Classic CRPG Ads Promise Fantasy Gamers Their Wildest Dreams

Most game companies focus on flashy commercials and in-game trailers to get players hyped nowadays, but they can't compete with these old magazine ads for classic computer RPGs.

Earlier today, Mafia 3 design director Matthia Worch tweeted out a link to an archive of old CRPG ads, calling them "seriously EPIC." The archive was created by Flickr user Gordon Cameron, and live up to Worch's claims; like old action-movie posters, the ads are rife with glorious hand-drawn illustrations and bold taglines, such as Ultima Underworld's "25 Miles of Terror!" Many also show off "incredible" in-game graphics and contain lengthy pitches to lure in potential players, such as this gem:

Cameron has amassed over 100 early ads, which run the gamut of fantasy, horror, sci-fi, and post-apocalyptic CRPGs. Take a look at a few in the gallery below, and then check out the full archive at Cameron's page.

[Source: Flickr via Twitter]