The Legacy: Realm of Terror

The Legacy: Realm of Terror (titled simply The Legacy in some countries) is an adventure/RPG computer game developed by Magnetic Scrolls and published by Microprose in 1993.

The game starts with the premise that the main character has inherited a mansion which is haunted. Magic is real and plays a central role in the game, but it is set in the present day (that is, 1993) so one (as the main character) can expect to find modern items such as chainsaws, TV sets etc. The gameplay consists mainly of exploring the house by interacting with objects, characters, fighting monsters and solving puzzles, using the mouse as an input device.

The game system resembles that of an RPG game, with stats that can be improved with progress and experience.

When starting the game, the player can choose from a list of available characters that fit in with the story, or can change those characters stats to customize them.

Unlike most RPG titles of the time, the player didn't have a party of characters but instead just one character. In the user's manual the developers remark that this decision was made with the idea that the player would have a greater feeling of isolation by having only one playable character rather than a party.

The game interface has five windows that could be resized and moved in any way, thus making the interface customizable to suit individual player preferences.

Source: Wikipedia, "The Legacy: Realm of Terror," available under the CC-BY-SA License.