DESCRIPTION

Wrought from myth and legend, the eternal struggle between darkness and light continues in this contest of good versus evil. Like a game of chess, both sides in Archon are equal in number and balanced in strength. The darkness and the light have the same goal: the conquest of the six "power points" or the eradication of the other side.

Archon is a chess-style board game with both sides having their own set of combat pieces represented by icons. Move your pieces to strategic positions on the board to gain control of the power points. When your pieces is positioned over the enemy's piece, a battle ensues in real time on a full screen, and typically involves moving your character around while firing projectiles at the enemy. Each piece has different abilities, and the flow of time will determine the length of your turn: during the night, the forces of darkness will be able to move more; during the day, the light side gains advantage. Light forces are also more difficult to defeat on light squares and vice versa.

Unit types include wizards, sorceresses, unicorns, basilisks, archers, golems, trolls, djinnis, dragons, valkrie, phoenixes, shape-shifters, manticores, banshees, knights, goblins and elementals. Wizards can cast balls of fire, unicorns fire a bolt of energy from their horns, archers have quivers that never empty, sorceresses can fire lightening bolts and cast spells, the basilisk has quick movements and a deadly glance, and the shape-shifter steals the form of the enemy. Certain pieces can cast spells such as Heal, Weaken, Imprison, Release, Banish and Apocalypse on the enemy if they have enough power. In addition, you can summon an elemental, shift time (reverses flow of time or shifts time on the luminosity cycle), and exchange and revive characters previously vanquished.

Winning in Archon depends on controlling the power points or eliminating the opposing side. Both light and the dark sides begin with control of one respective power point. The apocalypse is at hand and it is up to you to decide who will reign supreme: the forces of light or the forces of dark! ~ Nick Woods, All Game Guide