The Immortal

Released for the NES in 1990, The Immortal is a dark and unusual action-adventure from Electronic Arts. Originally designed by Will Harvey and the Sandcastle team, the game puts you in the role of an unnamed wizard searching for his missing mentor, Mordamir. Your journey takes you deep beneath the ruins of the ancient city of Erinoch and into the dangerous Labyrinth of Eternity.

The game immediately feels different from most NES adventures because of its isometric viewpoint. Instead of simply moving from left to right, you explore rooms and corridors from an angled perspective, looking for traps, enemies, secrets, and useful items. The dungeon is packed with nasty surprises, including hidden pits, arrow traps, monsters, and puzzles that can punish careless exploration.

Combat is also quite distinctive. When facing enemies such as goblins and trolls, you fight at close range using jabs, left and right slashes, and defensive moves. Magic adds another layer to the adventure, while your inventory contains potions and other items that can become extremely useful as you descend deeper into the labyrinth.

What really gives The Immortal its personality is the way it expects you to learn from failure. Many traps are deliberately difficult to recognize the first time, meaning death often teaches you exactly what not to do on the next attempt. The NES version is also notably less graphic than the original computer versions, which had much more violent death scenes.

The result is a challenging, atmospheric adventure that can be frustrating but also incredibly rewarding once you start understanding its world. The Immortal is a great choice for players who enjoy dark fantasy, exploration, puzzles, and old-school games that refuse to hold your hand.