Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone Review – Best Drizzt Do’Urden Illustrations
You might say it’s 2020, why are we talking about a game that’s almost twenty years old? You can consider it a reminder to revive our memories and a tribute for such a great game. The hack-and-slash action role-playing game, Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone was released on November 16th, 2004, and as you might expect it was set in the Forgotten Realms universe.
Let’s talk about some characteristics which make this game outstanding. Demon Stone runs parallel with the stories told in the book. The script of the game was written by R.A Salvatore, one of the most important writers of Forgotten Realms and also the creator of the legendary character Drizzt.
A fun fact about the game, it features the voices of Charles Xavier of X-Men series, Patrick Stewart as the Khelben “Blackstaff” Arunsun, and Michael Clarke Duncan of Green Mile as Ygorl.
Beyond dispute, the most exciting thing about Demon Stone is the fact that you can play Drizzt Do’Urden, not as the main character, but as a special character in some scenes which is quite thrilling for fans.
Demon Stone Characters and the Storyline
In the game, you have control over three main characters, Rannek, Illius, and Zhai. Rannek is a human fighter from Nesmé whose town was ravaged by trolls in the past, stumbles across a battle of two orc armies. He finds himself defending wood elves against orcs with his deadly sword skills and eventually meets the half-drow Zhai.
Zhai is also a half wood elf and the favorite character of most fans with her stealth moves. She can be invisible in the shadows, sneak up on enemies and combats very swiftly using twin daggers with her signature single move execution. What else can we expect from a video game character, right?
Our last character is Illius, apprentice of one of the most powerful sorcerers in the Forgotten Realms universe, Khelben “Blackstaff” Arunsun. Illius uses his staff and his powerful magic as he takes on the numerous enemies featured in the game.
The characters find themselves fighting side by side in an adventure. The story grips you right away. It goes way back to the war between two villains, the Githyanki general Cireka and Ygorl the Slaad-Lord. Eventually, the great mage Khelben Blackstaff finds a solution by sealing their spirits within the Demon Stone.
However, our characters accidentally set them free and the adventure actually starts here when they decide to find a way to imprison them again. And that’s when the well-known legend of Forgotten Realms Drizzt Do’Urden comes forward. Our heroes seek Drizzt’s help to complete their quest. It is quite exciting to fight playing Drizzt Do’Urden in front of the Mithral Halls. The cut scene conversations among our characters are also quite enjoyable, helping you understand the story.
Apart from being a fantasy role-playing game, we can define Demon Stone as an action game mostly. You can switch between the characters any time you want. At the end of each chapter, you can add new skills to the characters with the points you’ve collected and you can purchase new weapons, and armors that are reflected in the characters’ appearances
As you advance through the game, the characters’ special abilities also gradually advance. You can choose to use these for a single character or wait for all of the characters’ abilities to fill up so you can use it as Team Super Power and kill the surrounding enemies. You can come across various creatures told in the Monster Manual of Dungeons & Dragons.
Game Visuals and Graphics
Visually this game was ahead of its time with its atmosphere and character graphics. You can see other characters fighting in the background using their abilities while you play with the one you selected. Also, you can see ongoing combats in the far background in some scenes. Shifting camera angles also creates cinematic visuals and a unique atmosphere.
Despite the fact that it was released in 2004, Demon Stone still captivates us somehow even today. While playing this game, you will find yourself combating and wondering in the Forgotten Realms living through a great adventure. If you’ve never heard of it or never played it, it’s not too late to check it out.
Bonus: Best Drizzt Do’Urden Illustrations
If you like fantasy role-playing video games, you should check out our World of Warcraft article!
