<s>
Chronicles	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Sword	I-Application
is	O
an	O
adventure	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Synthetic	O
Dimensions	O
and	O
released	O
by	O
Psygnosis	O
in	O
1996	B-Application
for	O
MS-DOS	B-Application
and	O
Sony	B-Device
PlayStation	I-Device
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
,	O
originally	O
titled	O
as	O
King	B-Application
Arthur	I-Application
:	O
The	O
Quest	O
of	O
The	O
Fair	O
Unknown	O
,	O
is	O
based	O
on	O
Arthurian	O
legends	O
and	O
uses	O
a	O
point-and-click	O
interface	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Chronicles	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Sword	I-Application
tells	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
the	O
young	O
knight	O
Gawain	O
on	O
a	O
quest	O
to	O
save	O
Camelot	B-Application
from	O
the	O
scheming	O
witch	O
queen	O
Morgana	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Chronicles	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Sword	I-Application
is	O
a	O
third-person	O
,	O
mouse-based	O
point-and-click	O
graphic	O
adventure	O
game	O
,	O
featuring	O
sprite	O
based	O
characters	O
in	O
3D	O
pre-rendered	O
environments	O
with	O
switching	O
viewpoints	O
(	O
described	O
as	O
similar	O
to	O
Alone	O
in	O
the	O
Dark	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
user	B-Application
interface	I-Application
uses	O
a	O
context-sensitive	B-Application
cursor	B-Application
for	O
movement	O
and	O
actions	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
classic	O
adventure	O
conversation	O
system	O
based	O
on	O
choosing	O
dialogue	O
options	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
includes	O
a	O
few	O
action	B-Application
game	I-Application
elements	O
in	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
simple	O
combat	O
sequences	O
that	O
are	O
interactive	O
only	O
on	O
the	O
Regular	O
difficulty	O
level	O
and	O
are	O
automated	O
(	O
shown	O
as	O
cutscenes	O
)	O
on	O
the	O
Easy	O
setting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
sword	O
and	O
sorcery	O
story	O
is	O
set	O
in	O
Albion	B-Application
,	O
Sub-Roman	O
Britain	O
,	O
circa	O
420	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
assumes	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
Gawain	O
,	O
a	O
young	O
apprentice	O
knight	O
about	O
to	O
be	O
ordained	O
by	O
King	B-Application
Arthur	I-Application
and	O
struggling	O
to	O
uphold	O
virtues	O
of	O
his	O
peaceful	O
and	O
prosperous	O
kingdom	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gawain	O
is	O
ordered	O
by	O
Merlin	B-Device
to	O
seek	O
out	O
and	O
vanquish	O
Queen	O
Morgana	O
,	O
Arthur	O
's	O
half-sister	O
and	O
evil	O
sorceress	O
,	O
before	O
she	O
can	O
destroy	O
Arthur	O
and	O
seize	O
the	O
throne	O
of	O
Albion	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
begins	O
with	O
Morgana	O
cruelly	O
murdering	O
the	O
court	O
priest	O
of	O
King	B-Application
Arthur	I-Application
's	O
castle	O
of	O
Camelot	B-Application
,	O
located	O
just	O
as	O
Gawain	O
was	O
about	O
to	O
be	O
given	O
his	O
knighthood	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
plots	O
to	O
reveal	O
Sir	B-Application
Lancelot	I-Application
Du	I-Application
Lac	I-Application
and	O
Lady	O
Guinevere	O
's	O
affair	O
to	O
the	O
world	O
,	O
which	O
would	O
help	O
her	O
overthrow	O
Arthur	O
and	O
take	O
over	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
court	O
wizard	O
Merlin	B-Device
has	O
discovered	O
her	O
nefarious	O
plans	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
unknowing	O
Gawain	O
is	O
used	O
by	O
Merlin	B-Device
to	O
force	O
Morgana	O
into	O
appearing	O
before	O
the	O
king	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
Morgana	O
's	O
later	O
attempts	O
to	O
assassinate	O
Arthur	O
is	O
thwarted	O
by	O
Merlin	B-Device
,	O
the	O
king	O
finally	O
decides	O
she	O
needs	O
to	O
be	O
stopped	O
once	O
and	O
for	O
all	O
,	O
and	O
orders	O
her	O
to	O
be	O
found	O
and	O
put	O
to	O
death	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Merlin	B-Device
then	O
handpicks	O
Gawain	O
to	O
be	O
instrument	O
of	O
Morgana	O
's	O
destruction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
swears	O
vengeance	O
while	O
he	O
returns	O
to	O
Camelot	B-Application
as	O
a	O
hero	O
to	O
join	O
the	O
