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[Comp01] Some short reviews and remarks

by PolloDiablo

Posted 16 November 2001 to rec.games.int-fiction

Here are some thoughts about the games I played. I was planning on playing them all but life intervened: after migrating last year we are now returning to our point of origin. That meant only a few hours of playing time in total (and I had to stop beta-testing some non-comp games...).

Another limiting factor was that I have, thanks to my husband, a Linux-based system but no knowledge or rights to install software. So I had to beg and crawl to get him to install two: TADS and Frotz. I didn't dare ask for more...

In all, I have played 29 games, some for a few minutes and some for an hour or so. I have written down some positive and negative remarks for each.

Here they are, in no particular order:

Crusade - 6 + original
- difficult, no idea what to do
- possibly offending (blasphemy)
Coast - 6 + fun to play
+ puzzles not too hard
- no clue that certain rooms have certain exits
- spelling/typos
- ending far-fetched
Heroes - 6 + original concept (5 games in one)
- absolutely impossible to play without walkthrough
Elements - 7 + different
+ mysterious atmosphere
- too long
- no hints, no idea what to do
Evil Sorcerer - 5 + atmosphere
- unoriginal
- boring
- guess-the-verb
Cruise - 6 + good descriptions
+ atmosphere
- unoriginal and unconvincing
- bugs ("you can't get the .")
- last point score
Beetmonger - 8 + atmosphere
+ fun to play
+ catching
- typos/spelling
- TADS error in flags
Vicious Cycles - 4 + original
- bug (when throwing something, I missed. Could not pick up again, could not undo)
Earth and Sky - 8 + original
+ difficult in a fun way
- ending sudden and unsatisfying
All Roads - 8 + gripping
+ atmosphere
- confusing, walkthrough needed
Eleven - 7 + story
+ puzzles
- unoriginal, obvious plot
Gostak - 5 + original
- incomprehensible
- not inviting to play for longer than 5 minutes
Jump - 5 + atmosphere/subject
- not much interaction
- predictable
Alys/Possess - 7 + gripping
+ well written
- romantic style too much at times
- die too easily
No Time To Squeal - 5 + atmosphere
+ well written
- subject depressing
- sense of not being to do anything
Kallisti - 2 + original
- sexist, disgusting ("I will have you")
- boring
- guess-the-memory
Night Guest - 6 + funny
+ short
- not playable without walkthrough/hintfile
Triune - 7 + more than one solution/ending
+ atmosphere
+ convincing
- too romantic at times
Volcano - 7 + atmosphere
+ original
+ puzzles
- guess-the-verb
Stranded - 4 + intro
- die too easily
- not inviting to play
Fusillade - 5 + original
- confusing
Greyscale - 5 + puzzles
- boring
- typos
- unoriginal
Journey - 6 + original
+ sheep is nice/adorable
- short
- unsolvable without walkthrough/hints
Shattered Memory - 6 + atmosphere
- unoriginal
- guess-the-memory
- stuck after few minutes, nothing left to ask
Newcomer - 5 + atmosphere
- die too easily
- haven't been able to last more than a few turns
BB - 6 + gripping
+ original
- difficult
- not solvable without walkthrough
Schroedinger - 4 + intriguing
- but only for a few minutes
- what can I do/interaction?
Colours - 5 + original
+ fun
- difficult for non-native players (which word describes who)
- bug (disappearing rooms before all objects cleared)
Castle - 2 + probably well programmed, don't know, I don't play chess
- not interactive FICTION at all
- chess

This article copyright © 2001, PolloDiablo

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