Alundra

Alundra (marketed as *The Adventures of Alundra* in Europe) is an action-adventure game for the PlayStation. It was developed by Matrix Software and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. The game first launched in Japan in 1997, then reached North America in January 1998 via Working Designs, and arrived in PAL regions in June 1998 through Sony’s subsidiary Psygnosis. A separate sequel, *Alundra 2*, followed in 1999.

The story follows a young elf named Alundra, who belongs to the Dreamwalker clan of Elna. After a recurring dream in which a figure calls him “Releaser” and tells him to save villagers from the demon Melzas, Alundra sets sail for a place called Inoa. His ship is wrecked in a storm, and he washes ashore unconscious. A man named Jess finds him and brings him to the village of Inoa, where Alundra recovers. There, he discovers he can enter other people’s dreams, and he uses this ability to help villagers plagued by nightmares that sometimes prove fatal. As Alundra helps, villagers begin dying in their dreams—and in reality—leading some to blame him. Another Dreamwalker, Meia, arrives to assist. Eventually, Alundra learns that the demon Melzas has been posing as a god, feeding on the villagers’ prayers, and that the local priest Ronan has been aiding him. Alundra gathers the necessary items and information, infiltrates Melzas’ palace, and defeats the demon. Afterward, Alundra and Meia say goodbye to the villagers and part ways.

Gameplay is presented from a top-down perspective and emphasizes exploration of the island and its dungeons. The core mechanics include real-time combat, platforming, and challenging puzzles. Terrain affects movement: sand slows the player, while lava causes damage. Upgrades acquired throughout the game help overcome these obstacles, encouraging further exploration. The signature innovation is the dream-walking mechanic: each dream level is uniquely shaped by the dreamer’s personality and traits.

Development began before the PlayStation launched in 1994 and took three years to complete. The project started as an action role-playing game but ultimately avoided experience points. Producer Yasuhiro Ohori explained that the team wanted players to accumulate skill themselves, so that by the end, even a novice would have improved through practice. Several staff members had worked on Climax Entertainment’s *Landstalker* for the Sega Genesis, and *Alundra* is considered a spiritual successor to that game. Ohori had worked on *Landstalker*, while map designer Kenji Orimo had contributed to the *Shining Force* series. The game world contains over 7,000 screens. The music was composed by Kohei Tanaka.

Sony handled the Japanese release, Working Designs managed North America, and Psygnosis oversaw European distribution. *Alundra* later became available as a downloadable title on the PlayStation 3 via the PSone Classics service.

Commercially, the game sold 143,114 copies in Japan by the end of 1997. In North America, Working Designs moved over 100,000 units within a single month in early 1998. Critics received *Alundra* warmly. It holds a Metacritic score of 86 out of 100 based on nine reviews, making it the sixth-highest-rated PlayStation title of 1997, and an 84% on GameRankings from 13 reviews. Reviewers praised its deep, often punishing challenge—especially the puzzles—and noted that while the gameplay draws from *The Legend of Zelda* and *Landstalker*, it offers enough original ideas to stand on its own. *Next Generation* called it a smart import choice for Working Designs, and IGN’s Jay Boor wrote that he had not been so tested since *Landstalker* on the Genesis.