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Daughter of Serpents (DOS)

Published by
Developed by
100 point score based on reviews from various critics.
5 point score based on user ratings.
Written by  :  -Chris (7365)
Written on  :  Oct 23, 2000
Rating  :  1.6 Stars1.6 Stars1.6 Stars1.6 Stars1.6 Stars

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The Good

You can say that Daughter of the Serpent is no catastrophe. But then, you can say that about a lot of games. Daughter of the Serpents is an utterly insignificant adventure game, possibly having tricked a few gamers into buying it for its nice graphics, but all in all common enough to be rightfully doomed to oblivion. There is, however, one single sparkle that is worth attention. It is the character creation system, and, more importantly: its impact on the game. The idea is excellent. Imagine the possibilities of talent-driven puzzles: You would only notice certain clues if you had the corresponding talent. You could influence conversations according to your knowledge. You could solve puzzle by using your special skills. And you'd have a real incentive to play again, as you could try a different approach to the problems.

The Bad

Unfortunately, Daughter of the Serpent wastes these chances. The developers went only half the way: you choose talents, yes. But you don't use them. Whether you have a skill or not does not influence a single puzzle, it just changes a text now and then. The three plot branches are an attempt, but nothing more: the differences are too few, too disappointing. Even worse, you don't really want to play the game again, as the story is weak and not the least thrilling. There's really not much room for the plot to develop: the game is much too short. Even inexperienced players reach the end in a couple of hours. If your progress is hindered, it's not by the rare, dead easy puzzles, but by the confusing interface. Developer Eldritch has done its best to build as many traps into the normally idiot-proof point-and-click system as possible. Some items can only be used after they have been dropped to the floor and examined (!) there, then taken again. If dropped over hotspots on the screen, objects are lost forever, as the "get"-icon won't appear.

The Bottom Line

If you really want to play Daughter of the Serpent, I dare say you won't be bored for a couple of hours. You won't be entertained, either. Historically insignificant, this is a game that you can skip without regret.