<s>
Deathbringer	B-Application
is	O
a	O
1991	O
side	O
scrolling	O
action	B-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
Oxford	O
Digital	O
Enterprises	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Empire	O
that	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Amiga	B-Device
,	O
DOS	B-Device
,	O
and	O
Atari	B-Device
ST	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
league	O
of	O
wizards	O
forge	O
a	O
magic	O
sword	O
named	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
to	O
kill	O
him	O
;	O
they	O
perform	O
a	O
sacrificial	O
ritual	O
,	O
summoning	O
a	O
demon	O
and	O
imbuing	O
their	O
soul	O
into	O
the	O
sword	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
demon	O
that	O
inhabits	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
needs	O
souls	O
to	O
stay	O
alive	O
;	O
Karn	O
must	O
feed	O
souls	O
to	O
the	O
sword	O
by	O
killing	O
monsters	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
ultimately	O
seeks	O
to	O
defeat	O
the	O
wizards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
takes	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
Karn	O
the	O
Barbarian	O
who	O
wields	O
the	O
eponymous	O
sword	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
,	O
and	O
seeks	O
to	O
defeat	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
evil	O
wizards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Deathbringer	B-Application
has	O
nonlinear	O
map	O
design	O
:	O
the	O
player	O
starts	O
in	O
the	O
middle	O
of	O
each	O
given	O
level	O
,	O
and	O
may	O
move	O
left	O
or	O
right	O
to	O
progress	O
towards	O
the	O
boss	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Deathbringer	B-Application
has	O
a	O
time	O
limit	O
for	O
each	O
level	O
in	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
the	O
sword	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
;	O
the	O
player	O
must	O
constantly	O
kill	O
monsters	O
to	O
obtain	O
their	O
souls	O
,	O
and	O
refill	O
a	O
meter	O
at	O
the	O
bottom	O
of	O
the	O
screen	O
that	O
gradually	O
decreases	O
over	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Amiga	B-Device
version	O
of	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Oxford	O
Digital	O
Enterprises	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Empire	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Amiga	B-Device
version	O
of	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
began	O
development	O
in	O
February	O
1991	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
September	O
1991	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
September	O
1991	O
issue	O
of	O
British	O
gaming	O
magazine	O
The	O
One	O
,	O
The	O
One	O
previewed	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
's	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
of	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
's	O
levels	O
has	O
backgrounds	O
with	O
36	O
levels	O
of	O
parallax	O
scrolling	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
achieved	O
through	O
using	O
wedge-shaped	O
tiles	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
square	O
ones	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
's	O
cave	O
level	O
,	O
these	O
36	O
segments	O
are	O
instead	O
curved	O
,	O
giving	O
the	O
cave	O
walls	O
a	O
tubular	O
effect	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Deathbringer	B-Application
's	O
graphics	O
were	O
originally	O
created	O
out-of-house	O
by	O
Colin	O
Swinbourne	O
,	O
a	O
freelance	B-Language
graphic	O
designer	O
,	O
and	O
Swinbourne	O
's	O
art	O
was	O
then	O
adapted	O
into	O
sprites	O
in	O
Deluxe	B-Application
Paint	I-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Deathbringer	B-Application
initially	O
had	O
placeholder	O
sound	O
effects	O
made	O
by	O
the	O
Oxford	O
Digital	O
team	O
themselves	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
sound	O
effects	O
in	O
the	O
final	O
version	O
were	O
produced	O
by	O
Skinnybone	O
Productions	O
,	O
and	O
has	O
'	O
over	O
116	O
 '	O
57Khz	O
sampled	O
sounds	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
indoor	O
levels	O
,	O
reverb	O
was	O
added	O
to	O
give	O
the	O
illusion	O
of	O
an	O
echo	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Due	O
to	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
sound	O
effects	O
in	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
has	O
only	O
one	O
music	O
track	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Deathbringer	B-Application
's	O
music	O
was	O
produced	O
out-of-house	O
by	O
Angus	O
Murray	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
chosen	O
after	O
submitting	O
a	O
demo	O
tape	O
to	O
Oxford	O
Digital	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
DOS	B-Device
version	O
of	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
was	O
stated	O
to	O
cost	O
'	O
around	O
90	O
 '	O
Deutschmark	O
in	O
1992	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Amiga	B-Device
version	O
was	O
stated	O
to	O
cost	O
'	O
around	O
79	O
 '	O
Deutschmark	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Amiga	B-Device
version	O
of	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
two	O
floppy	B-Device
disks	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
ST	O
Format	O
gave	O
the	O
Atari	B-Device
ST	I-Device
version	O
of	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
an	O
overall	O
score	O
of	O
72%	O
,	O
noting	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
graphics	O
as	O
its	O
strongest	O
feature	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
it	O
"	O
uses	O
so	O
many	O
levels	O
of	O
parallax	O
the	O
effect	O
looks	O
almost	O
perfect.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
ST	O
Format	O
criticized	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
's	O
gameplay	O
as	O
repetitive	O
,	O
summarizing	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
a	O
matter	O
of	O
moving	O
towards	O
the	O
next	O
[level],	O
killing	O