Order	O
of	O
the	O
Round	O
Table	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gawain	O
arrived	O
at	O
Camelot	B-Application
just	O
the	O
previous	O
night	O
before	O
the	O
start	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
after	O
having	O
been	O
nominated	O
by	O
Sir	O
Lancelot	B-Application
to	O
become	O
a	O
knight	O
of	O
King	B-Application
Arthur	I-Application
's	O
Round	O
Table	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
,	O
Merlin	B-Device
order	O
him	O
to	O
carry	O
out	O
the	O
execution	O
of	O
Morgana	O
using	O
all	O
means	O
at	O
his	O
disposal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gawain	O
is	O
chosen	O
for	O
this	O
task	O
precisely	O
due	O
to	O
his	O
youth	O
and	O
lack	O
of	O
experience	O
,	O
for	O
Merlin	B-Device
hopes	O
it	O
will	O
confuse	O
and	O
flatter	O
the	O
vain	O
Morgana	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Queen	O
Morgana	O
-	O
The	O
game	O
's	O
main	O
antagonist	O
,	O
Morgana	O
is	O
King	B-Application
Arthur	I-Application
's	O
immoral	O
half-sister	O
who	O
constantly	O
conspires	O
against	O
him	O
and	O
desires	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
ruler	O
of	O
all	O
Albion	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
is	O
a	O
witch	O
of	O
great	O
dark	O
power	O
who	O
once	O
learnt	O
much	O
of	O
her	O
sorcery	O
from	O
Merlin	B-Device
himself	O
,	O
but	O
now	O
she	O
and	O
Merlin	B-Device
are	O
bitter	O
rivals	O
and	O
their	O
past	O
intimacy	O
means	O
nothing	O
to	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
Merlin	B-Device
,	O
Morgana	O
is	O
semi-immortal	O
,	O
which	O
requires	O
Gawain	O
to	O
magically	O
trap	O
her	O
soul	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
defeat	O
her	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Merlin	B-Device
(	O
Merrdyn	O
)	O
-	O
Merlin	B-Device
is	O
a	O
powerful	O
warlock	O
who	O
is	O
several	O
hundred	O
years	O
old	O
and	O
may	O
have	O
been	O
born	O
in	O
Atlantis	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Merlin	B-Device
has	O
been	O
an	O
influential	O
figure	O
for	O
a	O
very	O
long	O
time	O
,	O
working	O
towards	O
a	O
greater	O
goal	O
known	O
to	O
no-one	O
but	O
himself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
Ambrosius	O
Aurelianus	O
and	O
Uther	O
Pendragon	O
killed	O
Vortigen	O
and	O
stole	O
his	O
throne	O
,	O
Merlin	B-Device
appeared	O
to	O
change	O
his	O
allegiance	O
and	O
support	O
Ambrosius	O
until	O
his	O
death	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
Uther	O
when	O
he	O
succeeded	O
him	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Merlin	B-Device
is	O
hard	O
drinking	O
and	O
often	O
is	O
callous	O
when	O
dealing	O
with	O
other	O
people	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
King	B-Application
Arthur	I-Application
(	O
Arthus	O
)	O
-	O
Arthur	O
is	O
noble	O
king	O
of	O
Britain	O
,	O
cultivating	O
the	O
ideal	O
of	O
the	O
chivalrous	O
knight	O
operating	O
under	O
an	O
honourable	O
code	O
of	O
conduct	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Years	O
ago	O
,	O
Merlin	B-Device
informed	O
Arthur	O
that	O
once	O
he	O
was	O
tricked	O
into	O
going	O
to	O
bed	O
with	O
Morgana	O
,	O
disguised	O
by	O
a	O
spell	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
issue	O
of	O
their	O
union	O
was	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
instrument	O
of	O
Arthur	O
's	O
death	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Morgana	O
wants	O
to	O
use	O
her	O
romance	O
with	O
Lancelot	B-Application
in	O
her	O
plot	O
against	O
Arhur	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
has	O
been	O
originally	O
being	O
developed	O
by	O
Synthetic	O
Dimensions	O
(	O
then	O
functioning	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
of	O
DCD	O
,	O
or	O
Dimension	O
Creative	O
Design	O
)	O
as	O
King	B-Application
Arthur	I-Application
:	O
The	O
Quest	O
of	O
The	O
Fair	O
Unknown	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
initial	O
mission	O
completed	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
would	O
then	O
return	O
to	O
Camelot	B-Application
,	O
"	O
where	O
the	O
real	O
meat	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
begins	O
"	O
(	O
Chronicles	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Sword	I-Application
begins	O
already	O
in	O
Camelot	B-Application
