In this day of high-tech, ultra-fast video game systems, the demand for amazing graphics and excellent replay value is always increasing. However, many new games focus entirely on graphics without bothering to put in little things like a plot or controls that don't require a NASA engineer to solve. To add to this, the price of new games is around $50, hardly chump change to spend on something that you may despise after a week of playing.

It's a great relief to find a game that can by used by everyone. You don't need a specific system except for your computer. There's no need for any graphics cards, sound systems or system requirements. The game is so simple animation-wise that there is never any lag, freezing or problems at all. The game is "Kingdom of Loathing," known as KOL to fans.

As a subculture of gamers arise seeking simpler graphics in an attempt to return to an easier time, this game mocks them and supports them by using absolutely no animation. All the characters, enemies and objects are poorly-drawn stick figures. The landscape is completely two-dimensional, and most of the places to go have funny names, such as "The Bat Hole" or "The Wrong Side of the Tracks" which is directly opposite from "The Right Side of the Tracks."

Normally, you would already be thinking of me as a crackpot (by the way, many things can by found in the Crackpot Mystic's Shed), but bear with me. The game is set in the Kingdom of Loathing, a land with many areas of forests, plains, mountains and more. You begin my choosing your character type as a Disco Bandit, Seal Clubber, Accordion Thief or a few others.

You then proceed to any place you can get into and do whatever it says on the screen. The weird part is, you never see a battle happening. The entire game is text based, except for the few pictures of the enemies you fight, land areas and items you collect. The fight is sometimes decided as soon as you meet the enemy! The enemies themselves are hilarious. They can range anywhere from Knob Goblin Barbecue Teams to Bars (Yep, there sure is a lotta' bars in these here woods) to Albino Vampire Bats and millions more, each one crazier than the next.

"Kingdom of Loathing" doesn't pretend for a minute to be serious RPG (Role Playing Game, for those of you not in the loop). It's simple enough for even the slowest of players, but impossible for even the best to master. You may be randomly attacked, fall in a random pit or be hit with one of countless surprises the game has in store. While the graphics may be predictable, the game is anything but. A noted player, who chose to be identified only by his player name of Mr. Awsomehead, says, "It's not really hard, it just takes persistence. I'm a level 15 Seal Clubber and the highest level currently is 56, so it gets challenging very quickly. I'm on the last quest, which hasn't even been finished by the developers." As for advice to beginning players, "eat food, drink everything, conserve adventures, and spend meat wisely." (Meat being the currency in KOL).

I cannot lie, this game isn't for everyone. If you despise games that take patience, then you might need to play something else. If you have no sense of humor, you probably shouldn't play games at all. If graphics are absolutely necessary for you, go play "Myst." But if you want an excellent game without emptying your wallet, go to www.kingdomofloathing.com and sign up immediately!