For someone who has never been a fan of role-playing games, I wasn't in a big hurry to try this one. Arcus Odyssey, however, may have changed all that. By the time it was over, I was wishing there was more to do.

The premise of Arcus Odyssey is not going to bowl you over with originality. This is your basic save-the-princess-from-the-powers-of-darkness situation. To accomplish this, you will have to make it through eight "acts" of swords and sorcery. On each level there is some innocent bystander who gives you a hint about the task you'll need to complete to progress to the next level.

The graphics in Arcus Odyssey are top-notch. An excellent feature of this game is its perspective. You're looking at the action from a 45 degree angle as opposed to straight down. This gives the game a 3D feel, and allows for some detail you otherwise wouldn't have. There is one level in particular where your path appears to be hundreds of feet in the air that is especially aesthetically pleasing.

There are some drawbacks to this game that should be mentioned. For veteran RPG'ers, this may not be the most challenging game that ever came down the pike. Probably the worst thing about the game is that the action slows to a crawl if there is too much happening on-screen. This will come into play if you pick up a companion in your travels. If you're in the two player mode with companions, it will get much worse.

One playing tip would be to choose Diana, the archer (the third from the left on the selection screen). This character can bounce her arrows off the walls and around corners, which definitely comes in handy. Also, her ability to return to full strength with magic crystals found along the way will be a big help.

TIP: To jump right ahead with Diana to Act 8, plug in password JIVBS2I0X2.