- Alundra
Infobox VG
title = Alundra
developer =Matrix Software
publisher = SCEI,Working Designs ,Psygnosis
designer =
engine =
released = vgrelease|JP=April 11 ,1997 |NA=December 31 ,1997 |EU=June vgy|1998
genre = Action RPG
modes =Single-player
ratings =
platforms =PlayStation
media = 1CD-ROM
requirements =
input ="Alundra" (released in Europe as "The Adventures of Alundra") is an
action role-playing game for theSony PlayStation released in 1997, developed byMatrix Software and published bySCEI in Japan;Working Designs later released it in America. It won great critical acclaim for its bizarre story and smooth game mechanics. The game's protagonist is a boy named Alundra, who learns that he has the power to enter people's dreams. He is shipwrecked near the village of Inoa and proceeds to try and help the locals, who have been suffering from a terrible curse. The narrative becomes gradually darker and more twisted as the game progresses. There is an emphasis on puzzle solving.Plotline
The game starts with Alundra being on a ship. After walking around and talking to the people, Alundra goes to bed. He has a mysterious dream where a strange being named Lars tells him that he is a wizard and one of the guardians of the seal. After telling that, Alundra sees a vision from Inoa Village. After that, Lars calls Alundra 'Releaser' and tells him that north of the village there is a dark lake and below it there has lied a demon for over 1000 years and now the demon has awakened once more. After that, a creature named Melzas appears and points out that nobody has the power to stop him, especially not a human. After talking with Lars about humans and the 'Releaser', Melzas disappears. Lars tells Alundra to travel to Inoa and stop the demon.
Suddenly Alundra wakes up and after getting out of his cabin, he finds out that there is a huge storm above the ship. The captain tells the crew not to worry but they sail into the reef and the ship breaks from the middle. After this Alundra loses consciousness.
Alundra wakes up from a beach and a man named Jess will come and rescue Alundra. He takes you to his house and lets you sleep upstairs.In the village of Inoa, Alundra undertakes many quests, playing both in people's dreams and the village surroundings. Soon, he finds out he is the 'Releaser', destined to save the world from Melzas, an ancient demon on his quest to world domination, who is also responsible for people's nightmares. The plot grows continuously darker in tone as the story proceeds, and hints to various religious and philosophical themes.
Characters
Though there are a number of characters (most of them being the villagers of Inoa), there are several who stand out as being particularly noteworthy:
Protagonists
;AlundraAlundra, the
protagonist andplayer character , is anElf from the clan of Elna, the Dreamwalkers. He comes to Inoa because of a recurring dream in which a mysterious figure who calls Alundra "Releaser" tells him that he must save the villagers from the evil of Melzas. His ship is caught in a storm and he is later found washed ashore unconscious. After arriving, he starts being blamed by the townsfolk for all of the terrible happenings that occur. Alundra is not shown to speak, also known as a silent protagonist.;MeiaMeia is also part of the clan of Elna. She arrives in Inoa about halfway through the game and is also seeking to destroy Melzas. She has a troubled past that is eventually revealed during the course of the game.
;JessJess is the blacksmith in Inoa. After Alundra's ship is swept ashore and destroyed in a storm, Jess finds the unconscious form of Alundra and takes care of him for as long as he remains in Inoa. He is good-natured and always trusts Alundra, even when others do not.
;SeptimusSeptimus is a scholar and a close friend of Alundra. He travelled to Inoa to help lift the curse that has afflicted it, but has met with little success. He helps Alundra discover many ancient and forgotten secrets of the world and his power of dreamwalking.
Guardians of the Seal
;LarsLars is an ancient wizard and one of the seven Guardians of the Seal who originally trapped Melzas in the Sunken Palace. His spirit visits Alundra in his dreams to warn him of Melzas's return and implores him to destroy the demon once and for all.
;VulLike Lars, he is another one of the seven Guardians of the Seal. Vul waits for Alundra at the Costal Cave.
;JealHe is also one of the seven Guardians of the Seal. He waits for Alundra at the Reptile's Lair. He guards the Sapphire Crest.
;UmaShe claimed herself as the Queen of Life and Death. She waits for Alundra at Magyscar.
;WildaA dragon lived in the Torla Mountain and one of the three Guardians of the Seal still alive (along with Nirude and Nava) when Alundra met him.
;NirudeThe sole survivor of the giants and one of the three Guardians still alive. He waits for Alundra at his lair.
;NavaHe hid his identity to Alundra to be one of the seven Guardians of the Seal. Nava resides in his hut south of Inoa village and has the last of the seven crests: the Diamond Crest. He is killed by Zorgia when you met him in the basement of his hut, which is a maze.
Antagonists
;RonanRonan is the priest of the village's church, the Sanctuary. From Alundra's first arrival in Inoa, Ronan constantly acts to turn the villagers against him. He has a hidden agenda and secretly praying for Melzas when the church is locked. He is also the one who killed both Sybill and Jess. The reason he killed them could be that they are helping Alundra, whom he believed was a cold-blooded
demon attempting to kill all the people of Inoa.;MelzasMelzas is an ancient and powerful demon. Though he was imprisoned long ago by the Guardians of the Seal, he has returned and is terrorizing the villagers of Inoa. He is the primary villain of the storyline.
;ZazanOne of the villains of the game. Zazan the leader of a clan of white
monkey -like creatures known as the Murgg. He is being commanded by Melzas to destroy Inoa and steal the seven crests.;ZorgiaZorgia is a powerful demon and a servant of Melzas. He is vicious, cruel, sadistic, and utterly loyal to his master.
Gameplay
The gameplay includes a combination of top down platforming action/adventure and RPG elements. It is known for containing many extremely difficult puzzles, some of which cannot be accessed anymore if the player progresses further in the game, making some items unattainable.
Availability
It was published in America by the now-defunct
Working Designs , who followed their usual supply-and-demand strategy: low production numbers, to encourage players to buy the game shortly after it came out rather than wait for it to drop in price.More recently, "Alundra" has been made available as a downloadable game on the PSOne Classics service on the
PlayStation 3 , in Japan.ee also
* "
Alundra 2 "External links
*moby game|id=/alundra
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