Blackthorne Classic

Whatever their reputation is at the time of your reading this, it's undeniable that Blizzard Entertainment has created some legendary games in the past. Starcraft and Warcraft defined the RTS genre to this day, and Diablo 2 is legendary to the point that it's still being compared to modern hack and slash looters. Well,l recently, they've released these legendary games for completely free on their website. Today, we'll look at Blackthorne, a little known platformer from before Blizzard's legends.

To install Blackthorne, simply run the installer.

This game is best described as Prince of Persia with a different setting. By Prince of Persia, I mean the old classic 2D version - not the 3D ones like Sands of Time. You have to explore each level that are all designed like an intricate puzzle, with pitfalls, switches, cliffs, and traps scattered all around. Your character has a bunch of the typical movement abilities - run, jump, somersault, and climb ladders. However, there's some intricacies involved. For instant, when you reach a ledge, you can choose to leap to the other side, dangle and drop down, or jump down blind.

Sometimes, you need to take running leaps to make certain jumps possible. Sometimes, this means taking a leap of faith. You also have a shotgun and you can attack in two different directions - behind and in front of you. Combat is very much secondary, however. If this sounds like a game you'd like to try, then give Blackthorne a download today. It's a very well put together game from another era.