Eye of the Beholder III: Assault on Myth Drannor

Eye of the Beholder III: Assault on Myth Drannor is a dungeon-crawling RPG developed by Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI) and released in 1993 for MS-DOS. The game serves as the final chapter in the Eye of the Beholder trilogy, one of the most respected series of early 1990s first-person dungeon crawlers.

Significantly, this third installment was not developed by Westwood Associates, who created the first two games. The original team—Brett W. Sperry, Phillip W. Gorrow, and Paul S. Mudra—was not involved in this sequel, and their absence is felt throughout the experience. The lack of an Amiga version was particularly disappointing to fans of the platform, who had enjoyed excellent ports of the previous two games.

Set in the ruins of the legendary elven city of Myth Drannor from the Forgotten Realms universe, the game continues the tradition of AD&D licensed dungeon exploration. You control a party of adventurers navigating through the fallen city's dangerous corridors, battling monsters, solving puzzles, and uncovering the mystery behind the evil forces threatening the realm. Unlike the confined underground settings of Eye of the Beholder and Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon, this installment includes outdoor environments, adding visual variety to the exploration. The new game engine also allows the use of polearms from the second line in combat.

The core gameplay remains faithful to the series' formula: grid-based movement through first-person 3D environments, real-time combat that requires careful positioning and resource management, and plenty of secrets hidden behind illusory walls and pressure plates. Character progression follows AD&D 2nd Edition rules, with experience points, level advancement, spell memorization, and equipment management. You can import characters from previous games or create a fresh party.

The outdoor areas represent the most significant departure from the series' dungeon-only roots. While conceptually interesting, these sections receive mixed reactions—some appreciate the change of scenery, while others feel the outdoor environments lack the claustrophobic tension that made the confined dungeons so compelling. The level design overall is competent but doesn't reach the inventive heights of the second game, with puzzles that occasionally feel more arbitrary than clever.

Combat encounters ramp up in frequency and difficulty, sometimes crossing into tedious territory. Resource management becomes crucial as healing spells and rest opportunities need careful rationing. The interface remains mouse-driven and functional, though inventory management can become cumbersome with full parties and limited carrying capacity.

The VGA graphics showcase 256 colors, presenting detailed textures and atmospheric lighting that bring the ruins of Myth Drannor to life. The outdoor sections benefit from the color palette, with trees, sky, and architectural ruins rendered with reasonable detail for 1993. Sound design includes serviceable effects and ambient sounds, though the music, while appropriate, doesn't particularly stand out.

Compared to its predecessors, Eye of the Beholder III is the weakest entry in the trilogy. The first game established the template brilliantly, the second refined and expanded it to near-perfection, while the third feels somewhat tired and less focused. The outdoor sections, while adding variety, dilute the oppressive atmosphere that made dungeon crawling so compelling. The puzzle design lacks the elegance of earlier entries, and the increased combat frequency makes progress feel more grinding than adventurous.

Against contemporary dungeon crawlers like Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos or Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds, Eye of the Beholder III shows its age and limited ambition. Those titles pushed the genre forward with enhanced graphics, more interactive environments, and deeper narratives. EOB III feels content to retread familiar ground without significant innovation.

The change in development teams is evident throughout. Westwood's careful attention to pacing, atmosphere, and puzzle design is missing, replaced by a more workmanlike approach that gets the job done without inspiration. For DOS players with nostalgia for the series or completionists wanting to finish the trilogy, Eye of the Beholder III offers a solid if unspectacular dungeon-crawling experience—but it represents a disappointing conclusion to what was once a great series.