Copper and his familiar Fut coins

Copper and his familiar Fut coins aren't the only characters who are oblivious to the events transpiring around them. NPC and enemy artificial intelligence is at an all-time low in Lands of Lore III, as evidenced by the thugs in lower Gladstone (none of which has a peep of dialogue), who gleefully smash endlessly into buildings. The pathfinding of the three dozen enemy types makes combat almost always an unthreatening joke, winnable by strafing left and right and bouncing arrow after arrow off the heads of your hapless, uncoordinated foes.

Copper proves remarkably adept at backstabbing without having to bother sneaking up on opponents, as they often, inexplicably, turn around while in the middle of an apparent charge. Since opponents are rare in many areas in the game, the environments themselves frequently challenge you with jumping and "thrilling" box-stacking puzzles. While most of these acrobatic maneuverings aren't too strenuous, they're apt to cause more character deaths (and resulting lengthy reloads) than the game's battles. It's difficult to understand the rationale behind the design decision to require you to constantly spoon-feed food to Copper or the gameplay benefits which that touch of "realism" provides - especially in a lighthearted game that features fireball-hurling flying chickens.

The game isn't all bad. The music and sound effects are suitably varied and appropriately reflect Copper's surroundings. Several elements from past games make welcome reappearances, including the original Draracle caves from Throne of Chaos, those ever-popular bikini-wearing amazons from the White Tower, and Guardians of Destiny's protagonist, Luther. The interface provides convenient access to available items, spells, and weapons while maintaining a view of the gaming world. A comprehensive journal automaps Copper's travels and records NPC conversations and other useful information.