)	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
also	O
feature	O
Merlin	B-Device
and	O
Morgana	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
version	O
publicly	O
shown	O
at	O
the	O
ECTS	O
'	O
95	O
was	O
titled	O
Chronicles	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Sword	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
created	O
using	O
PCs	O
and	O
Amiga	B-Device
computers	I-Device
and	O
Imagine	B-Device
and	O
3D	B-Language
Studio	I-Language
Max	I-Language
rendering	O
programs	O
(	O
the	O
graphics	O
were	O
first	O
created	O
using	O
the	O
palette	O
of	O
16.7	O
million	O
colors	O
,	O
before	O
being	O
downscaled	O
down	O
to	O
only	O
256	O
colors	O
)	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
many	O
other	O
techniques	O
,	O
"	O
including	O
full-motion	B-Application
video	I-Application
,	O
stop-motion	O
animation	O
,	O
model	O
making	O
,	O
make-up	O
,	O
rendering	O
,	O
pain	O
,	O
and	O
hand	O
animating.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Chronicles	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Sword	I-Application
was	O
supposed	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
already	O
in	O
November	O
or	O
December	O
1994	O
,	O
only	O
for	O
the	O
PC	O
Windows	O
platform	O
and	O
on	O
just	O
one	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
final	O
game	O
is	O
contained	O
on	O
two	O
discs	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
February	O
23	O
,	O
1996	B-Application
in	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
on	O
May	O
31	O
,	O
1996	B-Application
in	O
Europe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
also	O
the	O
second	O
Psygnosis-published	O
game	O
that	O
was	O
based	O
on	O
Arthurian	O
themes	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
being	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Galahad	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Chronicles	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Sword	I-Application
was	O
ported	B-Protocol
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
because	O
of	O
the	O
ownership	O
of	O
Psygnosis	O
by	O
Sony	O
,	O
and	O
released	O
in	O
June	O
1996	B-Application
in	O
Europe	O
and	O
in	O
November	O
1996	B-Application
in	O
North	O
America	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
promote	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
Sony	O
run	O
win-a-PlayStation	O
contests	O
in	O
some	O
magazines	O
including	O
Hobby	O
Consolas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Chronicles	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Sword	I-Application
was	O
met	O
with	O
generally	O
poor	O
critical	O
reception	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Informer	O
,	O
whose	O
review	O
stated	O
that	O
"	O
point	O
and	O
click	O
adventures	O
do	O
n't	O
get	O
much	O
worse	O
than	O
this	O
 [ ... ] 	O
two	O
disc	O
menace	O
,	O
"	O
even	O
gave	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
an	O
award	O
for	O
the	O
worst	O
video	O
game	O
of	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Michael	O
L	O
.	O
House	O
of	O
allgame	O
,	O
Chronicles	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Sword	I-Application
is	O
so	O
"	O
frustrating	O
,	O
boring	O
,	O
sloppy	O
and	O
horrible	O
"	O
it	O
"	O
deserves	O
an	O
award	O
for	O
the	O
'	O
Worst	O
Adventure	O
Game	O
 '	O
in	O
the	O
genre	O
to	O
date.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Ron	O
Dulin	O
of	O
GameSpot	O
opined	O
"	O
Chronicles	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Sword	I-Application
does	O
have	O
some	O
nice	O
elements	O
,	O
most	O
notably	O
the	O
richly	O
detailed	O
background	O
art	O
and	O
the	O
excellent	O
musical	O
score	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bob	O
Strauss	O
wrote	O
in	O
a	O
1996	B-Application
review	O
in	O
Entertainment	O
Weekly	O
that	O
Gawain	O
"	O
moves	O
with	O
all	O
the	O
speed	O
and	O
vitality	O
of	O
a	O
knight	O
in	O
a	O
500-pound	O
suit	O
of	O
armor	O
"	O
and	O
the	O
"	O
jerky	O
computer-animated	O
characters	O
might	O
have	O
looked	O
impressive	O
a	O
decade	O
ago.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
NowGamer	O
gave	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
the	O
final	O
verdict	O
of	O
"	O
dull	O
and	O
painfully	O
S-L-O-W.	O
"	O
</s>
