Azalta: Cult of the Raven

Azalta: Cult of the Raven, released in 1996, is a dark fantasy action-adventure game developed by Psychosoft Entertainment. It arrived during the transition period where DOS games were becoming more visually ambitious but were still competing with the rising popularity of Windows 95. It is often remembered as a "hidden gem" of the shareware era, blending elements of top-down exploration, real-time combat, and RPG-lite mechanics. The game is set in the grim, monster-infested world of Azalta. A sinister group known as the Cult of the Raven has risen to power, spreading darkness across the land. You play as a lone hero (a warrior-mage archetype) tasked with infiltrating the cult's strongholds. Your ultimate goal is to find and defeat the High Priest of the Raven to stop a ritual that would plunge the world into eternal shadow. The game was typically released in a "three-episode" format common to the 90s. The first episode, "The Dark Forest," was often free as shareware, while the later episodes (taking you into the cult’s temple and the underworld) required the full version.
Azalta plays similarly to games like The Legend of Zelda or Gauntlet, but with a much darker, more mature tone.
You navigate screen-by-screen (or scrolling, depending on the version/area), fighting off cultists, skeletons, and avian monsters. Unlike standard warriors, your character relies heavily on Spells. You collect mana and find ancient runes to unlock new abilities, ranging from simple fireballs to protective shields and area-of-effect blasts. To progress, you often need to find specific keys or activate switches hidden within the maze-like levels. The environments are hazardous, featuring traps like floor spikes and lava pits. You manage a collection of potions (health and mana) and quest items that are essential for bypassing magical barriers.

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