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Claw, by Monolith productions, is a classic-type "jump'n'run" game that features a two-dimensional platform world with the main character at its focus and enemies roaming around. Naturally, there are traps, tricky areas, secret areas and tons of treasure.
The story is simple and classic for pirate movies: a famous pirate, captain Nathaniel Claw was imprisoned by the Cocker-Spaniards (dog version of the Spaniard-colonists). In the prison he learns about the Amulet of Nine Lives - a mystical artifact that grants its wearer immortality. Breaking out of his cell, Claw sets out to collect all 9 gems of the amulet and retrieve it for himself. And so begins the game - Claw is standing in front of his prison cell in the notorious La Roca prison, ready for action.
The adventure is interesting as the player passes through various locations. Here is a brief "travelogue" for the game: Level 1 - La Roca: Inside a dark prison with spikes and guards everywhere. Tortured screams fill the air, accompanied by the clang of chains. Level 2 - The Battlements: Outside the prison, on its walls. A dangerous voyage above pits of tar, towers with cannons and even more guards. The first boss, Le Reux is at the level's end. He is just a sword fighter, relatively easy to defeat. He has the first gem. Level 3 - The Footpath: A journey through the mountains and woods... and dark underground mines, filled with treasure and traps. Robbers and cutthroats everywhere in the area. On this level are 3 trees filled with treasure, but they are hard to find. Level 4 - Dark Woods: Dark forests, complete with swamps, shrubbery, spike-traps and thieves that guard key areas. The second boss (with the second gem) is here - Katherine. She is the female version of Robin Hood. Level 5 - The Township: An "urban" level with churches, houses and police. Interesting sounds from everywhere - city noises and shouting. Level 6 - El Puerto del Lobo: A big coastal town with nice cozy houses. Most of the level is, unfortunately, underground, in the city sewers. The third boss (and gem) Wolvington is here, a better fighter with some magic skills. Level 7 - The Docks: A nocturnal level (very dark) at the docks and the coast. Pirate-hating sailors, crabs and other threats await in the mist. Level 8 - Shipyards: A level that brings the player to many ships and platforms between them. Many sailors and pitfalls. Fourth boss - Gabriel, that has to be killed using intelligence. Another gem. Level 9 - Pirates' Cove: The pirates' lair. It's one of the most dangerous levels in the game as it is filled with really many nasty traps. And the pirates are passionate warriors that are hard to deal with. Level 10 - The Cliffs: Cliffs, caverns and chasms - another fairly difficult level with pirates everywhere (and their treasures). Fifth boss - Marrow, the pirates' master, that uses yet another tactic that makes the player use his thinking once again. Fifth gem. Level 11 - The Caverns: A remarkably beautiful level in blue/purple/green caverns filled with minerals and precious stones. Many pools of clean water and wonders of nature... but also many traps and the extremely difficult areas with the moving platforms. Mercats and Sirens inhabit the place and don't like intruders. At all. Level 12 - Undersea Caves: The second set of caves, but this time, mostly green/grey/black. Not beautiful at all. Dark, ominous, filled with even more hostile amphibians and deadly as earthquakes shake the whole place. Sixth boss - Aquatis, difficult to understand how to defeat him (Hint: throw dinamite in the hole behind him). Sixth gem. Level 13 - Tiger Island: A nice island foiled by sailors that offer even harder fight than on the Shipyards. Also much treasure, traps, tricky areas and the seventh boss, Red Tail, who has the seventh and eighth gems. Level 14 - The Temple: A dark and mysterious temple filled with lava, fire traps and unearthly obstacles. The monks that abide it are excellent fighters and are the hardest enemies of the game. The level is the hardest of all levels. The last boss is here - the main priest, Omar, who uses powerful magic and guards the last gem - the biggest of all.
The game has 4 weapons: 1 melee (Claw's fist/kick/sabre) and 3 ranged: pistol, magic claw, dynamite.
Treasure: Tons of treasure are scattered through all levels, consisting of coins, gold bars, gold chalices, sceptres, crowns and many more. They give points. And the players's overall score can be published on the Internet.
As a whole, the game is simple, but the tricky areas and traps it offers, require great skill with the keyboard, if the player wants to survive.
Overall evaluation: Interesting. Changing environments. Entertaining in its own way. Not much violence.