that every decision matters, and every victory has been earned. That said, these are very much games of their time, and modern players used to accessibility and quality-of-life features may find the learning curve steep. The original interfaces are text-heavy and require frequent menu navigation, spell memorization is manual, and many quests assume the player is keeping handwritten notes. Maps aren’t always provided, forcing you to draw your own or rely on memory. However, the Steam release does a commendable job of preserving the originals while layering on essential convenience. Features like a modern launcher, automapping, spell auto-memorization, item identification, and journal access have been integrated via community-created utilities and modern wrappers. These additions don’t alter the gameplay but do alleviate some of the friction, making the experience much more approachable without compromising authenticity. Visually, the games use simple 2D sprites and tiled environments, with much of the narrative delivered through blocks of text rather than cinematics or voice acting. But there’s a nostalgic charm in the ASCII-like dungeon crawls, the pixelated cityscapes, and the minimalist combat arenas. These visuals, while outdated by today’s standards, allow the player's imagination to fill in the gaps, much like a good tabletop session. The accompanying soundtracks are sparse and MIDI-based, yet still evoke a sense of place that’s surprisingly immersive when combined with the focused pacing and thoughtful scenario design. What elevates this collection is the inclusion of Unlimited Adventures, which transforms the player into the Dungeon Master. With it, users can build their own campaigns, write dialogue, populate dungeons, and create branching quests using the Gold Box engine. This toolset, although dated in UI, was ahead of its time in terms of flexibility and creative power, and it continues to have a modest but passionate modding community even decades after release. It bridges the gap between game and creation kit, allowing players to become architects of their own D&D stories. Ultimately, Forgotten Realms: The Archives – Collection Two isn’t just a trip down memory lane—it’s a rare and valuable resource for anyone interested in the roots of the RPG genre. It offers a glimpse into an era when narrative, mechanics, and player choice had to shine through simplicity and constraint. For veteran players, it's a well-preserved opportunity to revisit formative digital adventures, now enhanced by modern convenience. For curious newcomers, it's an invitation to experience where many of the genre’s best ideas were first fully realized. These games may demand patience and perseverance, but the reward is a kind of immersion and satisfaction that few modern titles can replicate. Rating: 8/10

This is great. I had most of these games as originals. I have based some tabletop games on these too. My favourite is Pool of Radiance.

Each of the games in this collection seem to have their own quirks that make them eventually unplayable. One doesn't actually save, another saves but asks for a disc when loading a saved game (so it hangs until I shut it down), another lost the game I saved. I love the old genre for nostalgic reasons, but these are too frustrating to play with these issues. Maybe use the games as a character-generator for offline D&D.

Many of these games have little-to-no value in today's market, but I personally found them very amusing to go through and try out.