Conan: The Cimmerian

Conan: The Cimmerian is an action-adventure with RPG elements created by Synergistic Software for PC and Amiga and released in 1991 by Virgin Games.

The game is officially based on the character Conan the Barbarian created by Robert E. Howard. At first sight, you might think that Synergistic made a sword and sorcery beat 'em-up, like Golden Axe or - even better - Sword of Sodan, but the truth is Conan is a much more complex game. There's a plot, first of all, not as trivial as you might think. The RPG aspects are well developed, with different ways to solve the quests. The graphics are fantastic, really hi quality pixel art. Maybe the perspective during city exploration is strange. Still, some screens are gorgeous, probably because this is a game where all the 5-bit / 32 colors of the Amiga have been used, unlike many Atari ST titles ported to Amiga, where colors were limited to 16.

The only downside is the controls, poorly programmed and sluggish. It's a pity because this game could have been a masterpiece with some fluid controls. Anyway, Conan is a game worth trying despite some flaws, especially if you are a fan of the iconic barbarian.