🌄 Gateway to the Savage Frontier – A new AD&D chapter set in the wild frontier.
Gateway to the Savage Frontier is another entry in SSI’s Gold Box series and the first in the lesser-known yet still popular Savage Frontier duology. Released in 1991, the game takes you away from Phlan and the Dalelands to the wild borderlands in the northern Forgotten Realms, where lawlessness and bandits threaten trade routes—and a new evil lurks in the shadows.
You lead a party of adventurers investigating attacks on towns and caravans and uncovering who is pulling the strings behind the bandit raids.
⚔️ Familiar gameplay in a new region
The game uses the familiar Gold Box formula:
- First-person movement in towns and dungeons
- Tactical, turn-based combat in a top-down view
- Characters built on AD&D 2nd Edition
- Inventory, XP, spells, and alignment choices
But Gateway adds:
- A new map and region with cities such as Neverwinter, Yartar, and Silverymoon
- A stronger focus on travel between cities and random encounters
- A steadily more epic narrative, as you rise from a local guard to a true hero
🧙♂️ Characters and story
You can create new characters or import them from earlier Gold Box games. Each class and race matters, and your dialogue choices and decisions influence the outcome of certain quests.
The story involves:
- Roving bandits and mysteries surrounding their leadership
- A growing magical threat
- Betrayal, political tensions, and allies in need
- The chance to become true heroes and defenders of the frontier
🎨 Graphics and audio
Visually, the game resembles earlier Gold Box titles, with slightly improved colors and animations. Sound effects and music are limited, but they get the job done.
💾 Availability today
You can play the game via:
DOSBox
Part of GOG’s Gold Box collections
Download Gateway to the Savage Frontier