Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain DS
Metascore
45 out of 100

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 10 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 10
  3. Negative: 6 out of 10
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  1. Digital Chumps
    72
    RPG fans should make it a point to play this sleeper gem. While certainly not perfect, it's quite good and I think it's safe to say it's one of the best RPGs on the platform to date.
  2. Gamer Limit
    70
    Fans of Dark Spire and other old-school dungeon crawlers will find solace, but most gamers will likely quit a few hours in.
  3. Nintendojo
    60
    Taken as a whole, Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain certainly has a lot going for it. Unfortunately, unclear mechanics, uneven difficulty, uncomfortable controls, and some serious glitches and hiccups do a lot of damage to the overall experience.
  4. My Gamer
    52
    The game’s box art does a great job of grabbing the attention of fantasy nerds and most DS owner, but the gameplay is so unbalanced it makes the game impossible.
  5. Nintendo Gamer
    41
    Dull. [Feb 2010, p.69]
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  6. Nintendo Power
    40
    It's no fun facing monsters that are suddenly too tough to kill. [Dec 2009, p.89]
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  7. Destructoid
    40
    The old school charm quickly wears off and gives way to a game that simply does not want you to have fun. It's absolutely tragic, because I was just starting to really get into it before the game basically slammed the door in my face and said "f..k off." So I fu..ed off.
  8. RPGamer
    40
    The seven to fifteen hours required for completing Fighting Fantasy will be a by-and-large frustrating experience.
  9. GameSpot
    35
    Abysmal controls and frustrating gameplay await you in the depths of Firetop Mountain.
  10. 1UP
    16
    The DS game doesn't capture any of the magic inherent in Fighting Fantasy's formula. Instead of an adventure packed with mystery and excitement, the series' first videogame provides a dull story and frustrating controls in a generic dungeon crawl wrapper. It's a shame, because I remember enjoying the "Choose Your Own Adventure" style so much as a kid, and I bet that formula could make for a great game.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.7 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 29 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. MikeT
    10
    One of the best RPG games on pocket platform and by far the best 3D RPG. My DS was collecting the dust for 6 months until I got this game. Highly recommended!… Full Review »
  2. AaronJ
    8
    This game is really underrated, and a good example of how reviews don't always tell the whole story. The number of positive user reviews says it all.

    The graphics are actually quite nice with a lot of cool and detailed environments, and although it looks a lot like an ancient PC game, it seems impressive for the DS. There is next to no story, but that didn't bother me. Gameplay was solid, although it could be a little deeper. My main problem is that it's just too short; you could probably conquer it in a single day if you really worked at it. Don't expect to get dozens of hours out of this one.

    I don't think the comparisons to Elder Scrolls are accurate, but it is an old school first person action RPG and it's worth checking out if you're into that kind of thing. It's not perfect, but I had a great time and was addicted for the short time that it lasted. I think a lot of people wrote it off right away without giving it a fair chance, because it does come across as kind of low budget. Stick with it though, you'll come to like it.    … Full Review »
  3. BrianB
    8
    I guess nobody remembers that in a chose your own adventure, you can open the wrong door and die... about a million times.
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