Following in a long line of traditional text-only adventures, this game certainly doesn't break new grounds in terms of plot. You wander around in strange fantasy/dungeon locations collecting treasure and solving puzzles that consist largely of trying to find the right verb-noun combination and nominating the correct object to use. Neither is it a display of technical brilliance; indeed there is a generous credit given to Pete Gerrard's book, Exploring Adventures on the CPC 464.Location descriptions are quite brief, puzzles are not too difficult, required logic is typically incongruous and disjointed, etc, etc. Yet, despite all these apparent limitations, I really did like this adventure. There is an underlying bright and breezy enthusiasm that spills out in the various messages, hints and comments and makes you smile as you decide to play on for just a little bit longer. Before you realise it, you're the only one awake in the small hours, square eyed and addicted once more. For people looking for an adventure that will be days, rather than months, in the playing, has a light atmosphere ,lacks cynicism yet doesn't take itself too seriously, is fairly well thought out and error-trapped, then this could be the one for you. However, I can't help feeling that on the Spectrum you could have picked this up for £4.93. I'm all for encouraging small companies, but for the degree of skill and effort that went into this it shouldn't compare in price with marvels like Sorcery. 
Tony Kendle , Popular Computing Weekly |
