The Legend of Blacksilver

The game's publisher Epyx made much of this release by placing the words  "Masters Collection" at the top of the box,  which seemed to imply that it was a part of some kind of "best of" collection, but this appears to be the first and only release of this game. That weirdness aside, this game is a graphical upgrade from it's predecessor Legacy of the Ancients, which in itself was an upgrade from it's predecessor Questron.  
 
The game was programmed in BASIC with a few disk, sound, and graphic routines coded in machine language for speed.  Originally developed for the C64, it was ported to the Apple II. A PC version was planned, but Epyx went bankrupt before it could be completed.
 
The game is played in a top down perspective while exploring towns, temples,  the world map,  castles and citadels, but goes

into a faux 3D perspective while exploring dungeons and archives. A series of actions that can be accessed by pressing the joystick button and selecting, are listed on the left side of the screen.  Most of these options are used often, but some are only used a couple of times during the course of the game. 
 

The game is entirely turn based, though if you sit and do nothing, turns will pass every few seconds or so, depending on your game speed setting.  When encountering a monster on the world map, the player (unless surprised) has the option of approaching (attacking), talking, stalking, or waiting. While in dungeons the monsters are all immediately hostile and fleeing is not a menu option but done manually by turning around and running toward the nearest exit. No experience is gained from combat, but you can improve your attributes in various ways, such as upgrading equipment, receiving a new rank from the king, or beating a game master at their own game in the temples. 
 

 Beneath some of temples you will find exhibits that interact with various gems you find in the world. These exhibits may grant you information or bonuses to your attributes, give you items, or transport you to previously inaccessible places. These exhibits are some of the more graphically interesting parts of the game. 
 

Spells are purchased from various shops throughout the land. The first towns you encounter have only a few low level spells, but as you explore and progress in the game you will find shops that sell higher level spells. Money is obtained by fighting monsters, finding treasure, robbing merchants and temples, gambling in towns, and taking on odd jobs and side quests. You may also earn money by putting it in the bank and letting it collect interest. Different modes of transportation like horses and ships can also be purchased. Later on in the game you will locate faster and more magical forms of transportation.   
 
This is a fairly long game for it's time and you can expect so spend over 40 hours if you play through it without a guide. There are rarely any clear instructions about where to go and how to find what you are looking for, so you must explore everywhere thoroughly.