Alundra , released in Europe as The Adventures of Alundra, is an action-adventure video game developed by Matrix Software and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. It was originally released in 1997 in Japan, January 1998 in North America by Working Designs and June 1998 in PAL territories by Sony-owned Psygnosis.

The Story Behind Alundra

A standalone sequel, Alundra 2, was released in 1999. The narrative becomes gradually darker and more twisted as the game progresses, dealing with mature themes such as death, clinical depression, fate, religion, and the essence of human existence. Alundra is next seen washed ashore to an unknown beach, where a man named Jess finds and rescues him.

It was praised for its well-written story and characterization, smooth game mechanics and platforming, challenging gameplay and puzzles, and expansive overworld exploration. The game was published by Sony in Japan, Working Designs in North America, and Psygnosis in Europe. It originally began development as an action role-playing game.

How Alundra Plays

Ronan, the priest of the village, was also on the side of Melzas and helped him to deceive the villagers, and keep them praying for Melzas, the false god. Once Alundra discovers the truth, he gathers the information and items needed to access Melzas' palace to defeat the demon. It was originally released in 1997 in Japan, January 1998 in North America by Working Designs and June 1998 in PAL territories by Sony-owned Psygnosis.

Alundra, the silent protagonist and player character, is an elf from the clan of Elna, the Dreamwalkers. He is shipwrecked on an island, near the village of Inoa, where locals have been suffering from recurring nightmares that sometimes cause death. It was praised for its well-written story and characterization, smooth game mechanics and platforming, challenging gameplay and puzzles, and expansive overworld exploration.

Why Players Still Load It Up

GamePro commented that "the game's heroic battle music will make you feel good about being the fighting savior of tormented sleepy souls." Reviewers for Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) and GameSpot also praised the translation as being noticeably more restrained than Working Designs' earlier projects, in which the humor was often overdone to the point where it compromised the mood. In 2009, Destructoid's Conrad Zimmerman described Alundra as a "fresh and innovative" game and "one of the finest examples of action/RPG gaming." He particularly praised it for featuring "a plot the likes of which I had never seen before in the genre," the strong "writing and characterizations," and the "clever and challenging puzzles." GameSpot found that it is sometimes difficult to judge height and depth, forcing the player to proceed by trial and error.

Alundra is maturely written and has a tone and feel that fits the game to a T." The one significantly criticized element of the game was the graphics. Following its North American release, Working Designs sold over 100,000 copies of the game in North America within a single month in early 1998. And Climax has made Alundra twice as hard, twice as challenging, and twice as good as its LandStalker counterpart." The music was applauded for its strong composition and appropriateness for the tone of the game.

Alundra — Frequently Asked Questions