Tombs & Treasure

Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, aren't they? At the very least, you shouldn't be attacked by demons and monsters bent on your destruction.

But that's what happened when you decided to spend the summer at the ancient Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza in Mexico. Maybe you should have looked the other way when Professor Imes's tattered archaeological notebook fell into your lap.

Tombs and Treasure pu ts you on a frantic hunt for riches in the jungles of Yucatan. You are accompanied by your girlfriend and the professor's former native guide. Each of you has particular strengths and abilities, and part of your challenge is to use each character to the best advantage. With a few scraps of information from the professor's notebook - and the strange sword the archaeologist left behind before mysteriously disappearing - you must venture into the ruins to uncover the fabled Sun Key and put an end to the terror of the demonic Tentacula. As you get nearer to your confrontation with Tentacula, his monsters become stronger. They even kidnap your girlfriend, adding to the stakes.

The sword is a fairly useless weapon until you find various jewels that fit into its hilt. Each stone makes the sword effective against different monsters, so you'll have to experiment.

Because the tombs and temples of Chichen Itza don't give up their secrets easily, you'll have to try even more experiments to solve their many puzzles. Certain items you find provide clues, but only if used with other items. And the relationship between items is not always obvious.

While not a true arcade-type game, Tombs and Treasure still has plenty of action. The feeling of excitement is heightened by excellent graphics, including some nice animated sequences. The story, puzzles, and fantastic creatures make Tombs and Treasure a fascinating and deeply layered game that should keep you engrossed into the late hours.