KYN

Calling all players hungering for the good old days of role-playing, particularly veterans of games such as Icewind Dale or Neverwinter Nights! If you're a fan of those classics, you may well find Kyn a trip down memory lane. Kyn combines exploration, deep crafting (literally hundreds of items can be crafted), and a solid party dynamic to create an excellent gaming experience. From the moment it's launched, the graphics will entice and pull players into the world of Vikings and magic. The environments are amazing, the special effects sparkle, and though the character models lack the lush, rich detail of the game world, they are serviceable enough.

There are drawbacks to Kyn, though. First of all, it's a very hard game. The "casual" setting isn't so simple; monsters swarm and call friends, escalating battles quickly. Plus, the camera isn't always the player's friend. Although players can zoom in tighter on the action, the camera doesn't rotate to give a better view of the action. Since the camera's so fixed, it's also not possible to visually explore ahead to see what trouble may lurk beyond the border of the computer screen, so players should remember to save often. Kyn can be a bit frustrating initially due to the difficulty, but given a chance, it can be quite entertaining with hours of hack-and-slash fun.