Barbarian Returns is a remake of the classic action game called Death Sword (also known as Barbarian, hence the analogous title). The program was prepared by an amateur group Delphi Games Development and was realized using a fully three-dimensional Basilisk engine.
The player takes on the role of Gorth, a ruthless warrior whose main task is to free Princess Marianne from the hands of the evil wizard Drax. In order to do this, our hero has to defeat the seven barbarians who are his side guards and finally the main provocateur of the turmoil. The action takes place in a series of controlled one-on-one duels, in which the one who deprives the opponent of all life energy reserves wins.
Sixteen blows are available in Barbarian Returns, which include both typically offensive attacks and defensive positions, blocking the opponent’s blows. Each of the heroes also has a half-turn blow, causing the opponent’s head to be cut off. Precisely executed decapitation may end the fight before it started for good, but of course a 100% hit is rare. If you get bored of fighting a computer opponent, you can invite another player to the duel. In addition to hotseat mode, Barbarian Returns allows you to connect over the Internet, which is the biggest innovation compared to the original.
As befits 2004, the game offers a modified audiovisual setting. All characters are fully three-dimensional and although the animation of movements leaves a lot to be desired, the performance is really decent. The game supports several graphic modes (from 320×240 to 1280×960 and up), both in window and full screen mode.
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