Necromancer

Planting trees as a weapon against the forces of evil — that sounds like a strange idea, but it is precisely this unusualness that makes Necromancer one of the most distinctive action games on the Atari 8-bit. The game is not afraid to be strange, and instead of worn-out arcade clichés it builds on atmosphere and unconventional gameplay that sticks in your memory.

The gameplay is divided into several phases that differ markedly from one another. In the first, you take on the role of the wizard Illuria, who grows magical trees in a garden and defends them against spiders and other pests — you need to grow the trees, because they become the key to further progress. Later parts transform the game and send you into darker, more dangerous environments, so the pace and the way you have to think both change. This structure holds your interest and prevents the game from sliding into repetition.

Necromancer is a typical example of the early eight-bit era, when creators experimented with fresh concepts and were not afraid to surprise the player. Instead of copying successful arcade formulas, it offers its own gloomy mood and gameplay that combines action with elements of strategy and care for your own "resources" in the form of growing trees.

The strength of the game is precisely its atmosphere. The dark tone, the unusual premise and the gradual transformation of the environment create an experience that stands apart from the ordinary production of its time. The game demands patience and a willingness to understand its own logic, but the reward is something markedly more original than yet another variation on shooting enemies.

On the Atari 8-bit, Necromancer remains a title for players seeking something out of the ordinary against established rules — a strange, moody and imaginative game of the kind born in an era when it was not yet firmly set what a video game should actually look like.

Why play: An unusual and atmospheric action game where growing magical trees turns into a fight against evil — an original piece of the eight-bit era.