The Kristal

The Kristal is an adventure game first released in 1989 for the Amiga computer. It was later released for the Atari ST and MS-DOS. It was developed by the UK-based company Fissionchip Software, and published in Europe by Addictive Games and in the US by Cinemaware. Unusually for a video game, the game is based on a play, The Kristal of Konos, written in 1976; the authors of the play worked together with the game developers and the play was never shown in theatres or on film before the game's release. A dialog introducing the setting was recorded by Patrick Moore, who introduced both the game and play.

The Kristal
Developer(s)	Fissionchip Software
Publisher(s)	Addictive Games Cinemaware
Director(s)	Michael Sutin
Producer(s)	Mark Pearce
Designer(s)	Rodney Wyatt Michael Sutin
Programmer(s)	Alan Butcher
Artist(s)	Michael Haigh
Writer(s)	Michael Sutin
Composer(s)	Rodney Wyatt Mickey Keen
Platform(s)	Amiga, Atari ST, MS-DOS
Release	NA: 1989 EU: 1989
Genre(s)	Adventure game
Mode(s)	Single-player

The player takes the role of a pirate named Dancis Frake, on a mission to recover the "Kristal" on behalf of the Kring of Meltoca.

The game features a number of different classic game genres merged: fighting, space flight/combat, and (to a limited extent) LucasArts-style point-and-click adventuring.

Reception

The game was reviewed in 1989 in Dragon #152 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 41⁄2 out of 5 stars.^[1] Computer Gaming World gave the game a negative review, citing the poor controls for the action sequences and the repetitive interrogation of other characters. The review stated that The Kristal is virtually unplayable, and that only the arcade gamers who have the time and patience will master this "challenge".^[2]

Reviews

• Info (November 1989)^[3]
• The Games Machine (June 1989)^[4]
• Atari ST User (June 1990)^[5]
• The Games Machine (April 1990)^[6]
• The One (April 1989)^[7]
• Commodore User (March 1989)^[8]
• The Games Machine (July 1990)^[9]
• Computer and Video Games (June 1989)^[10]
• ASM (Aktueller Software Markt) (February 1989)^[11]
• ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment) (July 1989)^[12]
• Power Play (April 1989)^[13]
• Jeux & Stratégie #60^[14]