5: Exile

Number 5
(257.2 points)
Exile
1992: 7 (18.8)
1993: 7 (37.6)
1994: 8 (55.8)
1995: 36 (52.0)
1996: 8 (93.0)

It's hard to pigeonhole Exile, as it's a bit like a Metroidvania but not really, since puzzle-solving plays a big part in the game. It's a bit weird, but let's have a look.

The game begins with a man disappearing into thin air, as you then leave your spaceship on an alien world. Equipped with a jetpack and a teleportation device, you must use lateral thinking to work your way through the underground caves that you encounter, fending off all manner of creatures and enemies along the way. The teleportation mechanic is used in a unique way, which makes the game all the more remarkable. There is a CD32 version which significantly changes the graphics, but the Amiga Power list specifically cites the original as their preferred version.

When a game is known as one of the hardest on the Amiga, you can take a guess that I won't be a big fan of it, and I'm not. Sure, it's a unique concept that takes a lot of creative thinking to get through, and the world to explore is pretty vast, but I'd much prefer a standard Metroidvania of exploration to one that requires me to try lots of weird ways to get through situations. I just found it frustrating, but maybe that's partly because, when I played it, I didn't find the gun near the start, meaning all the birds and bees and what have you kept bothering me to the point that I just gave up. Will I give it another chance? Hmm... no thanks.

Recommended TOSEC disk(s):
Exile (1991)(Audiogenic)[cr FLT][!]
Exile (1995)(Audiogenic)[!] (CD32)