numerous	O
creatures	O
on	O
the	O
way	O
"	O
,	O
expressing	O
that	O
the	O
difficulty	O
of	O
the	O
monsters	O
and	O
the	O
landscapes	O
are	O
"	O
about	O
the	O
only	O
things	O
that	O
change	O
"	O
,	O
further	O
stating	O
that	O
'	O
it	O
does	O
n't	O
have	O
much	O
to	O
it	O
 '	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
German	O
gaming	O
magazine	O
Power	O
Play	O
gave	O
the	O
DOS	B-Device
version	O
of	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
an	O
overall	O
score	O
of	O
61%	O
,	O
praising	O
its	O
"	O
fantastic	O
"	O
music	O
,	O
"	O
fast	O
"	O
parallax	O
scrolling	O
and	O
"	O
bright	O
&	O
colorful	O
"	O
graphics	O
,	O
but	O
criticized	O
its	O
'	O
unoriginal	O
 '	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Power	O
Play	O
further	O
stated	O
that	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
's	O
style	O
of	O
gameplay	O
"	O
has	O
been	O
around	O
for	O
five	O
years	O
"	O
,	O
further	O
criticizing	O
its	O
'	O
limited	O
 '	O
array	O
of	O
enemies	O
,	O
and	O
summarizing	O
its	O
style	O
of	O
play	O
as	O
having	O
"	O
less	O
strategy	O
and	O
more	O
button	O
mashing.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Power	O
Play	O
praised	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
as	O
'	O
technically	O
sound	O
 '	O
,	O
and	O
called	O
its	O
soul	O
meter	O
mechanic	O
"	O
a	O
great	O
idea	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
German	O
gaming	O
magazine	O
Amiga	B-Device
Joker	O
gave	O
the	O
Amiga	B-Device
version	O
of	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
an	O
overall	O
score	O
of	O
37%	O
,	O
criticizing	O
it	O
was	O
'	O
short	O
 '	O
and	O
'	O
unsubstantial	O
 '	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
"	O
there	O
's	O
not	O
much	O
to	O
see	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Amiga	B-Device
Joker	O
criticized	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
's	O
graphics	O
,	O
calling	O
its	O
parallax	O
scrolling	O
"	O
shaky	O
"	O
,	O
expressed	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
'	O
gets	O
less	O
and	O
less	O
colorful	O
 '	O
as	O
the	O
game	O
goes	O
on	O
,	O
and	O
stated	O
that	O
"	O
unfortunately	O
only	O
the	O
animation	O
of	O
the	O
sprites	O
turned	O
out	O
nice.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Amiga	B-Device
Joker	O
criticized	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
's	O
sound	O
,	O
lamenting	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
single	O
music	O
track	O
,	O
and	O
called	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
sound	O
effects	O
"	O
nerve-killing	O
"	O
,	O
overall	O
summarizing	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
"	O
an	O
economy	O
version	O
of	O
Beast	O
II.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
German	O
gaming	O
magazine	O
PC	O
Joker	O
gave	O
the	O
DOS	B-Device
version	O
of	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
an	O
overall	O
score	O
of	O
41%	O
,	O
comparing	O
it	O
to	O
Wrath	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Demon	I-Application
,	O
expressing	O
that	O
it	O
has	O
'	O
similar	O
shortcomings	O
 '	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
'	O
prioritizing	O
graphics	O
over	O
gameplay	O
 '	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Joker	O
criticized	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
's	O
gameplay	O
and	O
controls	O
as	O
"	O
tedious	O
"	O
,	O
expressing	O
that	O
combat	O
is	O
'	O
a	O
matter	O
of	O
luck	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
strategy	O
 '	O
due	O
to	O
its	O
"	O
sluggish	O
"	O
controls	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Joker	O
further	O
criticized	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
's	O
"	O
simple	O
"	O
gameplay	O
,	O
expressing	O
that	O
"	O
the	O
pause	O
function	O
,	O
endless	O
continues	O
and	O
amount	O
of	O
patience	O
required	O
make	O
the	O
game	O
pass	O
by	O
too	O
fast	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
furthermore	O
said	O
that	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
is	O
'	O
unsubstantial	O
 '	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
"	O
there	O
's	O
nowhere	O
near	O
enough	O
 [ content ] 	O
to	O
be	O
anything	O
more	O
than	O
a	O
very	O
average	O
game	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Joker	O
criticized	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
's	O
graphics	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
while	O
its	O
bosses	O
are	O
"	O
impressive	O
"	O
and	O
some	O
of	O
its	O
sprites	O
are	O
"	O
well	O
animated	O
"	O
,	O
everything	O
else	O
is	O
"	O
simple	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Joker	O
also	O
criticized	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
's	O
level	O
design	O
,	O
expressing	O
that	O
they	O
primarily	O
differ	O
by	O
the	O
"	O
degree	O
of	O
their	O
colorlessness	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
One	O
for	O
ST	O
Games	O
gave	O
the	O
Atari	B-Device
ST	I-Device
version	O
of	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
an	O
overall	O
score	O
of	O
80%	O
,	O
but	O
criticized	O
its	O
unoriginality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
One	O
criticized	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
's	O
difficulty	O
,	O
expressing	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
bosses	O
are	O
"	O
almost	O
impossible	O
"	O
until	O
the	O
player	O
figures	O
out	O
their	O
pattern	O
,	O
at	O
which	O
point	O
they	O
're	O
"	O
too	O
easy	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
One	O
praised	O
Deathbringer	B-Application
's	O
soul	O
meter	O
mechanics	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
its	O
nonlinear	O
map	O
design	O
,	O
comparing	O
it	O
to	O
Out	B-Application
Run	I-Application
,	O
but	O
criticized	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
visual	O
damage	O
when	O
fighting	O
opponents	O
as	O
'	O
unatmospheric	O
 '	O
.	O
</s>
