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IS LEGEND taking its revenge on the computer press for its opinions of the Great Space Hype? If so, it has the perfect weapon in Komplex.


To begin with, you have to plough through pages of miniscule and illegible instructions. The aim is to descend the many levels of an alien planet picking up the letters, K, 0, M, P, L, E and X in order and storing them in a central computer.

Despite the title the game is simple. Target Sensors on your control panel turn from red to green as you approach a letter and pinpoint a telephone booth shaped object, called a Rack. Docking with the Rack releases the letter into your cargo hold.

Docking with Service Tubes takes you through a tunnel to the next level. In this phase you control a single laser shield to fend off approaching aliens. If your craft sustains too much damage you will be unable to pick up a letter on the next level.

Sound is minimal and the graphics are basic and wireframe, though good 3D and masking techniques are used.

All this makes for mundane and plodding entertainment, considerably less fun than the arcade oldie Battlezone, of which it is but a thinly disguised version.

It is, however, the optical effects which really put this game in a class of its own. The screen flashes red on and off continuously, as your ship is battered with a hail of laser fire. Headbangers might enjoy this rape of the eyeballs but, frankly, it gave me a headache.


Publisher Legend Price £9.95
Memory 48K Joystick Sinclair, Kempston
**

Clare Edgeley

KOMPLEX
Legend £9.95
Roger: Komplex is just what it says - complex. Apparently, you can create seventy thousand million different maps if so inclined but player- generated maps, just like the standard K.O.M.P.L.E.X. one, all have seven deck levels of a diamond shape. Changing the map is just like changing one's underpants - you don't notice after you've put your trousers back on. That, pretty much, (not that there's anything pretty about Willis's underwear. Ed) sums up the game. Despite excellent scrolling 3-D action, a high yawn factor is guaranteed by crushingly similar - and uninteresting geography.
But that's not all, because location komplexity (groan) can be safely ignored. The less-cerebral amongst us just zap about blasting the monitors and wardens with lasers and collecting and dropping Target Modules in the appropriate place. Fallen safely to sleep yet? Yes, Komplex isn't really complex (double groan) at all because it's just another old dose of shootiebangs in space clothes.
Komplaining without kompassion about the kontent without kongratulating (kut it out! Ed), the programmer on graphical action excellence may seem unfair, but computer games are supposed to be fun, not works of art, and this ain't. Just like the last offering, The Great Space Race, it's better than Valium. 2/5

Dave: Will Legend ever release a good game? This one's just as boring as TGSR though the graphics are a bit better. Basically a komplete waste of time and money. 0/5

Ross: Is it me? I couldn't make head or tail of this and when I did I realised it was a waste of time. Nope, it was them! 1/5