Scourge of Worlds is an interactive DVD D&D adventure featuring the iconic heroes of Regdar, Lidda, and Mialee. The heroes have been hired by a temple in the City of Greyhawk to track down an errant cleric. The cleric is a friend and former mentor of Regdar, and he has stolen a map from his temple in a quest for the Aryx Orthian, a powerful artifact lost in the Sea of Dust. The cleric is being shadowed by a druid, protector of the Aryx Orthian.

As you play through the DVD’s computer generated scenes, you have to decide whether the heroes will join the cleric in his quest or return to Greyhawk, whether they will talk with the Druid or fight. The adventure takes the heroes from the forest near the Village of Darkhaven out into the Sea of Dust and on to the hiding place of the Aryx Orthian.

The DVD claims to have more than 200 different story combinations and four alternate outcomes; however, there are a number of dead end paths that end the story either with the death of the heroes or with their giving up the adventure. At each dead end, you are allowed to go back to the last decision and to proceed again from there. From the DVD menu, you can go to six different points in the adventure to begin play. Although that option is hidden on the second page under “Help” and the first two scenes are presented out of order.

It only took me about 45 minutes to go through the adventure the first time, killing the party only twice along the way. Since then, I have discovered three of the alternate outcomes. One of the odd things about the adventure is how it reinforces D&D stereotypes. The first time I encountered a chance to talk to someone, I wound up getting the entire party killed. The tavern keeper is slovenly and speaks with an English accent. The all powerful Aryx Orthian turns out to be guarded by three of the lamest wards ever. The heroes wander though the desert without any gear whatsoever, not even a 10-foot pole. Yet, whenever they need something, they mysteriously have a continual light torch or a very Coleman-like lantern. Regdar even sleeps in his armor.

The computer animation varies. Most of the backgrounds are appropriately dramatic, particularly the Key Chamber. Some, though, are incredibly weak, such as the forest that has such sparse and stunted trees that it seemed as if the heroes were walking around on a battlemat. The character animation, particularly the faces, is stilted. Big hint: If you are having trouble with facial animation, don’t use a lot of close-ups. The dialogue is uniformly bad.

The idea of an interactive DVD adventure holds promise, but largely leaves that promise unfulfilled. The 45-minute playing time seems short, and Mialee is particularly undeveloped, casting only a limited number of spells. They could have at least included character sheets for the major characters.