His one pays little heed to history. but die by the sword nevertheless, is a game that's value for money. Cheap thrills never came any better. To begin with, you could call it the journey of a Roman gladiator into the dark recesses of a sinister underworld, with an agenda to rescue his true love from a ritualistic sacrifice. You play the game as Enric, the game's Ulyssean hero. The name sounds more Scandinavian than Roman, though, but you needn't question that. This game, like we said earlier, is not historically or factually correct. You simply have to take things as they come, and go on to have a rollicking time.

He storyline goes something like this. On a cold winter night, Eric and his lady love, an Amazon by appearance, are conversing over a campfire they have lit under Stonehenge. Tired after a long day's journey, the two are unaware of the Anubis-like, wolf-headed sentries of the underworld who have sneaked up behind them. There is an ambush, and in trying to fend off the intruders, Enric ventures out into the darkness leaving his lady behind. Upon returning to their camp, he realises that his lady has been kidnapped.

Nric follows the trail of the evil creatures and soon walks up to the gates of the underworld. It's the point of no return, but Enric moves on. What follows is a long and intriguing journey to the central hall of the underworld, where Enric's lady love awaits a brutal sacrifice at the altar of the dark powers. Time is running out, and Enric must beat all odds to come to her rescue.

Part from the sentries, who are called Kobolds, there are pig-headed creatures, orc masters and even giant octopuses that you have to battle on your way. There are mine pits, gorges with flowing lava and booby traps that could prove to be the end of you if you are not alert enough.

Nd remember, all you have is a sword to hack your way through. So except when you have to perform an action like opening a door or disabling a trap - when you need to sheath your sword and use both your hands - it's best to keep yourself armed. Your enemies are swift and can get you before you blink, so never ever take it easy!

Or those who want to make the most of the game, there's a quest mode that gives you an intense gaming experience. But the difficulty level here is high. Try the normal mode first, and once you have mastered it, go for the kill.

Ne drawback of the game is that the gaming is mostly controlled through the keyboard. In the beginning, you may find it a little difficult to control movements with your left hand while monitoring combat with your right. After a few missions, however, things become easier. The game allows you to auto-save a mission at given check-points, and saves you from retracing your way right from the beginning in case you are eliminated.

Oes that sound interesting enough to you? Even if it doesn't, give it a shot. Some things in life grow on you with time, and Die By The Sword is one of them.

B>Minimum system requirements: Processor: Pentium II or higher, Operating system: MS Windows 98/ME/XP/NT, Memory: 128 MB RAM or higher, Sound card, Keyboard, Mouse